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Grooming and Retailing: The Winning Combination
By Missi Salzberg

This article originally appeared in GroomingBusiness magazine,
August/September 2007, and is reprinted with their permission.

Teaching professional groomers the benefits of retailing is a passion for me. I have spent my entire life in this industry and seeing groomers thrive as oppose to survive has become somewhat of a personal mission. Of course, retailing will increase the bottom line if one does it correctly, and we’ll explore that a little later in the article but first let’s talk about who groomers are, what they know, and their level of expertise.

We can say that in almost all cases, groomers are people that love animals. There are certainly many among us that like them far more than their human counterparts, although we try to keep that to ourselves in most instances. What do groomers know? Groomers know a lot. They actually know far more than they think they know—they just don’t know it. Did you get that?

Groomers are actually experts on many aspects of pet care far beyond the styling. After all, besides their owners, who sees Benjamin the Bichon and Major the Labrador more than their groomer? If a groomer is running their business effectively, they are rebooking the majority of their customers on a regular schedule and they would notice any changes in skin, coat, weight, eyes, etc. How many times have you, the professional groomer, been the first to notice the weight gain and hair loss associated with a possible thyroid condition? Have you ever seen the eyes in a Pug, Shih Tzu or Cocker Spaniel bulge a little bit further than normal? If you have, you strongly suggest that the owner seek the advice of a veterinarian, correct? Groomers see things, feel things, and even smell things that alert us to illness in our familiar friends.

As a groomer, you also notice things that don’t require medical attention, but you may suggest simple solutions that are available at pet stores that will go a long way in bringing comfort and optimal health to pets. You do it everyday, over and over again, but perhaps you’re just not aware of it.
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Missed Opportunities

Here is an anecdote that illustrates how a grooming salon can profit from the advice that they dole out to their clients every day. The Nottingham family has decided that after the loss of their beloved cocker spaniel’s passing to get not one, but two cocker puppies. In professional grooming salon number one, Mrs. Nottingham tells her ‘tail’ of woe to her groomer.

“What was I thinking getting two? They have so much energy, they’re chewing everything in sight, including my shoes, and they’re constantly making messes on my floor. They’ve already ruined one rug! My Molly never did that! Now, Shadow has this horrible ear infection that I can’t get rid of, and I’ve already spent $200.00 at the vet. The ointment gets rid of the problem for a little while, but then it comes right back!”

Salon number one is a shop that offers grooming only. They’ve been in business many years and are trusted in the community. The groomer offers up their advice on the many issues faced by Mrs. Nottingham.

“Well, they’re chewing everything in sight because they’re teething," says the groomer. "Just like when your little son was teething. The pups are having some pain and discomfort breaking those teeth and chewing is their way of trying to soothe that pain. You could try to offer them more safe teething toys to solve that problem, or soak a rope bone in water and freeze it. When they get feisty and start their nipping, take the rope bone out, rub a little soy sauce on it, and they’ll use it just like a baby binky.

"The house breaking will take some time, but there is a product that’s enzymatic that will take out the staining and odor and save those rugs.

"In terms of poor Shadow’s ear infections, Cocker Spaniels are prone to yeast imbalance and the ear is the perfect environment for the yeast to grow. In a lot of cases, changing the dog’s diet to a wheat-free, corn-free, soy-free diet can help with that issue. There is a great fish-based food that you can try. In the mean time, there is a fantastic tea tree ear flush that will medicate his ear canal and break down that yeast.”

“Thank you so much,” Mrs. Nottingham declares. “Just put together all of those things you suggested and I’ll give it a try!”

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, and the offering up of absolutely fantastic, professional advice, the groomer at salon number one replies, “Oh, I don’t sell those things, but you can get them at Petropolis just down the road. “

At salon #2, another well-established business with professional groomers, the same exact story could be told, but they do offer retail, and they hook Mrs. Nottingham up with everything she needs. While she’s waiting, she also throws two Red Sox collars on the counter, a handful of bull pizzles, and she asks for two new tags for the collars.

Time to do some math. In salon number one, the groomer spent five minutes of their day listening, solving problems and providing great customer service. Total profit: $0.

In salon number two, the groomer spent the same amount of time advising the customer and had the products in house.

