How to Stock Your Bird Department for Success
How to Stock Your Bird Department for Success
Birds are special creatures that require much different care and attention than the typical furry family pet. Our feathered friends need stimulating and engaging environments that replicate challenges and obstacles naturally confronted in their wild habitats to live a happy and healthy life.
When it comes to stocking your bird retail department for success, there are several different factors that can play into how your products are received and thus how happy your customers are with their experience in your store. Three main components of any shopping excursion are as follows:
Presentation
As with any retail niche, the presentation of the products you carry can exert tremendous influence on how your customers make their selections and purchases. Thoughtfully laying out your products in a methodical fashion can help new customers navigate your store and return customers find what they are looking for easily. An eye-catching display that includes, a bird cage, toys, cage accessories, perches, bird food, etc. can help customers visualize a healthy bird environment. Any particular items that are featured should be placed at eye-level with enticing signage and information regarding specials. We recommend asking for customer feedback. Knowing your customer’s experience will help your team evaluate how user-friendly your presentations are and what needs to change. This user-feedback loop can allow you to access important insight into both the organization and presentation of your shelves.
Products
From specialty products to cages and houses, food and treats to vitamins and supplements, toys and educational materials to exercise equipment and other accessories, the amount of pet bird products on the market today can be overwhelming. Properly educating your staff on the products you carry can help them inform and direct customers to what they are looking for. Also, you should only stock top-of-the-line, quality products that you believe in, by companies built on solid reputations.
Personnel
One critical component for your store’s personnel is great customer service skills. This requires ongoing educational opportunities to empower your staff with knowledge about your products. As pet-lovers, enthusiasm and first-hand knowledge can translate into better sales for you. Encouraging your staff to try out different products themselves with their own birds can help educate them on giving better advice to customers and also lend a boost in forming a confident sales team that is invested in the best selection of products for any bird’s health. Great advice and attentive sales teams means loyal customers!