September Marketing Calendar for Pet Stores
As with most things in 2020, September is going to look and feel differently than September of previous years. It’s a weird year we find ourselves in. Normally, the biggest trends around this time of year are that oftentimes pet stores are in the middle or nearing the end of a small recession in terms of revenue. This is a natural cycle of the business as pet parents are spending time and money doing other things: summer vacations, preparing the kids for back to school, etc.
But, this is 2020. The new normal of the COVID-19 pandemic dictates that spending habits have changed as millions of consumers find themselves without a reliable income. Some parents are concerned and worried about sending kids to school of any age, K-12 or college. Some pet parents are still dealing with job fluctuations, or are heading back into work, or mixing remote and in-office work.
Nonetheless, there are still ways to connect with your audience this month! Use your position as a pillar of joy and community within your area to remind your customers of the positive energy and excitement associated with the September holidays.
September Holidays for Pet Stores
September 7th: Labor Day
September 19th: First Day of Fall
September 29th: National Coffee Day
Labor Day sales and celebrations are pretty commonplace, so beware that you don’t fall into the trap of being just like any other retailer asking for consumer spending.
The First Day of Fall comes with countless marketing messages that are, in reality, pretty played out. How can your pet store marketing strategy ring in the change in seasons in a way that is 100% uniquely you? Spending some time brainstorming with your pet store marketing agency - and if you don’t have one, contact Pet Engine Marketing to see what we can do for you!
September Month-Long Celebrations
National Pet Insurance Month
Pet-Sitter Education Month
Which of your local allies and partners, or potential local allies and partners, could benefit from some combined promotions or audience overlap through these two month-long celebrations? Pet-Sitter education is begging for a 4-part series of short webinars to go over the basics for anybody that wants to start their own pet-sitting business, or anyone interested in becoming a sitter with a service like Rover.
Pet Insurance month? Sounds like a great topic for a pet store SEO piece to improve your search engine rankings, increase your credibility to your audience, and provide a helpful resource to any customer that’s looking to get pet insurance.
September Pet Holidays
September 1st - Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
September 13th - National Pet Memorial Day
September 13th - National Hug Your Hound Day
September 19th - Puppy Mill Awareness Day
September 19th - AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day
September 20th-27th - National Dog Week
September 20th-27th - Deaf Pet Awareness Week
September 23rd - Dogs in Politics Day
September 28th - World Rabies Day
Are some of these silly and pointless? Absolutely. Could you also creatively use some or all of these as pet store social media posts? Absolutely. Others have good potential to be something that you and your pet store can rally around. In particular, Puppy Mill Awareness Day is an opportunity to bring local rescue organizations into your fold, educate your audience on the terrible practices happening in puppy mills, and hopefully entice new pet parents to adopt instead of shop.
September Marketing Calendar for Pet Stores
Conclusion
In conclusion, despite the difficulties presented by COVID-19, pet stores across the country can still take advantage of September’s holidays in pursuit of recognition, revenue, rankings, or otherwise. If you have a lot of ideas for September’s marketing calendar but can’t execute on them, a recommended course of action would be signing up for a complimentary 30-minute marketing audit and consultation with the Pet Engine Marketing team! Contact us today.
If you’re looking for additional pet store marketing resources, check out our Blog - it’s full of other articles like this, tutorials, how-to’s, tips, and more to help grow your pet store. Use the search function to find other marketing calendars for previous or upcoming months or any other topic you might be struggling with in regards to pet store marketing. You are also cordially invited to our growing community of pet store owners interested in improving their marketing on FB: THE Group for Marketing Help for Pet Businesses.
What are you doing to make September your strongest month of the year? If sales are down, it’s time to take action!
