As a project manager for a technology company, Bill Hannon was working 50+ hours a week, losing precious time with his wife, Sharon, and their young daughter. So when the owners of a local pet store asked them if they were interested in purchasing the business, they saw a perfect opportunity to take control of their lives and spend more time as a family.
After a year, the Hannons strategically relocated the business to a more lucrative location in Pen Argyl, PA, doubling store revenues and running the store successfully for 9 more years. Then, in December of 2017, the Hannons received an intriguing letter, triggering them to make what would turn out to be the best decision yet for their thriving independent business – converting it to a Pet Supplies Plus store franchise.
In the first four months after transitioning to the well-known national franchise brand, the Hannons reaped the benefits of their new status as franchisees, seeing their store sales rise by 23 percent and their transactions increase 25 percent over the previous year.
A Life-Changing Letter
With an instinct for making sound business decisions, the Hannons were initially interested when they received a letter from Pet Supplies Plus CEO Chris Rowland encouraging them to consider converting their independent store to a Pet Supplies Plus franchise. The letter outlined how they would maintain their independence as business owners, but with the support of an established brand and a home office with accessible resources.
Curious, the ambitious couple attended a “Meet the Team Day” at the Pet Supplies Plus headquarters in Livonia, Michigan. After meeting the senior management team and feeling their passion for the brand and the franchise opportunity, the Hannons felt confident converting to a Pet Supplies Plus franchise.
“While my wife and I were doing fine running the store on our own, we recognized an opportunity to do even better with the backing of a national franchisor,” Hannon said. “For example, as an independent, we didn’t have the purchasing power to be able to offer basic products like kitty litter, much less premium products to our customers at competitive prices.”
Seamless Conversion Process
During the conversion process, the Hannons didn’t lose a dime or close their doors once. In fact, the corporate team at Pet Supplies Plus’ “Pet Central” worked night shifts with Bill to strategically redo the store’s layout, handle merchandising, execute pricing, label shelves and more. Among the many benefits of being a franchisee, Hannon highlighted the following:
- Vast product, competitive pricing and advertising and marketing support, which brings repeat customers (otherwise known as ‘neighbors’).
- Longtime customers of their independent shop are now buying more products at their Pet Supplies Plus due to larger offerings at affordable prices.
“Now we can pay attention to educating pet parents about better nutrition for their pets, rather than stressing about inventory and pricing,” Hannon concluded.
“Now we can pay attention to educating pet parents about better nutrition for their pets, rather than stressing about inventory and pricing,” Hannon concluded.
To learn more about how the Hannon’s conversion process and the benefits of turning an independent pet store into a Pet Supplies Plus, get in touch with Pet Supplies Plus franchising.
