Mr. Zhang likes keeping cats. He has a deep affection for cats, and even regards his cat as his daughter. Faced with enormous employment pressure, Mr. Zhang chose to start his own business after graduating from college. "I don't usually have any hobbies, just some research on pets, and there are cats at home, so I opened a small pet shop." After a period of operation, Mr. Zhang's problems appeared. Although the price of goods in the store is not high, the sales volume has been poor. To this end, he turned to the Times Business Group for help, hoping that experts could help. Guo Haitao, the sales director of Shenyang Fanxing Pet Products Firm, believes that there are some problems in Mr. Zhang's operation and purchase.
Helper: Mr. Zhang
Shop area: about 40 square meters
Issuance cost: about 40,000 yuan.
Business items: pet food such as staple food, canned snacks and health products, as well as pet products such as pet baths, clothes and toys.
House rent: 1500 yuan/month.
Sales profit: 20% to 30%
Help-seeking problem: it has been in business for two months and its sales volume is not good.
Consultant: Guo Haitao, Sales Director of Shenyang Fanxing Pet Products Company.
Management confusion 1: The same product can't be sold in the supermarket.
Mr. Zhang's pet shop is located near a business district in Tiexi. According to Mr. Zhang, there are many high-end residential areas around his shop, and many residents have pets at home. "Location is no problem, there is also a market near here. I was also optimistic about the house rented in this location. "
Mr. Zhang said that when the store was first opened, people often came to the store, but after a long time, fewer and fewer guests entered the store. Mr. Zhang felt something was wrong. "I think people may not be interested in my products, but the products I bought are very good!"
Mr. Zhang usually buys things at Tawan Pet Market. According to him, this is the wholesale distribution center of pet products in Northeast China. "The brands I sell are big brands, such as royal, functional and joyful. And they are also sold in these supermarkets. "
Expert diagnosis: Single variety, conflict with Shang Chao.
Guo Haitao thinks, first of all, the variety of Mr. Zhang's shops is too single. At present, 99% pet shops not only deal in pet food and supplies, but also provide pet care, beauty, foster care, breeding and other services. Compared with food, pet grooming has a large profit margin. It is difficult for Mr. Zhang to maintain the normal operation of the pet store if he deals in food and supplies alone.
On the other hand, judging from the commodities operated by Mr. Zhang, they are basically similar to supermarkets. For the owner who has just started to run a pet shop, it is best to avoid the competition from the supermarket. "Shang Chao's purchase channels are different from those of pet shops, so the purchase prices are different, and agents will give supermarkets high rebates on a regular basis." However, Guo Haitao also said that the brands of supermarkets are relatively single, while Mr. Zhang Can should be more diversified in the choice of products.
Management confusion 2: the price is cheap but there is still no market.
Mr. Zhang's shop is not big. In order to attract customers, Mr. Zhang uses some products with relatively low prices to promote sales. "In addition to some high-end brands, there are some domestic small-brand foods in my store. I will do some promotional activities regularly to attract customers. " But Mr. Zhang found that many customers did not buy it. "They would rather buy expensive big brands than these discounted products." Mr. Zhang felt that his promotion method was not attractive enough, so he imitated the supermarket, engaged in buying one-for-one goods, and even sold some goods at zero profit. However, despite the best efforts, the effect is still not obvious, and the sales volume of Mr. Zhang's shop has not been greatly improved.
Expert diagnosis: choose high-end goods to build word of mouth.
Guo Haitao said that Mr. Zhang's marketing method would only get him deeper and deeper, and finally he could not extricate himself. "If you want to make a profit, you must create a reputation!" According to reports, pet food is generally divided into three grades: high, medium and low. Royal, Functional and other brands belong to high-end products, Medellin and Bigetai belong to mid-range products, and many small domestic brands belong to low-end products. "Opening a pet store should pay special attention to word of mouth. The initial operation of pet shops is the best time to create word of mouth. It is best to choose manufacturers of well-known brands. " Choosing high-end brands is also a guarantee for the quality of their products. Guo Haitao also said, "The higher the grade, the higher the profit."
Pet tip: There is a lot of knowledge in the process of opening a pet shop. In the process of running a pet store, we should pay attention to summing up more at ordinary times. Only in this way will our pet shop business be better.