As a retailer working in the pet industry, sourcing quality supplies is an essential part of what you will do. Pet shop supplies are sourced from distributors, wholesalers and sometimes from manufacturers themselves, or from other smaller businesses (perhaps if your product offering is more niche). For this reason, there is a great deal of opportunity in the pet trade as there are many worthy suppliers out there, but also a need for a well manged and secure supply chain that will ensure robust business operations.

Pet retailers and retail brands will often focus on particular types of pet product, unless you run a general pet shop that covers all bases. These might range from general pet care products, to pet food, to accessories like dog jackets and collars, to more specialist and niche products such as heated fish tanks, tank filters and particular types of food for, say, specific pet diets. Of course, as a retailer, you will have your niche and will know what you want to focus on, but equally, you will need to navigate the complex landscape of pet product suppliers and make sure you can secure the right products from your audience. If you can’t, this might mean a slight change in direction for your business, it might mean sourcing products from overseas, it might mean setting up brand new supplier relationships, or it might also mean getting a deeper understanding of what your audience wants. Being a retailer and operating successfully is as much about understanding your audience and what they need and want as it is about margins, balancing the books and running your business. Some ways to explore what audiences want could include focus groups, online research, asking for feedback, looking at reviews, and speaking to people in your shop to find out what their pets need. 

The Importance of Relationships with Suppliers as a Pet Retailer

Any retailer will understand the value of forming ongoing relationships with suppliers and nurturing those relationships to bring about the very best value. If this is a relationship that is going to work for both of you (you as the retailer, and the supplier as well) then it needs to be built on trust and honesty. Building a network of suppliers is a very good option for any retailer, so when you find the products that your customers want, you can continue to supply them without delay.

Forming positive relationships will also help you secure the best prices and the best service. That’s not to say that all suppliers will be eager to offer you discounts, however there will often be incentives for regular customers and customers who buy pet products from them in bulk. When you have worked on a relationship and know people in multiple departments, including directors, operations staff, and those in finance and sales, you are more likely to receive excellent ongoing service, with everyone having shared goals and working towards the same profitable business and supplier relationships in the long term.