Pet industry expert Steve Driver has urged suppliers and manufacturers to give extra support to independent pet retailers during the current economic climate.
With the Chancellor’s Autumn budget looming later this month, Steve said suppliers should make some products exclusive to independents so that pet owners had a reason to shop with them.
Steve added: “We all need to work together and support the independents.”
The managing director of Pet Trade Innovations, who has offered advice to SMEs at various pet industry forums, gave his assessment of the state of play in the UK pet industry.
How would you assess the current pet market in the UK?
It seems very quiet in the market – order value is down and I think consumers are worried about money. People seem to be waiting for the budget and the impact this might have on their finances
Are independent pet retailers given enough help and support in these challenging times?
It’s very difficult for a retailer if customers aren’t coming into the stores or they are just buying the essentials. There are lots of promotions and deals out there at the moment which can help but I feel a lot of consumers are being driven into budget stores because money is tight. If everything starts coming down to price this can be challenging.
Does the supply chain get enough assistance/encouragement from government?
We don’t get any encouragement from the government or support. We are left to fend for ourselves and when business drops off we just have to try and ride these times out.
What advice would you give to small businesses in the pet market – both retailers and manufacturers/suppliers?
Review all your costs and run as lean as you possibly can so you are more robust during tough times. For me it’s about getting your brand or business in front of more customers so they at least have the chance to make a decision on buying. Social media is still great for this and can be combined with Ai to make some interesting and stimulating posts. Once you have a customer in your store then look at new ways to upsell and keep things fresh each couple of weeks. Focus on a few star products that can add extra pounds to the basket spend.
How important is social media in getting a marketing message out there?
It can be very important and worked the right way there is a lot of free marketing available. If you can give consumers a good reason to visit your store with maybe a very strong deal on an essential, or something new and exciting, then you have the opportunity to sell them something else at full cost price.
What needs to happen to make sure the UK pet market remains strong in difficult times?
We all need to work together and support the independents. The problem is the volume is now coming out of discounters and online stores but the independent retailer is still important, offering great customer service, more premium products and a better selection of brands. We all need to support the retailers and keep some products exclusive to them so pet owners still have a reason to go there.
