Is Being Pet-Friendly Good For Your Business?

Having a pet-friendly policy might not just be a way to combine a love of animals with business -- a recent survey by eBay Local reveals it's good for sales and customer loyalty as well. Survey respondents described stores that allow pets as "friendly," "customer-centric" and "comfy," with more than half (53 percent) saying they liked shopping in stores that allow pets.

The eBay Local survey was conducted among more than 1,000 online respondents ages 18 to 64. Approximately 50 percent were pet owners.

About a third of the pet owners said they'd be more likely to spend time in a store that allows pets, while 17 percent were more inclined to buy an item in-store because they allowed pets. Thirty-four percent said they'll come back to pet-friendly businesses and 31 percent of the pet owners said they'd tell their friends about stores that allow pets.

"Local small businesses have the advantage of being more flexible in their rules and can use that to their advantage," said Jack Abraham, director of local for eBay. "The simple act of being pet-friendly helps small businesses connect with customers and can ultimately have a measurable impact. We’ve found that allowing pets in a business motivates customers to enter a store and can make them more inclined to buy."