The PIAA Board agreed to the development of a retail (support) strategy in light of growing competitive pressures on retailers for launch at PetExpo. Advertising, training, education, standards and advocacy initiatives are all being considered in consultation with members.

 

A Technical Working Group of members will be established to oversight implement the strategy post its launch. The following provides an update on the status of each of these strategies.

 

• Advertising/marketing: a brief is being drafted for subsequent consideration by larger pet industry businesses for a major national promotion associated with specialty pet stores. This project is at its early stages of development but it is a key priority leading up to the Expo. 
• Promotion: in-store banners and fliers promoting PIAA/store standards and values (as per members recommendations from State meetings)   
• Training and education: linked to better product access and support to some traditional vet channel products – flee treatments etc – PIAA has commenced discussions and trailed a training initiative. We are confident this strategy including current discussions with manufactures will lead to a better deal for our members.   
• Training and education: more state based initiatives for retail members. Subject to attracting the right person for the currently advertised Development Officer role (see Seek or PIAA web site) we will have the capacity to develop relevant short training/information sessions particularly for our independent store members that will help businesses survive and grow in an increasingly competitive environment.
• Regulation and standards: again subject to increasing our staff resource capacity we will play a much more pro active role in driving and supporting state members with liaison and lobbying of government: Retail Codes of Practice and issues such reptiles in NSW, rabbits in QLD etc                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
• PIAA alliances to support members: we have entered into discussions with the Australian Retail Association with the objective of making it easier for our retail members to access their extensive business support services
• Standards: the first retailer has been accredited under the revised scheme. The scheme benchmarks well against other industry schemes and it will be used in part to leverage more support/less problems from groups like the RSPCA

 

Retail and other members will be provided with a detailed outline these and additional elements of the emerging retail strategy by PetExpo. After member consultation and the strategies refinement we will commence implementation as soon as possible after PetExpo. 

 

In the meantime should you have any questions or queries about these matters please contact one of the PIAA Directors directly involved in retailing and actively pushing this initiative: Anthony Ramsey, Matt McLachlan or Stuart Chamberlain or alternatively myself at PIAA.