Over the past two or three years, Thais have not only been keeping more pets — animal lovers have also grown far more aware of their pets' health and hygiene, whether the animal is a common companion such as a bird, a fish, a dog or a cat, or something from the exotic category. That has kept the business of selling pet food and supplies growing steadily. So today we are opening up the world of the pet shop business, along with a few simple techniques for winning the hearts of animal-loving customers.
The advantages of opening a pet shop today
Business in every industry is growing by leaps and bounds right now, helped by overall economic growth, the sheer convenience of shopping, and technology that lets operators widen their target market to a global scale. So why are so many people still drawn to opening a shop selling pet food and supplies? Here are three advantages of the pet shop business today that you may have overlooked.
1. Steady growth ahead
Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) estimates that the pet industry today is worth as much as 320 billion US dollars, and forecasts it could reach 500 billion US dollars by 2030. That has kept pet-related businesses consistently in favour — and not only pet shops, but pet insurance, mobile grooming services and smart technology designed specifically for animals.
2. Plenty of ways to extend the business
With pet-related business booming, the opportunities to build on it grow too — adding bathing and grooming or a pet spa, running a pet hotel, launching your own range of pet products. Every one of them opens the wallets of animal-loving customers.
3. Bringing happiness to animal lovers
Finally, opening a pet shop brings genuine happiness to animal lovers, and makes it far easier for those customers to look after their pets. They will pass on the good things they learn about pet care to others in the same circle, building a pet community in the process — so you earn both money and smiles.
Techniques for opening a pet shop that wins animal lovers over
If you would like to run a pet shop but are not sure how to plan your first steps, here are six good techniques to start with. They are not hard to follow, but they lay the groundwork for a pet shop that grows on solid foundations and easily wins over lovers of every kind of animal.
1. Hold the correct licence to sell animal feed
To open a shop selling pet food, you first need a licence from your provincial office of the Department of Livestock Development. The documents required are a copy of your house registration, a copy of your commercial registration or VAT registration certificate, and a copy of your ID card. The fee is 100 THB for a retail shop and 300 THB for a shop doing both retail and wholesale. You can read more on the Department of Livestock Development website.
2. Pick a busy location with footfall all day
If you want sales to keep coming, do not underestimate location. Choose somewhere with plenty of passing traffic, or a residential area with lots of pet owners and spending power, so more people get to know your shop. Better still, pick an area that does not have a pet shop yet — that gives you every chance of becoming the first name customers in the neighbourhood think of.
3. Put social media to work
These days you need online marketing working for you through paid ads and content, building engagement so people get to know the shop, widening your target audience across the country and opening up online sales, so revenue comes in over the counter and online alike.
4. Stock a full range of pet products
Pet products are not only food. There are plenty of other categories — toys, shampoos, leads, clothing, cages, everyday medicines and other supplies — and you should carry a full selection of them, so your shop becomes a one-stop service that covers everything your customers need.
5. Deal with manufacturers directly for wholesale prices
If you want healthy margins from a shop selling pet food and related supplies, get to know manufacturers and distributors directly so you can buy your stock at wholesale prices. Lower costs are another route to a bigger profit.
6. Use a POS system to give customers a better buying experience
Finally, if you want to run the shop efficiently, impress customers and have them come back, you need a POS system that looks after every side of the business. Whether or not you are standing behind the counter, you can be confident your sales figures are accurate and your customers are getting a good buying experience.
Succeeding in the pet shop business is not as hard as it looks — simply put these techniques to work. And if you want running the shop to be easier still, point of sale software from Qashier is one of the tools to have, chosen by more than 6,000 merchants across South East Asia. Manage the shop from anywhere, at any time: check sales, review stock and run a membership scheme, all from a single device. For more information, contact us on LINE Official: @qashier.th or call 02-544-0267
References:
- 7 things to check before opening a pet food shop or pet shop. Retrieved on 6 March 2024
- Pet business trends 2024: a market worth over 11 trillion THB. Retrieved on 6 March 2024