Black Friday deals abound! Black Friday sales start on Wednesday and continue through the weekend. In some industries, Black Friday sales have been going on for the entire month of November!
If you're planning a Black Friday sale at your pet retail store (whether virtual or a brick-and-mortar) we have some tips. Naturally, some of these will work better in a brick-and-mortar than they will at a virtual site.
How To Host A Black Friday Or Other Pet-centric Sale
Plan in-store events. If you have a storefront, throw open the doors early on Friday morning and invite pets and their parents to stop in and shop! Get a Santa into the store and allow pets to sit with him and get their photos taken.
Give "grab bag" items. You can give a "gift with purchase" and call it a grab bag giveaway. Choose items that are of high quality, but that you have an overstock of, are going to be replaced by new items or will expire within a couple of months. Let the pet parent (or the pet!) choose a bag from a bin in your store. If you have an online store you can offer a "grab bag" with purchase as well. Put a few goodies into the package when you ship it!
Have hourly specials. Announce your hourly specials online or in an email blast you send to your customers. If a customer knows you will be offering an additional percentage off or a BOGO at a specific time, they will be checking back on your site or coming into your location during those special sale times (and chances are they will browse and buy more!)
Offer branded items. If you want to stay front-of-mind with your shoppers (virtual or in-person) sell or give away branded merchandise. With branded merchandise like dog toys, leashes and collars, dog bowls, beds, jackets or blankets, your customer will think of you every time his or her dog plays with, drinks from, walks with or lies down and sees your brand.
Contact PrideBites for a FREE mock-up of a branded item for your pet retail business!
Capture the names of visitors. If you have people coming into your store, offer a gift basket giveaway or a high-value gift or coupon in exchange for their name and email address. When shoppers come to your online store, you need to have a way to capture their names before they leave your site. Offer a great "lead magnet" in exchange for their name on your mailing list. Your lead magnet could be a" top 10 ways to..." or "secrets to a successful..." or "our 15 favorite pet-centric sayings..." or "a 2020 pet holiday calendar." Offer an item that can be easily downloaded in exchange for the customer's email address.
Black Friday sales or events need to be unique. If visitors to your brick-and-mortar have seen the same items, received the same coupons or been invited to similar events -- it won't be unique. The same goes for online sales. If you're continually offering "10% off a purchase of $10 or more" it's not quite a sale that is new, right?
Make first-time visitors feel welcome. This works for brick-and-mortar as well as online experiences. If your site is difficult to navigate, a first-time visitor won't be too inclined to come back. If a first-time visitor walks into your store and feels unwelcome or overwhelmed, he or she may never come back.
How will you celebrate Black Friday at your pet retail store?
PrideBites connects brands to dog owners in a way that forges an amazing emotional connection and converts customers to loyal followers. PrideBites’ turnkey solution helps you differentiate yourself from your competition in a way that your followers won’t stop talking about.
For information on branded and promotional products for your business, contact PrideBites today and corner your market on the share of consumer dollars spent on pets by pet parents.
Join our PridePups Facebook Community.
Pridebites, Stories Of A Pet-Loving Brand.