Recent Articles from Erik Martin
Ferret Category Presents Opportunity to Boost Sales
They’re soft, long, twee-faced, friendly, frisky, inquisitive and downright irresistible. They live a heck of a lot longer than hamsters, cavies or mice (up to 10 years or more). And they bond and interact with humans more closely than many other pets. We’re talking, of course, about Mustela putorius furo—better known as the ferret. But […]
Bigger is Better, Variety Rules When it Comes to Bird Cages
The single most expensive purchase a bird owner is going to make is not necessarily the animal itself—it’s often the enclosure their feathered friend will inhabit. Hence, it’s good business sense to accentuate aviary offerings in your store by providing an array of species-friendly sizes, styles and colors from which customers can choose. And nowadays, […]
Open Doors with ‘Rainbow of Choices’ for Small Animal Daily Diets
Sure, litter looms large. Toys and treats are hard to beat. But there’s no staple more fundamental than furbaby food. Because, chances are, if you carry the right everyday edibles for small animals, you’ll build a loyal clientele who will repeat its eats purchases and pick up other pet essentials and impulse items, too—again and […]
Catch Customers’ Eyes with Creative, Colorful Bird Toys
With the demise of Toys ‘R’ Us, the great American toy store may be gone. But you can turn your shop into the great American bird toy store and tap into a growing demand from owners seeking fun and excitement for feathered friends. Make no cuttlebones about it—bird baubles, trinkets and playthings are hot commodities […]
Quality, Variety Matter for Birds’ Daily Diets
Want your store to be the go- to destination for pet bird owners? Prepare to accommodate their tastes—and their pets’ palates—by stocking a diverse assortment of the most important staple in your set: the daily diet. From seeds and pellets to cakes and fruit/veggie/nut mixes, consumers face a glut of confusing choices when hunting for […]
Small Animal Fitness and Exercise Products are Hot — Here’s Why
Four walls and a bed of litter doesn’t leave much room for rodent aerobics. And despite having speedy metabolisms, it’s easy for small animal pets to pack on the fat and suffer health maladies when they don’t get the fitness they need. Let’s Get Physical Tara Whitehead, director of marketing and communications for MidWest Homes […]
Products for Backyard Fowl Deserve a Place on Store Shelves
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Ask urban poultry pet keepers, and they’ll likely say it doesn’t matter, as both are equally important. That’s because these folks are increasingly turning barnyard birds like hens, roosters, ducks and geese into backyard companions that can be as appreciated as pets as they are as egg-layers. […]
Consider Stocking the ‘Exotic’ Small Animals and their Products
Hamsters, rabbits, cavies, mice and all their accoutrement may compose the bread and butter of your small animal department. But customers cannot live on bread alone. That’s why many seek out more unconventional pets that whet their appetite for excitement, including species like hedgehogs, chinchillas, degus, sugar gliders, prairie dogs and kinkajous. Even if you […]
Boost Sales by Offering a Wider Selection of Quality Perches
Pet retailers who want to remain in good standing with bird owner patrons need to give stronger thought to the essential cage fixture that all birds stand on: the prized and practical perch. That’s because the wearisome wooden dowels and plain plastic poles of yesteryear have been replaced by exciting new materials and designs intended […]
Small Animal Brands Push Natural, Eco-Friendly Bedding
It’s been said that you can’t build a great building on a weak foundation. Likewise, you can’t hope to have a healthy habitat with weak substrate. Put another way, no betting person should wager on bad bedding or the “runt of the litter” that can’t handle odor, moisture and mess issues. Fortunately, manufacturers have upped […]
Focus Moves to Bigger, More Playful Small Animal Enclosures
If innovators can “invent a better mousetrap,” as the saying goes, they can certainly invent a better mouse habitat, too. Fortunately for retailers, that’s exactly what small animal product makers have done in recent years, rolling out more colorful, expandable and larger enclosures to satisfy consumer demand. Years ago, the problem in this category was […]
Follow the Goodie Trail: Diversifying Avian Treats
The short and sweet secret to sugarcoating sales is simple: offer bird lovers plenty of short and sweet products in the form of tasty avian treats. After all, few things appeal to a winged companion’s palate—and benefit your bottom line—quite like succulent snacks, crunchy morsels and delectable goodies designed to make your register ring. Indeed, […]