Preparing Your Store for an In-Store Pet

Bringing a pet into your store is a great conversation-starter for employees and customers. But before your four-legged friend becomes an in-store regular, make sure the animal, store and employees are prepared.

Any retailer thinking of bringing a pet into his store should make sure the pet is comfortable there. It helps if the animal has a small space, such as an office, where it can go to get away from people and any other pets. It’s also good to have a place to put the pet if a customer comes in who is allergic or afraid of animals. You should also find out if any employees are allergic to animals and make the necessary accommodations before bringing the animal into the store full time.

You should also keep the animal clean and well-groomed to help with shedding and make sure the animal is properly socialized to handle the flow of people coming in and out of the store each day and trained to not chew on items for sale.