(Published in Sept. 2003)

The Safe Route
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure for dog owners
By Scott and Ann Springer

Children are required to be in car seats. Adults are required to wear safety belts while traveling in cars. However, dogs are frequently seen roaming around freely in vehicles. The risk of injury is the same for dogs as it is for humans but some dog owners still don’t properly secure their animals while traveling.

A car restraint system is just one product designed to keep a dog safe. Other safety items include collars and leashes, electronic fencing and life jackets for dogs. All dog owners know their pets need a sturdy collar and leash, but consumer awareness and sales of specialty safety gear for dogs is increasing, too.

"Americans accept their animals as part of their families," says Juli Weber, marketing and public relations coordinator for EK Ekcessories. "Pet owners are as concerned about their animals as they are about their children." Based in Logan, Utah, EK manufactures a line of pet collars and leashes and is launching a new line of leashes that have a built-in compass and thermometer.

Making the Sale
Consumers of dog safety products fall into two categories: first, new owners unaware that safety products exist or are necessary for their pets, and second, dog owners looking for ways to keep their animals safe from accidents.

The number of dog owners who know nothing about safety products seems to be dropping. This is especially true for owners familiar with electronic fencing. "Awareness has really jumped with these products," says Willy Wallace, vice president of sales and marketing at Radio Systems, Inc. in Knoxville, Tenn. Radio Systems manufactures electronic fencing and bark collars for dogs under the brand name Pet Safe.

"Two years ago only 73 percent of pet owners knew these containment products existed," Wallace says. Now, more than 90 percent of pet owners are aware of containment products, according to Wallace, quoting an internal study conducted by Radio Systems.

Many of your customers looking to purchase a containment system will already be sold on the idea they need one to secure their pet. Your job will be to make the sale. "It’s a solution sell," Wallace says. "Consumers will come in to stores for advice. They’ll say, ‘I’ve got a dog that is getting out and running around the neighborhood.’ And they will ask, ‘What products are out there to help me?’"

You and your staff will need to take a different sales angle with other dog safety items, however. "It’s an emotional and psychological sell," says Roanna Sabeh-Azar, the owner of Neo-Paws International, a Toronto-based company that sells a variety of safety products for dogs ranging from athletic shoes to life jackets. "How can they refuse something they know will help their animal?"

Always view a new puppy owner as a multiple-step sale. First, be sure the owner goes home properly equipped to help the dog survive in its new home. Second, turn the owner’s attention to safety products. "You have to think this through from a customer’s perspective," says Gay Stryker, owner of Creature Comforts in Portland, Ore. "Think, ‘What is this person going to need so they will be sane and the puppy will be safe?’ You have to have owned a puppy in order to help them."

Stryker recommends that puppies travel in crates until they are old enough to use car restraints. She also provides a safety class—in conjunction with obedience training—that highlights safety products for the home and car.

If you don’t currently host training classes in your store you may want to take another look at this potential sales avenue. "If a store holds a training program or a class and it can tie products into the class, it will help sales," Wallace says. "Trainers will walk through the store with their class and recommend products and people will gobble it up and buy exactly what the trainer says to buy." Wallace says customers frequently rank trainers as top sources of information for product recommendations.

Collars and leashes also sell well through recommendations. "You can show customers with puppies what to they need to buy right away and what they will need to buy when the dog is older," says Denise Sibole, the marketing director of Coastal Pet Products, Inc. of Alliance, Ohio. "This way they will be sure to remember you and you will have the customers come back." Coastal Pet Products offers an extensive line of collars and leashes with specialty latches that prevent slippage or choking.

Stock the Best Products
As a retailer you must be informed about what products are available and then stock quality products so your customers receive a good return on their investment.

The best knowledge comes as you use the products on your own animals. "I suggest retailers become knowledgeable with the products and use them in their store so they can have firsthand knowledge of them," Weber says.

When stocking your shelves, don’t immediately go to the largest manufacturers first, either. Sabeh-Azar suggests you look online for lesser-known companies offering unique yet high-quality products. "Sometimes you have to take a risk on a new product, but you’re losing customers to the Web because you’re not offering the best products available," Sabeh-Azar says. "I have customers tell me, ‘We went to the pet store and bought these products but they didn’t work. So we went online and found you and we love your products.’"

You risk losing customers when you or your staff recommends a defective product. "If a customer uses a faulty product that was recommended by a store, the customer doesn’t blame the manufacturer. Instead, they look at where they bought the product," Weber says. "The quality of the product reflects upon you, the retailer."

Be sure to adequately train your staff about the new products you stock. "We’ve got small independents that are doing unbelievable numbers because they have trained their staff so well on it," says Wallace, speaking of his company’s pet containment system. "If their staff can explain the product—really tell the story of how it works--then the sales will be there."

A common mistake made by retailers is to assume they know what their customers’ needs are before they have done enough asking of questions. "You need to listen to the customer to find out what type of dog it will used for and what type of conditions it will be used in," Sibole says. "You need to get background on the dog and then recommend products based on that information."

Upgraded collars and leashes, pricy electronic-fence systems, specialty shoes for dogs and other high-end safety items are products a consumer initially may not see as essential. How well you can convince them of their necessity will determine whether or not these products gather dust on your shelves. "Given the right information, most of us will make the best decision, even if it costs a little more," Stryker says. "Customers come to independent stores because they want the inside information about what works and they are usually hungry for the right information."

Sibole is quick to remind that pricier items or upscale merchandise put more dollars in your pockets with fewer sales. "As your customer upgrades a collar, the new product will be more expensive to produce and will sell for more," she says. "You will have a more satisfied customer and you will also have a higher profit."

As you might expect, your best route to increasing sales of dog safety products is to connect with your customers on a personal level. "If an associate turns a customer on to something new and their dog loves it, they will have a customer for life," Wallace says. "It will bond that customer to the retailer. It can be more dramatic with these products because they can be crucial to a customer in being able to keep their pet. In that case, they’re worth every penny."

Scott and Ann Springer are freelance writers based in Southern California.