Not every small business has the resources or marketing budget that bigger companies have. In fact, I find that most pet retailers are not even sure where to start when it comes to building their brand and telling their story. Even if you have a wealth of ideas you might not have the team to help put things into motion. Because of this, marketing can fall by the wayside as you tend to the more important tasks in your store. Maybe the answer to your marketing troubles is thinking smaller. Besides, sometimes it is the simple things in life that have the biggest impact. 

As we all know the pet industry continues to grow with pet parents spending $69.5 billion on their pets in the U.S. just last year. For many people, their pets are like their children and therefore pet parents now more than ever truly care about what they are feeding their animals. Research shows that 55% of American pet owners are concerned about filler ingredients in pet food, such as grains and meat-by-products which often are not found in alternative pet diets. This concern has made a huge impact on the growth of the alternative pet food market. 

Despite what some may think, sustainability can be much more than recycling and reducing your carbon footprint. In the pet industry, sustainability concerns play a major role in the production of many of our favorite brands. Research has found that cats and dogs make up 25 to 30 percent of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the United States each year. With this in mind, more and more members of the pet industry are making the effort to move towards more sustainable practices to protect and ensure the future of our planet.

Across the country the frenzy of Black Friday has taken over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. As a small business owner it can often be difficult to compete with big box stores and online retail giants on these days. In response to this, small business owners have joined together to claim a day of their own. Nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday there is now Small Business Saturday. The movement has grown into a holiday shopping staple aiming to support small businesses just like you.

Pet Food Experts is pleased to announce that we have acquired Monarch Pet Products. Monarch Pet Products located in Denver, CO has been servicing independent pet retailers in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming since 2009. This acquisition means we will be gaining over 365 new independent pet retail partners in the Mountain Region and expanding our distribution footprint from 29 states to 32 states.

As the temperatures outside steadily drops and the sun sets earlier in the evening sky it's a sure sign that winter is creeping up on us. Humans are not alone in suffering from the harsh effects of winter; our four-legged friends are also feeling the effects. Make sure your furry friends are safe and warm this winter. From apparel all the way to diet you can find ways to help your customers' pets survive the winter and make your store thrive.

Email marketing gets a bad reputation, some even say the practice is a form of antiquated marketing with little return on investment. Well I am here to tell you this just is not true. In actuality, research supports that people do read most of their emails and don't mind them from companies they do business with as long as they are interesting and relevant. In fact, with the proper strategy any business can succeed with email marketing, even pet retailers.

Halloween isn’t the only thing to celebrate this month! The American Humane Society established the month of October as National Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month in 1981. Since then, pet lovers everywhere have celebrated shelter dogs and rescues during this month. Each year, there is an estimated 3-4 million animals in shelters looking for their forever home. Join in the celebration by observing Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month in you store this October.

Summer is officially over, but that doesn’t mean flea season has ended. There is a common misconception that fleas and ticks are exclusively a seasonal concern; they come out in the warmer weather and die off in the colder seasons. We look forward to that first drop in temperature that signals the pests are heading south for the fall/winter months, but are they? Many aren't aware that the dropping temperatures can make the perfect environment for the flea population to surge.

It's official, CBD products are here to stay. Google the term “CBD”, and you’ll find that it’s projected to be a $2.1 Billion industry by 2020, an astronomical jump compared to last year's CBD market of around $202 million. When it comes to CBD brands and their products, it can feel like you’re swimming in a sea of options. With so many brands coming out with their own CBD line and making claims about their product being the most effective and the best priced on the market it can feel overwhelming to know exactly what to stock your shelves with.