"As top dog at Lexington's IncrediPet pet stores, owner Julia Hall knows the importance of good training, for her employees as much as for her four-footed clientele. Hall spends 12 to 16 hours personally putting each of her new employees through the paces before she unleashes them on the sales floor. It's her way of making sure she has the right knowledge — with the right attitude — on her sales floor.
"A friend told me 'Never hire anyone you wouldn't want to have to dinner in your home,'" Hall said, and the advice stuck with her over the two decades she has spent catering to the needs of Lexington's more domesticated set. She gives priority to a prospective employee's attitude over experience. "I try to hire for attitude and train for skill," she said.
Hall herself didn't always have a nose for the pet business. During high school and college, Hall worked for her father's business, Farmers Feed Mill. She learned a lot about animal feed, but left to work in the restaurant business after graduation. Her brother asked her to help with his new pet supply store. Eventually he returned to the mill and she gave up restaurant work to run what's now IncrediPet.
The two IncrediPet stores are each about 9,000 square feet, but arranged differently. Their inventory consists of about 20,000 items for cats, dogs, fish, birds, and ferrets and other small pets. Dog owners account for the largest share of sales, but "sales for cats have increased over the years," Hall said.
Much like the pets they cater to, each of the stores has its own personality. The Richmond Road store, which opened in March 1988, attracts younger customers, more commuters, and more short-term residents, Hall said. The Southland store, which opened in January 1987, is "a neighborhood store. Some customers have shopped with us for twenty years." Hall has even hired the grownup children of some of these loyal customers.
With 35 employees in all, Hall believes that the time she invests in selecting, training and retaining good employees is well worth it, and she won't let her new recruits on the sales floor until she knows they are ready.
"One reason salespeople fail is that they don't know the merchandise," said Hall, who emphasizes a sense of pride and responsibility along with product knowledge for the staff members who serve as the "face" of her business.
Even though most of IncrediPet's employees are of college and high school age, their turnover rate is remarkably lower than that of most retail companies.
Customer service isn't the only feature that sets IncrediPet apart from large chain pet stores. "We are able to do business with cottage industry suppliers," Hall explained. That means helping fledgling businesses grow and being able to offer items not found elsewhere.
The pet industry "has just exploded" in recent years, Hall said. One reason is that customers, especially those without children, want more choices in pet items. They have the income to spend on their pets and think of them as family members.
Another reason is the increased "awareness of people in regard to nutrition." Companies offer more types of food for different stages of animals' lives or different sizes of animals. Hall said that "breed-specific foods are on the horizon."
She also predicted that the trend in clothing for dogs, especially small dogs, will increase. Breed-specific items, such as stationery, coffee mugs, and ceramic treat jars by Fur Children and other companies, continue to grow in popularity. Dog owners buy a lot of pigs' ears and Greenies, a dental health treat. For cats, "we sell a lot of furniture," Hall said. Bird owners seek out new toys to entertain their pets. For ferrets, treats, hammocks and clothes are big sellers, according to Hall. Fish buyers want to add unusual fish, so IncrediPet tries to stock a wide variety.
Hall has used every type of advertising, but Club Paws has proven best at building customer loyalty. Each pet enrolled receives a birthday treat. In addition, premium pet food purchases accumulate and are eventually rewarded with a gift of some of the same food.
Hall and IncrediPet employees and customers also enjoy a Halloween costume contest. About 100 dogs (plus a few cats), each with a two- or three-person entourage, vie for prizes. In June, IncrediPet will again participate in "Bark in the Park" during a Lexington Legends' game.
IncrediPet's "top dog" and her employees are working their paws off to satisfy local pets and their owners. But while they're doing it, they're having a lot of fun.
IncrediPet has locations at 3080 Richmond Road and at 302 Southland Drive. Both are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The company's Web site address is www.incredipet.com.
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