As we approach SuperZoo, one of the largest pet conferences of the year, retailers are eager to get tips on how to thrive in the consumer-driven, omnichannel world.

It's no secret that brand loyalty is slipping away.

Consumers now compare different products from different brands at different prices before they ever set foot inside a store. This behavior opens up a whole new channel of "competitors" — not just the pet store across the street, but any merchant with good SEO and creative marketing — even sellers halfway around the world.

Retailers need an e-commerce strategy and fast. But it's hard to know where to start.

After two years studying consumer needs and wants as well as trends, technology, distribution and manufacturing in the pet market, then launching and running my own subscription e-commerce service, I got to know the quintessential e-commerce pet customer well. Around the same time, I talked to many pet specialty retailers about the challenges of migrating online.

Then came my "ah-ha" moment — subscription e-commerce, layered over established retail infrastructure is e-commerce nirvana.

The biggest problem for subscription product companies is the cost of acquiring new customers. By leveraging existing retail infrastructure — customers, inventory, staff, distribution channels, etc. — the incremental cost is minimal, and the pay off could be huge.

Here are the top 10 reasons why multistore pet retailers should try subscription e-commerce:

1. It's a new source of topline revenue. Who can argue with that?

2. Customers love subscription boxes. New SKUs evolve faster than consumer ability to vet them either online or in store, you help do the "shopping" for them.

3. It provides predictable recurring revenue and positive cash flow. Marginal investment and quick results.

4. It increases the lifetime value (LTV) of your customers. Average orders increase by 74 percent, and average spending increases by 240 percent a year. Subscribers buy 200- 500 percent more often than nonsubscribers.

5. It frees you from the bounds of geography. You can sell to anyone, anywhere.

6. Sales analytics can help you geo-target new brick-and-mortar locations for expansion.

7. You can test new product categories. For instance, are consumers ready to treat dog behavior with flower essence oils? By tracking customer reaction and reorders, you'll have an answer.

8. It turns overstock into assets. In the sale bin, overstock is visibly unwanted merchandise. But put them inside subscription boxes, and they're another habit-reinforcing surprise to surprise and delight your customers.

9. You can turn prospects into shoppers and shoppers into buyers, then repeat. Increase overall site conversion by as much as 20 percent.

10. It earns brand loyalty and trust. Subscription boxes, often referred to as "discovery commerce," offer consumers a unique and personalized buying experience that they will associate with your brand. You get deeper, more engaged customer relationships.