With pet owners in the U.S. spending a collective $143 billion on their pets in 2023, there’s an opportunity for veterinary clinics to capture more of that share from retail sales. Even with competition from pet-focused retailers including Chewy and PetSmart, there are strategies you can employ to complete. Take these steps to expand your veterinary clinic’s retail business.

Selecting The Right Retail Products

Have you ever walked into a Hudson’s Bookstore on the way to a flight? It’s one example of a retailer that knows their client base. They make it easy for business and leisure travelers to grab a book, magazine, newspaper, a drink, or snacks on their way to the gate. Whether it’s a Wall Street Journal, a popular book, M&M’s, or bottled water, you know exactly what to expect when you stop by. But whether you’re a travel retailer or a veterinary clinic, the same rules apply. It’s essential to choose the products that meet your client's needs and align with your clinic's values.

Here are a few considerations:

  • Understand Your Clients: Stock products that reflect the preferences and needs of your clientele. For example, if your clinic serves many elderly pets, consider offering joint supplements or senior pet foods.
  • Align With Clinic Values: Ensure that the products you offer resonate with your clinic's approach to pet care, whether it's holistic, eco-friendly or focused on premium care.
  • Rotate Your Selection: Update your products to keep them continually new and interesting to your customers. Sprinkle in limited-time offer products to create a sense of urgency.
  • Less is More. Although it may take time to determine the items that best fit your clientele, limit your selection. Too many options create decision paralysis and may actually result in fewer purchases. Conversely, when presented with a limited selection, shoppers are more likely to make a purchase and to be satisfied with their choice.

The Role of Effective Labeling and Signage

How often does a label, sign or display catch your attention and cause you to explore further? Even when you are shopping for a specific item, they often create interest and result in an impulse buy.

It’s hard to understate the importance of labeling and signage in a retail setting. Whether it’s in your lobby or an exam room, well-designed and strategically-placed signage will intrigue and guide clients and drive revenue.

  • Command Attention: Labels and signage grab clients attention. Floor graphics and shelf labels guide them toward products and promotions. 
  • Communicate Information: Labels communicate essential information about products, prices, promotions and more. 
  • Reinforce Your Clinics’ Brand: Well-designed materials reinforce your brand identity.
  • Increase Purchase Decisions: By communicating key benefits, labels and signage inform and influence purchase decisions.
  • Cross-sell: Labeling and signage call attention to complementary products that can lead to additional sales. 

Labels and signage are simple, easy-to-understand communication vehicles that serve as a silent staff member, conveying information to your clients as they shop.

Marketing and Visibility of Retail Items

Although the retail space in a veterinary clinic is less than large chain retailers, you can still use some of their merchandising techniques.

  • Update Your Displays: Although many pets may only walk through your doors once or twice a year, clients with young pets or ones with chronic conditions visit your practice on a more frequent basis. For both groups, it’s important to update displays in the lobby, retail area and exam room each month. If nothing changes, there’s nothing new to catch a client's eye. 
  • Leverage Events and Observations: Numerous pet health and veterinary awareness initiatives provide excellent opportunities for merchandising. Pet Dental Month, Senior Care Health Month and National Animal Safety Month are just three of the dozens of observances you can use to promote products related to each theme. 

In addition, enhancing the visibility and appeal of your retail products will boost sales.

  • Utilize Product Placement - Place high-demand or high-margin products at eye level on shelves and near the checkout area to encourage impulse buys.
  • Move to the Right - When displaying products on your shelf, utilize the “rule of the right”. Studies show that 80% of people look first to the right side of a shelf or display and are more likely to buy that product. Position products with a greater price, quantity or profit margin to the right of other similar products. 
  • Educate and Inform - Use labels and signage to inform and educate clients on how specific products can benefit their pets.

Plus, before the office opens, check to make sure the products are positioned on the shelf or display properly and are clean and dust-free.

Inventory Management for Retail Success

Effective inventory management ensures that your product offerings are fresh, relevant, and in line with customer demand.

  • Know Where Your Stock Is: Even for a single location clinic, retail inventory that gets mixed up with other supplies and goes unused creates unnecessary expense and impacts profits. For multi-location facilities, it is an even bigger challenge. Designate a specific storage location.
  • Review Inventory Regularly: Conduct regular reviews to identify both popular and unpopular products and adjust your stock accordingly.
  • Make Data-Driven Decisions: Use sales data to understand buying trends and adjust your inventory accordingly, focusing on high-performing products.
  • Set Smart Reorder Points: Armed with this sales data you can determine the appropriate reorder points. Using a rule-based approach saves time and reduces over and under-ordering.

In addition, don’t forget to stock or adjust inventory on operational items including:

Engaging Customers and Cross-Selling Opportunities

Although most veterinary clinics prefer a more passive approach to retail sales, there are ways to engage customers that can lead to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

  • Educate Your Staff: Ensure that all staff members are knowledgeable about the products you offer and can confidently recommend items to clients. 
  • Cross-Selling Strategies: Train your team to identify opportunities for cross-selling, such as recommending a dental care product during a dental health consultation. 
  • Create a Staff Recommended Area: A pet owner who is referred to your practice is more likely to schedule an appointment. The same is true with items you sell. An area that includes products your staff recommends, along with a brief testimonial about why they recommend it, adds a personal touch to your retail strategy and can trigger more sales.  

Integrating Retail with Clinic Operations

For a seamless customer experience, it's important to integrate your retail strategies with overall clinic operations.

  • Cohesive Branding: Ensure that your retail space reflects the look and feel of your clinic, maintaining a consistent brand experience.
  • Balanced Approach: While focusing on retail growth, ensure that the core of your practice, veterinary care, remains the priority. Retail offerings should complement, not overshadow, your medical services.

Partnering with United Ad Label for Retail Success

United Ad Label offers a variety of products that elevate a veterinary clinic's retail offering. Designed to enhance product visibility, educate clients, and ultimately boost sales, United Ad Labels’ custom labels help veterinary clinics expand and elevate their retail offering. With over 60 years of experience, strong supplier relationships and an unmatched array of print technologies we deliver economical, high-quality custom labels built for each unique retail application. Contact us to learn more.