Recent Articles from Erik Martin
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 […]
Small Animals are a Pet Store’s Main Attraction
Mice are nice. Cavies are cuddly. And bunnies are fun and fundamental. But let’s face furry facts: hamsters and gerbils serve as essential staples for most pet stores that offer a small animal set. And it’s easy to see why— they’re adorably compact, soft and gentle and represent an inexpensive starter pet for many families […]
The Natural Buzz is Hitting the Avian Market
Walk into any supermarket today and you’ll likely see more shoppers scrutinizing product packaging, reading ingredient lists, asking clerks questions, and checking apps for data like calorie counts and Weight Watcher points. And chances are, they’re doing the same due diligence in your store, too. News flash: this increasing trend toward healthier living, sustainable practices, […]
Spotlight on Supplements
Food only goes so far in providing essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It’s a big reason why people visit the health food store to stock up on pills, powders and enhancers. The same is true of daily avian diets: while they may be fortified with many natural ingredients for proper metabolism and health, they can’t […]
Welcome to Treat Street
The Golden Rule is to treat others as you would wish to be treated. But the golden rule of small animal ownership is to treat your pets to treats more often. Or, at least it should be, because let’s face it: life is short, and even if you don’t believe in eating dessert first, serving […]
A Healthy Snack Knack
They say you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. The same can be true of honey sticks, fruit and nut yummies, baked birdy biscuits, and millet morsels: offer a healthy selection of savory snacks for birds and chances are their owners will flock to your store for more of these avian indulgences. Because […]
Ferrets: Furry and Fun
The craze that made them household name critters may have died down from a few years ago, and they might not sell as solidly today as other small mammals in your store. But make no mistake: when it comes to cute and cuddly, few animals compete for a patron’s attention quite like the fur-tastically fetching […]
The Play’s the Thing for Birds
Few things warm bird lovers’ hearts more than seeing their winged companions busy at play. But avian amusements only go so far in a cage lacking bird-friendly baubles, trinkets and toys. And therein lies an opportunity for pet store retailers, who can position themselves as the go-to source for fun products designed to stimulate birds […]
Crunch Time for Small Animals
Here’s some food for thought: Consumers are no longer content with the fast-snatch grab-and-go approach to small animal food shopping. Today, they care about the contents, and they’ll spend more time in your store reading the label on a package of edibles, according to the experts. That makes it all the more important to carefully […]