Pet Month Resources To Increase Sales This May

Two out of three U.S. households own a pet (66%), and more than half of pet owners consider their pets to be as much a part of their family as a human family member. What does that data mean for retailers? Owning a pet is a key characteristic of a shopper's identity.

And with May serving as National Pet Month, it's the perfect time for IGA grocers to show their love for shoppers' furry family members. Use these resources, courtesy of IGA and 2024 Red Oval CPG Partner of the Year Nestlé Purina PetCare, to celebrate Pet Month online and in-store.

Promote the IGA & Nestlé Purina PetCare Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition
Share online content to engage & inspire shoppers
Ramp up your pet aisle
Participate in the Purple Leash Project campaign

Promote the IGA & Nestlé Purina PetCare Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition

For over a decade, IGA and Nestlé Purina PetCare have teamed up to host the Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition, and now it's live for May 2024!

Shoppers love this feel-good contest, which offers grand prizes of Nestlé Purina PetCare pet food for a year (in the form of 12 coupons, valued at $24.99 each) and asks shoppers to submit a photo of their pet to win. The perfect opportunity for IGA stores to engage with shoppers on social media and show off their love of pets, here's what you can do to build an enthusiastic following and promote it:

Share the contest on your store's social media accounts and website throughout May, using these graphics
Promote the contest in your store's pet aisle and at the register with these graphics

The above website hero banner is one of three graphics you can use to promote the contest.

Not only does this competition engage shoppers in a fun activity close to their heart, it's an opportunity to capture the pet-owner basket. According to Red Oval Partner Nestlé Purina, that’s a basket you’re going to want:

Pet owners spend 27% more per trip than non-pet buyers, and pet is the second biggest trip driver behind pharmacy
Stores with an average or better pet performance have seen their total store performance four times higher than retailers with a below average pet performance
Stores that lose a pet owner who shops in the category also lose six trips per pet shopper

“If you’ve read all our insights on the pet category, it’s not hard to see that this is an enormous opportunity independents generally aren’t taking advantage of,” IGA CEO John Ross says. “It comes down to this: If you’re not investing in your pet aisle, you’re leaving sales on the table. You need to act now —order the pet sign kit, consider your assortment, and start marketing pet to your shoppers today and you’re going to see the benefit in increased sales and loyalty. It’s that simple.

2. Engage & Inspire Shoppers With Online Content

Pet is an emotional category, and stores can use that bond between humans and pets in their marketing efforts. Communicate that your store is invested in pets and wants to help pet owners make the best decisions for their furry family members by sharing educational content.

In addition to the Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition, IGA.com has blogs ready to share with shoppers on why protein is good for dogs, guidance on how much to feed your dogs and cats, and fun tips and recipes for homemade treats.

Establish your store as the authority on all things pet by sharing exclusive IGA pet content on your store website and social media accounts
Share your store's pet stories — ask employees to share photos of their pets and post them on the store's social media pages; create an end cap with staff recommended favorite treats and pet photos

3. Ramp Up Your Pet Aisle

With National Pet Month and the IGA & Nestlé Purina Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition running now, it's the perfect time to refresh your pet aisle. Make your store stand out as a pet care destination with these tips from Nestlé Purina PetCare.

Look at your pet aisle assortment. Nestlé Purina PetCare recommends stocking a better variety of the products your data suggests customers are already shopping for, while maintaining a varied selection in all subcategories. In other words, if your current customers are buying premium SKUs, increase your premium products and offer bigger bags of premium pet food.

Have questions about the best assortment for your shoppers? Contact Nestlé Purina's Kara Destro, account manager, who can analyze your current sales and make optimal assortment recommendations by working with your wholesaler.
Draw your shoppers into the aisle. Use the IGA Happy & Healthy Pets sign kit, which identifies your pet aisle with colorful and fun signage and offers shopper education in-aisle.

4. Participate in the Purple Leash Project

What does domestic violence have to do with pets? Nearly 48% of domestic violence victims delay leaving a relationship because they can’t take their pets with them. With one in three women and one in four men experiencing domestic violence in their lifetimes, that can impact a lot of humans and pets.

But Nestlé Purina PetCare is working to change that through their partnership with RedRover® and support from retailers like you.

The Purple Leash Project was started to ensure victims of domestic abuse have access to more pet-friendly domestic violence shelters across the country. And by helping the Purple Leash Project support pet owners impacted by domestic violence, you’re helping families in your own customer community. But this initiative is more than a worthy cause — by shifting shopper perceptions of trust and confidences, it translates into increased purchases to benefit the project.

Promote the Purple Leash Project in your store by clicking here for resources

Make the most of National Pet Month by pairing IGA's in-store merchandising with online shopper content and digital marketing for an easy and comprehensive campaign. Through these small efforts, shoppers will start to see their local IGA store as a trusted authority in pet — and you'll have some cute photos of furry animals to show off in store and online!

*Source: American Pet Products Association (2023-2024) **Source: Forbes Pet Ownership Statistics