Developing a Retail Mindset

This presentation is about how veterinary practices can more effectively sell its products and services to customers. although a veterinary practice is not a shop it does however retail many products and services to customers and in some practices the non-profes- sional income (e.g. drug, pet food and other sales) can be more than half of all income. the retail area of the practice is therefore crucial in terms of its sales but also in terms of its impression on the pet-owning customers to ensure that it correctly communicates the practice values and professional expertise. the management of this retail area requires a professional approach so that it is an integral part of the practice and its pur- pose to promote pet health care. in addition this retail area is also an important source of income and there are many ways that it could be further developed for the benefit of the pets, the owners and the practice which will avoid losing sales to alternative retail- ers (e.g. supermarkets, pet shops).

It is helpful to be able to put yourself ‘in the shoes of the customer’ and during this pres- entation you will be asked to think about your expectations when you visit a retailer as a Customer. the institute of Customer Service in the uK publishes regular surveys of customer experience against several key areas including the quality of product/service, being treated as valued customer, the speed of service, complaint handling, enquiries, the competence of staff, the ease of doing business, being kept informed and friendly helpful staff. the increased use of the internet for both shopping and a source of infor- mation is leading to a new approach called ‘omni-channel’ retailing which seeks to inte- grate the sales experience of the physical store with the information rich experience of online shopping and all the other channels (e.g. direct mail, social media, mobile devices, televisions). although this type of retailing may sound a long way from a veteri- nary practice it is worth remembering that pet owners are using Google increasingly as an information source about their pets and the key attraction of visiting the practice is the experience and service gained there. these insights and examples from both inside and outside of the veterinary profession will help you to identify opportunities to improve your retail offer in an increasingly competitive environment.