Gift Shop Pets - Winter 2020 - 11

Quality, customer service and an eye for trends
are important to this Virginia retailer
BY DEBBIE EISELE
Senior Retail Editor
" V
irginia is for Lovers " notes the state motto, yet
it is not just about people - that love extends to
animals, especially for one retail store, The Nautical
Dog. Located in Williamsburg, The Nautical Dog is " a
store of love for animals. " Owner Amanda Morrissette
opened the store about 13 years ago and has been
growing and learning ever since.
" Everything I do here has a common goal of offering
the best. I started the store when I was 20 years old and
I'm now 33. It has all been a learning process and I still
have lots to learn, but if you love what you do and put
110% it will all be worth it, " she shared.
Morrissette became obsessed with everything dog
related after she brought her first dog, Roxy - a
Pembroke Corgi - home. " I was always searching for
cute little dog boutiques and going to pet stores to shop
for her. I was already in retail (clothing) and decided
that I would one day like to open a boutique for dogs
and eventually (I) took the leap, " she explained.
The store has many missions, but its first goal is to
provide its customers with the best nutrition possible
for their pets. " If I wouldn't feed it or give to my pets, I
won't sell it, " emphasized Morrissette.
The store has two full-time managers and
several part-time staff members and sells petrelated
merchandise ranging from food and treats
to gifts geared for pet lovers. Merchandise includes
a multitude of dog and cat toys, collars and
other types of gifts. " Our famous cookie bar, which
is a self-serve bar with various cookies, allows
customers
to
mix
and
match
to
fill
containers,
and offers seasonally decorated cookies, " she explained.
The store also offers over 100 different varieties of chews
and bones in its bone bar and pre-packaged treats.
The Nautical Dog offers a range of new products and
is dedicated to keeping trendy items in stock. Topsellers
for the store include Gold Paw Series fleece
jackets for dogs, Fluff and Tuff toys, and Up Country
collars. Gift-related items, such as Teddy the Dog
apparel for humans, are popular as are some handmade
wooden dog breed ornaments from Hound Works.
Events are popular with both the staff and customers.
" We have Paint Your Pet nights, ice cream socials for dogs,
and fundraisers for local rescue groups, " Morrissette said.
" We also have well-renowned pet food nutritionists and
speakers who come in and host nutrition seminars. "
Other popular events include Barktober Fest, held
annually in October and features free pup-kin spice goat
milk lattes for dogs; a Customer Appreciation Day, held
every January; and an anniversary celebration held each
July. " These events draw a huge crowd - customers
start lining up outside of the store around 6 a.m. When
customers spend a specified amount of money in the
store the day of the event, they get a The Nautical Dog
swag bag filled to the top with various size samples, fullsize
items, and trial items. "
To promote the store and its events, Morrissette
utilizes social media, specifically Facebook and
Instagram. " Facebook is great to post events and specific
product content. We use Instagram to post new product
images and pictures of dogs who come into the store, "
she noted.
Displays are never stale, as Morrissette and her staff
will change them at least weekly, if not more frequently.
Her shipments arrive almost daily, so she incorporates
new product into merchandising displays to keep them
fresh and enticing.
Morrissette also keeps customer service an important
focus and even offers a customer rewards program. She
utilizes a point-of-sale system that allows the store to
track rewards points and loyalty status on a variety of
products. " Because of this, customers do not have to
keep track of anything and we can always look up past
purchases, " she said.
For Morrissette, " everything is visual " for all the pet
products she carries and displays in her store. " Even
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Gift Shop Pets - Winter 2020

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