Salaries for sales reps in the pet industry are rising rapidly as companies seek to employ the best talent in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
That’s the view of recruitment expert Lynda Ward, who said: “The covid-19 pandemic has altered attitudes to salaries.”
Lynda, owner of Pet Trade Solutions, pointed out that field sales personnel in the pet trade had traditionally received lower salaries than their peers in the grocery and medical trades. But the picture changed after the first lockdown in March 2020.
“A number of established businesses took a strategic decision to concentrate on or strengthen their presence in the home market and recognised that to outpace increased competition they needed to employ the very best people to represent them,” she said.
“Young companies coming into the pet industry also understood they needed to capitalise on the expertise and contacts of quality staff, and were prepared to pay well in order to hit the ground running and establish their presence.”
Another factor driving up salaries came in the form of existing field salespeople re-evaluating their careers, with some deciding to retire and others working part-time. This left a serious gap, coinciding with fewer experienced people to fill it.
“Salaries are on ‘reset’ with every business needing top talent, and top talent being able to command a more competitive recompense,” added Lynda.
“No longer can an average basic salary plus promise of a big bonus attract good people. They understand their worth and so do serious employers.”
