IGA & Nestlé Purina PetCare Team Up for Pet Month's Photo Competition

Nearly 50% of U.S. households own a dog and over 30% own a cat. It's no surprise that nearly all of pet owners (97%) say their pets are part of their family. With pet ownership a significant aspect of a shopper's identity, it's important for independent grocers to remember pets when catering to their shoppers. 

This May is National Pet Month, serving as the perfect time for IGA members to show their love for shoppers' furry family members. Below, we've outlined Pet Month resources, developed with IGA Red Oval Partner Nestlé Purina PetCare, that you can use to celebrate in store, engage with shoppers online, and improve your pet aisle for pet owners throughout your community.Use these resources, courtesy of IGA and Red Oval Partner Nestlé Purina PetCare, to celebrate Pet Month online and in-store.

1. Promote the IGA & Nestlé Purina PetCare Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition
2. Share online content to engage & inspire shoppers
3. Ramp up your pet aisle

Promote the IGA & Nestlé Purina PetCare Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition

For over a decade, IGA and Nestlé Purina PetCare have teamed up to host the Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition, and now it's live for May 2025!

Shoppers love this feel-good contest, which offers grand prizes of Nestlé Purina PetCare pet food for a year (in the form of 12 coupons, valued at $24.99 each) and asks shoppers to submit a photo of their pet to win. The perfect opportunity for IGA stores to engage with shoppers on social media and show off their love of pets, here's what you can do to build an enthusiastic following and promote it:

• Share the contest on your store's social media accounts and website throughout May, using this Facebook post and this website graphic
• Promote the contest in your store's pet aisle and at the register. Quarterly Marketing Kit subscribers have signage included in their Q2 sign kits

Use the above Facebook image to promote the contest on social media, linking here: https://woobox.com/ctnyzp

Not only does this competition engage shoppers in a fun activity close to their heart, it's an opportunity to capture the pet-owner basket. According to Red Oval Partner Nestlé Purina, that’s a basket you’re going to want:

• Pet owners spend 27% more per trip than non-pet buyers, and pet is the second biggest trip driver behind pharmacy
  
  
• Stores with an average or better pet performance have seen their total store performance four times higher than retailers with a below average pet performance
  
  
• Stores that lose a pet owner who shops in the category also lose six trips per pet shopper

“If you’ve read all our insights on the pet category, it’s not hard to see that this is an enormous opportunity independents generally aren’t taking advantage of,” IGA CEO John Ross says. “It comes down to this: If you’re not investing in your pet aisle, you’re leaving sales on the table. You need to act now — order the pet sign kit, consider your assortment, and start marketing pet to your shoppers today and you’re going to see the benefit in increased sales and loyalty. It’s that simple.

2. Engage & Inspire Shoppers With Online Content

Pet is an emotional category, and retailers can leverage the connection between people and their pets in their marketing strategies. Show that your store is committed to pets and aims to assist pet owners in making informed choices for their beloved animals by providing educational content online.

Alongside the Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition, IGA.com offers blogs for shoppers on the benefits of protein for dogs, advice on feeding dogs and cats, and enjoyable tips and recipes for homemade pet treats.

• Position your store as the go-to source for pet-related information by featuring this exclusive IGA pet content on your store's website and social media platforms.
• Share your store's pet stories by encouraging employees to post photos of their pets on social media and create a display with staff-recommended treats and pet photos.

3. Ramp Up Your Pet Aisle

With National Pet Month and the IGA & Nestlé Purina Picture PAW-fect Pet Photo ComPETition running now, it's the perfect time to refresh your pet aisle. Make your store stand out as a pet care destination with these tips from Nestlé Purina PetCare.

• Look at your pet aisle assortment. Nestlé Purina PetCare recommends stocking a better variety of the products your data suggests customers are already shopping for, while maintaining a varied selection in all subcategories. In other words, if your current customers are buying premium SKUs, increase your premium products and offer bigger bags of premium pet food. 
  
  Have questions about the best assortment for your shoppers? Contact Nestlé Purina's Kara Destro, account manager, who can analyze your current sales and make optimal assortment recommendations by working with your wholesaler.
  
  
• Draw your shoppers into the aisle. Use the IGA Happy & Healthy Pets sign kit, which identifies your pet aisle with colorful and fun signage and offers shopper education in-aisle.
  
  
• Use the Pet Category Playbook to enhance your pet category marketing, assortment, and more. Download it here.

Make the most of National Pet Month by pairing IGA's in-store merchandising with online shopper content and digital marketing for an easy and comprehensive campaign. Through these small efforts, shoppers will start to see their local IGA store as a trusted authority in pet — and you'll have some cute photos of furry animals to show off in store and online!