What’s new in smallies?

Claire Hamblion

Marketing manager at Supreme Pet Foods reme Pet Foods

When it comes to stocking small animal products, retailers will know how important it is to always keep your fi nger on the pulse. The small animal category is constantly evolving, and this is often infl uenced by changes in owner behaviour, the introduction of new innovations, and fl uctuations in the popularity of classic favourites.

In this article, we’ll be discussing all the key trends for 2022 so you can make the most of current opportunities that will help to satisfy your customers’ wants and needs and maximise your small animal sales. A tighter bond

Consumer relationships with their small animals have become closer than ever. With small pets now very much seen as members of the family, we are seeing an increasing demand for premium products that meet the specifi c needs of individual small pet species.

Tying into the premiumisation trend, exotic specialist vets are continuing to advance their understanding of small animal care needs and are passing this information onto their dedicated clients. All in all, this further increases the need for well-researched and high-quality products. By making sure you stock premium products developed with an up-to-date knowledge of small pet care, you can mark yourself out as a caring and well-educated retailer.

Owners are buying more premium products for their small companions.

New avenues of opportunity

Alongside the demand for premium products, increased owner awareness of small pet needs can sometimes drive purchases in new categories. When this happens, it opens up valuable opportunities for retailers.

One example of this is bathing sand — previously, bathing sand was primarily purchased for chinchillas, but it is now becoming more widely known that sand can improve the welfare of several small pet species that originate from the desert. This has resulted in increased consumer demand for bathing sand, with sales of Tiny Friends Farm’s Harry, Charlie & Gerri Bathing Sand up by 30% year-on-year. A likely factor behind the success of this sand is that it is clearly marketed as being suitable for degus, hamsters, and gerbils as well as chinchillas, with the characters Harry, Charlie, and Gerri representing three of these species.

Bathing sand will be popular with customers looking to provide gold-standard care for their pets, as it encourages the expression of natural behaviours including burrowing and — of course — bathing. With the premiumisation trend continuing to rise, we at Supreme have also recently launched a new bathing sand as part of the Science Selective range. This product has been designed with sand particles that are all a very similar size, meaning they are super soft and gentle on the skin and paws of small animals. Again, we are seeing strong commercial performance.

Bathing sand is becoming a more popular product.

New innovations

When it comes to providing gold-standard care, you can also showcase product innovations that encourage instinctive behaviours, such as snuffl e mats. These mats are great for enrichment, especially for animals like guinea pigs and rabbits, as they promote sniffi ng and foraging at the same time as preventing boredom. Why not set these mats up as part of an enrichment display by grouping snuffl e mats with associated treats, to create complete enrichment activity sets for owner purchase? You could also incorporate products for other enrichment activities including tunnels, slopes, and hidey holes.

As always, when it comes to new and interesting products, it’s worth ensuring that you and your staff are up to date with all the relevant product functions, as well as how these can link to the behaviours of the species you cater for. Lots of brands will also provide you with information and training courses to help keep you in the know about what their products have to offer. At Supreme, we’re pleased to provide comprehensive product training support for retailers. The success of subscription boxes

As millennials become the primary owners of small furries, these individuals not only want to spoil their pets — often treating them like family members — but they’re also looking for convenience, as well as a good variety of wellresearched products. Because of this, subscription boxes (particularly those for rabbits) have proved extremely popular with this new generation of small pet owners.

When your customers sign up to receive regular subscription boxes, this will help to guarantee regular sales, while providing you with the opportunity to include samples of new products and brands, such as small packets of treats or food. These boxes are often home-delivered, which is convenient for busy owners, as this ensures that they will receive a regular selection of lots of different products to indulge their beloved pets, even if they don’t have time to mooch around the local pet shop.

When deciding which selection boxes you would like to stock, try to select a box with premium products from well-known, trusted, and interesting brands. It’s also a good idea to select a box that offers a wide variety of items that differ from month to month as, if your customer becomes disinterested in the boxes they’re being sent, they are likely to unsubscribe — especially if the boxes have a higher price point.

Or, why not create your own subscription boxes? These could include some of your best-sellers, as well as new and innovative products you want to push or introduce. Creating a subscription box specifi c to your business is a great way to offer your customers a more convenient, COVID-safe way to purchase your products, and will also encourage them to try lots of different items from your store. Environmental impact

It’s also no secret that millennials are very environmentally conscious. Again, this is something it’s well worth considering when you decide which products you want to stock. For instance, are you selecting products that are produced locally and sustainably? Do they have minimal packaging, or is the packaging biodegradable or recyclable? All of these things can impact your eco-conscious customer’s decision to purchase.

“ “ It’s also no secret that millennials are very environmentally conscious.

All about insurance

Finally, as customers and their vets become more and more educated on their small pets, this inevitably means that insurance and health plans have become increasingly popular. This is because as owners learn more about the health and welfare of their pets, they’ll be keener than ever to support them with regular health checks and preventative treatments, and they’ll also want to ensure that their pets will receive appropriate care if they do become ill.

Creating a small animal health plan or club for your customers is a great way to boost your sales. These plans can include products that support animal health and welfare, and they can mean discounts for customers and regular monthly sales for you — so everybody wins.

Pet insurance is also becoming ever-more popular amongst small pet owners, especially for rabbits. If you sell pets in your store, you might like to think about the possibility of partnering with insurance companies to offer insurance to new owners as well.

When researching upcoming trends as a pet trade retailer, it’s often tempting to focus on spending patterns in the cat and dog markets. However, with a new generation of small pet parents who are more invested and willing than ever to provide gold-standard care for their pets, it’s well worth making the most of the ever-expanding small animal category.

Enrichment for small companions is a valuable market for retailers.