3 Tech Tools that Can Help Grow Your Pet Store or Grooming Salon – PetProductNews.com

Technology has driven change and improved systems and processes in so many different industries—so it’s not surprising it’s evolving the pet industry, too. Point-of-sale (POS) systems, SMS marketing software and booking platforms are all streamlining the way that pet retailers do business.
Let’s take a look at technology in each of these areas and how it is helping pet retailers succeed.
Today’s POS systems have come a long way from the days of a simple cash register without any added functionalities. One of the biggest changes has been the broad range of capabilities that such systems can offer.
“The days of using a point-of-sale system to only track inventory and process sales and returns are over,” said Michele Salerno, director of marketing and assistant vice president of Celerant Technology Corp. and CAM Commerce, a provider of retail commerce software in Staten Island, N.Y. “An effective POS system should do much more than that, and help a retailer actually sell more products. An innovative POS [system] should simplify the process for customer management, tracking your customers and their pets, and helping increase sales with things like buying clubs, loyalty rewards, pet food subscriptions and more.”
Salerno said that a POS system should also be able to integrate with other third-party systems, allowing retailers to automate ordering, save time and offer more products.
While systems have evolved greatly, many retailers might be feeling stuck with and hampered by older systems they still rely on.
“Many retailers struggle with outdated POS systems, resulting in massive inefficiencies, lost opportunities and frustrated employees,” said Michael Stefanakos, chief revenue officer at Portland, Maine-based FieldStack, a retail management platform.
There are several signs when it’s time for a change, he added.
One, he said, is if you’re not fully leveraging your natural brick-and-mortar advantages and are losing to online competition. This is a sign your POS system is falling short.
But there are many others. He shared some of the reasons why it might be time for an upgrade.
“You can’t automate inventory management and replenishment because your POS system doesn’t offer complete visibility of your customers, inventory and supply chain,” Stefanakos continued. “You have excess cash tied up in suboptimal inventory levels. Your best employees are not making genuine connections with customers because they’re stuck doing manual tasks. You are challenged to deliver, support, and scale new services like BOPIS, curbside, ship-from-store and self-checkout. Your customers show up armed with more information than your associates. Your associates log in and out of multiple systems to manage their growing list of responsibilities. You constantly have to integrate new tools and applications, develop workarounds and consolidate data that sits in different systems just to run your business.”
Instead, POS systems should be the center of a unified commerce strategy. But in order for this to happen, those integrations are key.
“Consumers expect excellent product assortment, seamless omnichannel experiences, flexible fulfillment options and knowledgeable store associates,” he said. “Physical stores are the hub for offering these experiences. Therefore, your POS system must work seamlessly with all your other systems to meet evolving customer needs with operational efficiency.”
A POS system must also provide complete visibility across your customers, channels and supply chain, Stefanakos noted.
“This real-time data must flow seamlessly through your POS and across your unified set of retail systems,” he said. “It must be actionable to improve performance and automate giant portions of your operation. Your POS system must be easy to learn and intentionally designed for the store associate, empowering them in their increasingly demanding role without constant shifts between systems.”
Salerno said that retailers should seek out a POS system provider that is flexible and that can help them grow. The system should be able to support the business not only now, but in the future. These systems should also be tailored for individual store needs.
“Depending on your business size and which retail channels you offer, your POS system should be able to accommodate your needs, based on how you do business—not the other way around,” she said. “Starting small and adding on as you grow works well for many smaller pet shop businesses, and larger retailers with more bandwidth can take on more initially.”
Text message marketing (or short message service—SMS—marketing) involves connecting with customers via texting. Many say that it’s effective because it’s fast and gets relatively high response rates compared to other forms of marketing. Since most people always have their smartphones on them, it’s an easy way to connect.
Blustream is one such platform that offers SMS engagement. Blustream gives retailers a way to turn their customers into promoters by automating intelligent two-way SMS engagement that actively assists customers with their pet products and their pets.
“We help a variety of different retailers in the pet space connect with their customers in several powerful ways,” said Tyler Craig, senior vice president of sales for the Worcester, Mass.-based company. “Some of our customers use Blustream technology to help welcome and educate new pet owners and help them prepare and care for their new family members. Other retailers use Blustream to help grooming clients become stronger retail customers by providing cross-selling opportunities based on customer needs. Aquatic and reptile retailers are now able to help make critical and timely care recommendations for reptiles and fish to help these sensitive pets thrive.”
Craig added that retailers are able to have more meaningful and personalized engagement with customers as a result.
Booking platforms and scheduling software are also changing the pet industry by allowing pet service providers such as groomers and trainers to manage clients and appointments. Streamlining these connections benefits everyone.
One example is GoodFriend, an online platform for pet owners, providers and retailers to connect.
“For pet parents, GoodFriend makes it easy to find and book the best local pros,” explained Amy Nichols, general manager of the New York-based company. “Pet parents use GoodFriend’s smart search tools to find reliable pet care professionals in their area, book the appointment, pay for services and provide verified reviews. Pros, on the other hand, can create a free custom page for their business, post available appointments, book new customers and get paid, all on one easy-to-use platform.”
Pet retailers also have an opportunity to join GoodFriend by adding simple in-shop services like nail clipping or self-serve dog wash availability.
Nichols said that GoodFriend is essentially a “customer aggregator for providers.”
“Additionally, pros can customize their services and set their own prices,” she said. “And GoodFriend helps pros connect with more customers via focused search results, which make it easy for pet parents to find your business by service and location. We know that millennials leverage reviews to inform their decisions, and with GoodFriend, pros can build and grow their reputation with reviews only provided by verified customers.”
GoodFriend is also partnering with DaySmart, a business management software company. The partnership will allow service providers who are clients of DaySmart Pet—the pet industry arm of DaySmart—to reach more (and new) customers.
“We are developing a significant customer base and launching a national marketing campaign to bring thousands of people to the GoodFriend platform to connect with DaySmart providers,” Nichols explained. “We also have protective measures in place so providers can highlight their business with verified customer reviews, again, gaining visibility with new pet parents.”
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