Why IndiePet’s Open Catalog is Important to Independent Pet Retailers
As we prepare for a new year, IndiePet is excited to roll out our newest benefit to our retail members – IndiePet’s Open Catalog.
Over the last several months, our manufacturer members have been uploading their product information. At just under 7,000 SKUs, it is a small catalog, but we expect it to grow substantially over the next year. The good news is that there are enough products that our retailers can begin using the catalog.
Why use IndiePet’s Open Catalog?
How do you currently obtain your product information? Do you have to request it from each manufacturer or brand owner? Do you have to manage large spreadsheets that are in differing formats? Are your product images in high resolution, the right sizes, and of enough variety for your needs? What happens when there is a change in packaging, pricing, or product ingredients. Are you always confident you have the most up-to-date information on the products you sell?
By obtaining your product information from IndiePet’s Open Catalog, you can be confident that you are getting accurate, up-to-date, and consistently formatted product information, including high-quality product images in a variety of standard sizes.
The digital age isn’t coming – it’s here!
E-Commerce is the fastest growing sector of pet supply sales. According to the U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2023-2024 (Packaged Facts), retail sector e-commerce sales of pet products reached $30.3 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $52.3 billion by 2027. Today, all brick-and-mortar businesses have some sort of online presence and many if not most brick-and-mortar pet retailers provide a way for their customers to shop online. Whether they complete their purchase online or ultimately come into the store to make their purchases, retailers’ online catalog must be maintained as consistently as their in-store point of sale system.
Additionally, nearly three quarters of Gen X and Millennial pet product shoppers (the future market) use the internet to research product information other than price (Packaged Facts’ February 2023 Survey of Pet Owners). With pet products that may mean they are looking for specific ingredients in their pet’s food, sizes or colors of collars, leashes or clothing, or other information that is important to them. Twenty two percent of Gen Z and Millennials report shopping for pet products through apps on their phones. Complete, accurate product information on your e-commerce platform including high quality images in all sizes help make product shopping and researching easier and can influence a pet supply shopper in how and where they ultimately make their purchase.
Is it starting to make sense?
IndiePet grew out of the need to help keep the independent pet retail channel relevant, strong, and growing. The pet market has moved away from omni-channel into omni-market because pets are important to people – often considered part of the family. Not only is pet retail thriving, but it is attracting large investors including those not previously part of the pet retail landscape. To stay relevant, to stay independent, to stay alive, independent pet retailers must utilize every tool at their disposal to ensure that the products they display so beautifully in-store are as well represented online and that the product descriptions in their point of sale and e-commerce platforms are current and accurate. We want to make the “uh-oh… something changed that we didn’t know about” conversations about products a thing of the past!
It really is this easy!
If you are already an IndiePet retail member, ask to be added as an IndiePet Open Catalog user.
If you are not yet a member, we invite you to join IndiePet, and enjoy all the advantages that come with membership.