Here’s the breakdown:

Item                            Cost                            Retail Price                            Profit

2 rope bones              $ .99  each                $3.99 each                            $6.00

2 Nylabones              $2.00 each                $5.99 each                            $7.98

Stain remover           $3.00                           $8.99                                       $5.99

Food (6 lbs)              $7.00                           $9.99                                       $2.99

Ear cleaner               $3.50                           $8.99                                       $5.49

2 collars                     $5.00 each                $12.99                                     $15.98

2 tags                         $.89                             $8.99 each                            $16.20

6 Bull pizzles               $1.00 each                $1.99 each                            $5.94
                                                                                                                         _______

                                                                                                Total Profit      $66.57

 

Which salon do you want to own? In some markets, that’s the price for two b and b’s or one major haircut. In which scenario are you making more money for your time? As I am often heard to say, “Show me the biscuits!”

Retailing is a phenomenal income stream for any professional groomer, and every day that you do not have basic retail offerings is day that you are essentially losing money and making the other guy more profit. The numbers are clear: 73 million dogs and 90 million cats enjoy our company in the United States. In 2007, it is projected that the pet care industry will take in over 40 billion dollars. Of that 40 billion, APPMA forecasts $2.9 billion on services, $15.4 billion on food, and over $9 billion on general supplies.

Turning Advice into Sales

Your customers are communicating their needs to you each and every day. Think about what the most common issues are in your shop, and start small. In my lectures, I point out the most common complaints from clients and although yours may differ depending on your market, these are the most popular pet owner gripes. Their dogs have bad breath, runny, stained eyes, messy butts, smelly coats and, stinky ears. They do bad things like chew inappropriate items and pee in the house. They bring varmints in like fleas and ticks, and they roll in goose poop. Why, oh, why can’t we live without these crazy beasties?

The pet-owning masses are spending and it is up to us, as experts in the industry, with the wealth of knowledge and know-how that we own, to claim our piece of that pet industry pie. We do that by listening, leading, solving, and selling. Here’s the master plan to make more money retailing:

* Listen to your customers. Look them in the eye and take the time to hear them out.
* Lead them to the solution. Pick it up and put it in their hands as you are explaining its value.
* Tell them how it will solve their problem. Make it personal, whenever possible, by speaking of your own experience.
* Then, ask if they have any questions, and make the sale.

Many years ago I read a piece stating that people don’t buy because they understand; they buy because they feel understood. This personal piece of the puzzle cannot be underestimated. As a professional groomer that cares for a person’s beloved dog or cat, we already have their trust. In our established, ongoing relationships with customers, we make personal connections because we have earned that trust. My late father would say that loving someone’s dog was a pipeline to their heart. With that connection comes a commitment on both sides. These loyal customers that entrust you with their babies would rather spend their hard-earned biscuits at your shop than the big box store down the road. You just have to give them the opportunity to support your business. You have to put the product on the shelf and teach them to spend money at your store.

If space is an issue, as is the case with many grooming shops, start with a small selection of colorful, whimsical toys or easy edibles. We all know that customers feel a little guilty leaving their pets, and it makes them feel better if they can just ‘get Rocco a little something’ after his day at the spa. If you have more space, even better. Start by adding the products that you are suggesting on a regular basis and perhaps even a small retail selection will cover your electric bill, your health insurance, or that vacation that you swore you’d take in 1999.

Then, my friends, there is the shelf-life of the groomer’s hands. Growing the retail part of your business will allow you to ultimately step back from the groom room when you need to. We cannot groom forever, but we can certainly sell for the long-haul and make money on both sides of the operation.

Over the past 38 years at my shop, The Village Groomer and Pet Supply, we have grown a grooming shop into a pet care center. It has been a journey and has taken time, but I would not have the business that I have now without starting somewhere.

Coming up in 2008, I will be writing a series of articles for this magazine focusing on retailing, success and professionalism in the grooming industry. I’m looking forward to helping you to take your business to a new level and enjoy the rewards of retailing success.

 

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Born into the grooming world, Missi Salzberg has been ’in the business’ since the age of four. She owns The Village Groomer and Pet Supply with her mother, award-winning writer Kathy Salzberg. Missi has led workshops on retailing, management, niche-marketing and many other subjects. Her true mission in this industry is to see groomers and pet care professionals succeed, financially and personally. Missi has been a featured speaker at Groom Expo, The NEPGP, Tufts, and teaches for PetEdge. She was twice nominated for The Cardinal Crystal Achievement Award and hosts the Cardinal Crystal Achievement Awards each year at Intergroom for Cardinal Labs. Missi also owns Bad Dog Realty, a real estate management company, and Bad Dog Productions, providing promotional resources and consulting to small business owners.