In Tough Times, Lean on your Association
IndiePet’s mission of supporting independent and neighborhood retail pet stores and their suppliers by empowering them to work together in one strong network, is what drives the association. Through good times and challenging times, IndiePet is here for its members!
Consumer confidence is the backbone of a healthy business environment and the current environment of economic uncertainty is providing headwinds for independent pet retailers. IndiePet information partner, SPINS, has provided a first quarter analysis (available to members on our website/member resources/pet retail insights & trends) that shows a -5.4% change in dollars vs. a year ago for the independent pet segment compared to -0.1% change for Multi-Unit (Food, Drug, Mass) retail stores. The good news is categories of Wet Cat Food, Dry Cat Food, Bird Pet Food, and Cat and Dog Treats are all trending up in independent pet retail stores.
However, history tells us that the business environment can change quickly. To weather challenging times, we encourage retailers and brands to lean on their associations, including IndiePet. Use your peer networks, tools, resources and events that we, and other associations provide.
Here is a reminder of what IndiePet is doing for its members:
✅ Staying on top of the tariff situation. IndiePet participates in a weekly call with other major pet industry associations to bring the voices and concerns of independent pet retailers to the table. Relevant insights and information are shared with members. If you have questions or concerns you would like us to bring up, please let us know at info@indiepet.org .
✅ Providing efficiency-boosting resources. IndiePet continues to offer industry resources to make everyone more efficient. Our IndiePet Open Catalog powered by Salsify provides an accurate source of product information contributed and kept current by member manufacturers, and is available to all retail members. We will soon be expanding Open Catalog and inviting non-member manufacturers to share their product information with the goal of creating a truly time-saving and effort-reducing resource for retail members and the manufacturers who supply their stores. Reach out to us at info@indiepet.org to learn more.
✅ Expanding opportunities for outreach and promotion. Our Neighborhood Pet Store Day Find-a-Retailer map is getting a significant upgrade this year thanks to member and event partner NextPaw. Now, consumers can locate an independent pet retailer in their neighborhood AND see which of the event sponsor’s brands they carry. In addition, Astro, another member and event partner is expanding the service they provide by establishing a dedicated promotion page for Neighborhood Pet Store Day sponsoring brands. This will make it easy for retailers and consumers alike to find special offers and to support event sponsors, and for sponsoring brands to know who is taking advantage of their offers, Win for all!
✅ Improving networking events. At SuperZoo, IndiePet will again host their annual update and reception, a retailer breakfast. New this year, IndiePet will be sponsoring the DJ Lounge for an IndiePet and Neighborhood Pet Store Day networking event. All Neighborhood Pet Store Day sponsoring brands will be invited and all indie retailers (member or not) interested in learning more about IndiePet and Neighborhood Pet Store Day can drop in. We think it will be a fun and important way for Neighborhood Pet Store Day sponsors and retailers to connect in person. Visit the IndiePet at SuperZoo event page to see details.
✅ Providing opportunities for peer-to-peer support. One of IndiePet’s best resources, and perhaps even more so in these challenging times, is peer-to-peer support. From regular IndieChats – virtual forums for IndiePet members to discuss a variety of topics, to organized events at major trade shows, IndiePet routinely works to provide opportunities for members to connect, work together, and help each other.
✅ Regularly introducing new initiatives. IndiePet is soon launching IndieBrand Profiles, an in-depth manufacturer/brand profile to help retailers learn what they want to know about brands as they consider what to bring into their stores; IndieVoices, a focus group service to recruit interested retail members to provide feedback and input that will help brands learn what retailers find important before they launch a new product or marketing effort; and, because IndiePet understands that natural disasters will continue to impact members even in times of economic prosperity, the creation of an IndieCares taskforce. This group is preparing sharable resources including Standard Operating Procedures, opportunities for peer-to-peer consultation, and ways to raise financial support to help retailers return to operations following natural or human caused disasters.
✅ Staying true to our mission!
If you are not an IndiePet member and would like like to be, please reach out for more information at info@indiepet.org or join today.
