Recent Articles from Erik Martin
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 That’s because the wearisome wooden dowels and plain plastic poles of yesteryear have been replaced by exciting new materials and designs intended […]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, […]
Dental, Chew Products Essential for Small Animals
Here’s the tooth of the matter: small animals live to gnaw. It keeps their chompers well maintained and provides a stimulating activity that relieves boredom. As a prime provider of preferred chew products, you can take a sizeable chunk out of this subcategory and crunch up some profits and customer goodwill, too—assuming you don’t bite […]
Wild Bird Products Attract Nature Lovers
If trees could talk, they’d wax poetically about all the wonderful winged creatures that flock to their branches. Fortunately for homeowners, they don’t need to rely on the testimony of elms, maples and birches—they can see with their own eyes how colorful and captivating wild birds are from the comforts of their own windows and […]
Spiffing Up Sales
Before meeting the Wizard, Dorothy and her companions broke out into a happy song while getting primped and pampered during the “Merry Old Land of Oz” number in the classic 1939 film, “The Wizard of Oz.” Provide a healthy variety of avian grooming services and products in your store and customers are likely to be […]
Fur-mula for Success
If sales of small exotics have been touch and go at your store and you can’t put your finger on the problem, think “chinch,” as in chinchilla. That’s because the chinchilla is the kind of animal for which the very word “pet” was likely invented—a cuddly companion that customers won’t be able to resist once […]
Rabbits are a Top-selling Small Animal
Although International Rabbit Day, September 23, has come and gone this year, it’s never too late to celebrate cottontail cuteness and floppy-eared fun by highlighting hares in your store and living large with lagomorphs. Because, truth is, bunnies big and small continue to attract a lot of “oohs” and “aahs” from curious customers. In fact, […]
Finches and Canaries can Bring Big Bird Sales
They may be minuscule compared to the majestic size of a large hookbill, but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in value. That’s because finches and canaries serve as great low maintenance pets that can add color, cheerful chirping and melodic mirth to any home. And that’s music to the […]
Play in the Bowl Game
On the priority list of important SKUs, food and water receptacles are likely low. Typically included in a cage setup, they’re often plastic, flimsy and forgettable. But poor design and materials can often lead to waste, mess and unhealthy conditions. That’s why it’s wise to stock an assortment of feeders and waterers, many of which […]
Dollars and Scents
Smell that? Perk up your nose and catch a whiff before it’s gone—it’s the fragrance of opportunity and lost profits heading out the door of your store because you didn’t properly capitalize on promoting the odor control and cleaning products your customers are seeking. Small mammal owners often slack off in the cleaning and maintenance […]