Inventory Sharing for Pet Retailers: How Local Stock Works

Inventory Sharing for Pet Retailers: How Local Stock Works

Two pet stores sit four miles apart. One has ninety units of a slow feeder bowl that has not moved in seven months. The other sold out of that same bowl three weeks ago and has been turning customers away. Neither store knows the other exists. This is the single most fixable inefficiency in independent pet retail, and it is the reason Local Stock exists.

What inventory sharing actually is

Inventory sharing is the practice of publishing the stock you already hold so that other retailers in your market can buy it from you at a price you set. You are not becoming a wholesaler. You are not shipping pallets. You are converting a shelf that is costing you money into a shelf that earns, by selling it to someone for whom it is not slow.

Three properties define it, and they are what separate it from everything else on this site:

• The stock already exists and is already local. Nobody is importing anything. Lead time is however long it takes the buyer to drive over.
• The seller sets the terms. Price, quantity breaks, how long the offer stays open.
• Nothing is owed unless a deal settles. Publishing and browsing are free.

How a Local Stock listing works, step by step

1. You publish an offer. Title, category, quantity, unit price, currency, how many units, how the stock is packaged, and how old the inventory is. You can add quantity breaks so a buyer taking all ninety units pays less per unit than one taking twenty.
2. You record consent. If the goods belong to a third party whose details you are publishing, you confirm their consent first. Stock you own outright is yours to list.
3. You choose the window. Offers stay available for a set number of days — 30 on Starter, 60 on Pro, 90 on Elite, and 60 days for approved suppliers publishing without a paid membership.
4. Buyers browse by country and location. Every signed-in account can see every offer, filtered by country and mapped by city, so a buyer finds stock they can actually collect.
5. A buyer says I want this. You receive an email instantly with their details; they receive a copy with yours.
6. You settle directly and pay commission only if it completes. 7% for verified suppliers publishing on the supplier lane, or 6% / 5% / 3% if you hold Starter ($59/month), Pro ($99/month) or Elite ($299/month).

What it costs

There is no listing fee and no subscription required to publish as a verified supplier. Commission applies only when a deal settles through the platform — never for browsing, publishing or enquiries.

• Verified supplier, no membership: 7% commission, 5 offer slots, 60-day window.
• Starter — $59/month: 6% commission, 3 slots, 30-day window, 2 discount tiers, 3 images.
• Pro — $99/month: 5% commission, 10 slots, 60-day window, 4 discount tiers, 8 images, dropship and cross-border enabled.
• Elite — $299/month: 3% commission, unlimited slots, 90-day window, pinned placement, unlimited discount tiers.
• Supplier who also holds a membership: two extra slots on top of the plan allowance.

Who can publish

Publishing is a seller action, so it requires either an approved supplier account or a paid membership. Buyers — accounts that only purchase — can browse every offer but cannot publish one. If you are an approved supplier with no membership, you still get five slots at no monthly cost; the commission is simply higher when a deal settles.

What inventory sharing is not

Being clear about the boundaries matters more than the pitch:

• It is not wholesale. Wholesale is factory-direct, container or consolidated freight, 15-day lead time and a minimum order. Wholesale is how you buy new stock; Local Stock is how you release stock you already have.
• It is not dropshipping. Dropship ships supplier-held stock straight to an end customer. Local Stock moves physical units between two businesses nearby.
• It is not a marketplace for consumers. The buyer is another retailer.
• It is not anonymous. Both parties get each other’s contact details the moment interest is registered.

Which shelf should you list first

Start with sealed, resaleable, branded stock that is slow for you but not slow everywhere, and that is worth enough per box to justify a pickup. Grooming tools, everyday feeding items and consumables in standard sizes are the easiest first listings. Save the odd colourways and the damaged cases for a markdown.

FAQ

Is inventory sharing the same as consignment?

No. In consignment the supplier retains ownership until the item sells to a consumer. In Local Stock the buying retailer purchases the units outright, from you, at a price you set.

Do I need a paid membership to publish Local Stock?

No. Approved suppliers get five slots and a 60-day window at no monthly cost, paying 7% commission only when a deal settles. Memberships add slots, longer windows and lower commission.

What happens when someone wants my stock?

You get an email immediately with their details and they get a copy with yours. You arrange collection or local delivery directly, then settle through the platform.

Can I list stock that is not mine?

Yes, but you must have the owner’s consent to publish their details, and you confirm that when you publish. Stock you own outright needs no third-party consent.

How long can an offer stay listed?

30 days on Starter, 60 days on Pro and on the supplier lane, 90 days on Elite. You can also set a shorter window when you publish.

Who can see my offers?

Any signed-in account. Buyers browse by country and see offers mapped by city, so visibility is strongest for stock near dense retail areas.

Next step: open Local Stock and publish your first offer. If you would rather stop creating slow shelves in the first place, read Buy 40 units, not a carton.