PET PRODUCT NEWS ARTICLE
FOR FEBRUARY 2006

“No Need to Lose Sleep Over Your Bed Selection”

by Paula and Lewis Turner
Special to Pet Product News

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We’d like to thank those of you who have emailed us with positive comments about the click-to page on our website; each month it’s being improved upon. A number of inquiries have been received regarding the subject of beds and the dilemma of choosing the right ones. Hopefully the following guidelines will provide some insight and useful information. If you’ve been to a tradeshow lately, you know how challenging it can be to purchase correctly. Donut beds, cozy cave beds, four-poster beds, burbers, fleece, twills, and animal prints .there’s so much!

First, it might help to establish a criteria for yourself as to which aspects of bed purchasing are important to you. As discussed in last month’s column (“Who’s the Boss”), it is Paula who makes these decisions. She has a much better eye for color and style and is more in tune with our customer’s needs in this area. Here are our points of consideration:

Eye Appeal: (Interestingly enough, it’s not price.) If the bed does not
send some form of emotional response; the cost is of no consequence. Even though there seems to be more women buying beds, don’t overlook that masculine appeal. Even if the gentleman is the proud owner of an itty-bitty dog, he might not want to buy a prissy-looking bed for his house.

Construction: Zippers for easy cover removal and tight seams are critical. Bed covers that are difficult to manage or look sloppy will frustrate the customer. Most will pay a little more if they feel the bed will hold up for a few washings.

Price: Once the bed has caught the customer’s attention visually, and after handling feels like it will survive for a period of time, price becomes a consideration. This is why it is important that the beds are easily accessible for the touchy-feely.

Size Availability: Do you have sizes available for particular breeds you service? If you’re unsure about what size dogs your customers have, consider which bags of food you sell most. Big bags of food going out the door will probably indicate a larger dog population.

Store Space Availability: The age old question of how much space to dedicate to the different departments in your store is a constant concern. The good news is that beds are usually not an item that customers compare prices; meaning that your margin of profit can be higher. Most of the pet catalogues have to be concerned with servicing the masses and not the individual. This limits their assortment.

Merchandising Matters
Consider merchandising beds on angled displays over your products, but still within reach. Placing some stuffed dogs or cats to display in the beds is an additional visual attraction. Warm and fuzzy is good! Choosing pets that are lying down rather than standing work better when cuddling them in the bed. A good source of these toys is the gift convention. Since the toys are also priced, they are an extra bonus for the kids to bring home. Another ad-on is to have soft, fleecy blankets available to purchase for those cold nights!

Fill The Need
Many purchase beds from independent retailers rather than the big box stores because they have a greater likelihood of finding a better quality of material. Independents have more flexibility in their selection since they don’t have to commit to 500 of the same bed design, and most customers like to have patterns/colors to blend in with their home furnishings. We have found that experimenting with bolder color patterns work well with the small to medium beds, while neutral/warm earth tones are more favorable to big-dog owners.

A good friend of ours, Wendy Nan Rees, started a bed company called Cushy Dog because she could not find a bed to fill her pet’s need. Her Yorkie - Cappy - loved to circle around on Wendy’s down bed comforter. At the time, she could not find filler with the same appeal, so she made one. Wendy’s friends asked her to make beds for their dogs because they were having the same frustration with finding that bed with the right appeal. Soon Cushy Dog was born.

Interestingly enough, the beds led to the creation of a tie-in product called Cedar Mist. When Wendy shipped her beds, she sprayed them with a fragrance she found appealing, and wanted her customers to open the box and experience the same sensation. Customers called… and another product was born.

Sources
There are a few manufacturers who will provide large fabric samples allowing you to touch and feel. Some of our favorite companies can be found on our click-to page.

Purchasing the right beds to sell can be an overwhelming task, but by breaking the problem down into smaller components, the challenge is often reduced. Sweet dreams.

If there are topics or issues you would like to see addressed in this column, please email us at lewisnpaula@petcarecompany.net and we’ll give it our best shot. To learn more go to: www.petcarecompany.net/great-reading.html

Lewis and Paula Turner own The PetCare Company in Hermosa Beach, Calif.