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4 Surprising Pet Store Franchises Options in 2015

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When thinking of owning a pet store franchise, the usual elements of a store come to mind. Shelves marked with product like toys, leashes, collars, beds, treats, and food or maybe you think of dog hotel, doggy day care, or grooming. 2014 was a year of innovation for the pet store franchise sector. If you want to be your own boss with an innovative concept, here are a few options you can choose from.

1. Cat Café

cat caffeeIn October of 2014, Montreal opened its first two cat cafés ever. In mid-December, New York did the same. The owners of the cat cafés have paired up with animal rescues in their town to supply their locations with cats. They allow people to come in by appointment or walk-in, and spend time with the cats; play with them, feed them, or just relax together and if a deep bond happens to form between human and cat. They are allowed to adopt the cat. The downside to this pet store franchise is that there are limited opportunities and it is still not common enough to make it lucrative in many markets.

2. Doggie Daycare

pet daycareMost pet parents have to leave their pets home when they go to work. Many of these people do not like to crate their pets while they are gone but also don’t like the idea of leaving them alone. They would prefer their pets run, play, and socialize. Doggie day care solves this dilemma. The downside of these pet store franchises is that it the startup and maintenance costs are significantly higher than most other franchise opportunities within the pet market.

3. Obedience / Pet Training

pet traningPet store franchises aren’t all about selling a product. Pet trainers are high in demand because there are so just so many people that do not know how to speak the language of barking. Depending on the level of expertise, you could not only teach basic commands, but obstacle courses, obedience, or other professional pet sports.

4. Specialized Store

pet store franchiseSpecialized pet store franchises can offer many different products and services. There are dog bakeries, waste removal services and much more. A great example of this is with Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique. At first glance this may seem like your run-of-the-mill dog grooming salon, it actually has much more to offer customers. There is a signature bath membership that allows customers to bring in pets as much as they want for one low rate. The boutique in these pet store franchises even offers high quality pet products that customers love, including food, accessories and furniture.

Americans spend more than $30 million dollars on pet supplies every year. With so many options, don’t wait another second to capitalize on this market and open your own pet store franchises.

5 Trends Pet Store Franchises Should Pay Attention to

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It is hard for pet store franchises to not see how the pet industry is growing. The stats for 2014 put pet spending at $73 billion. That is a large increase in a single year and those aren’t the only numbers pet store franchises should think about for 2015.

1. Pet Ownership is growing.

Since 1988, pet ownership has increased by 6%. From 2009-2013, the number increased from 53.6% to 56.5% alone. 3% might not sound like a lot, but 66.8 million homes with pets. Cat ownership dominates at 22.7% of the market, while dogs, at 18.9%, are steadily increasing each year and this leaves pet store franchise owners in an excellent position.

2. Pets are Part of the Family.

Pets are being warmly welcomed into the family and made just as important as any human member. As pet bonds grow stronger, people are more willing to spoil their pets and treat them much like their human counterparts. More money is being spent each year on pet grooming and pampering, specialty dog treats, custom and tempurpedic beds for their pets, and even designer clothing. According to the American Veterinary Association’s study in 2011, families who considered their pets spent more money on their pet, averaging at an increase of 61% more than those who viewed a pet as a companion and those who viewed as a companion spent 71% more than those who view their pet as property.

3. Premium shopping is on the rise

Based on a survey, 70% of pet owners said they would be willing to spend a few extra bucks on the best possible products for their pet. As humanization of pets because the norm, this number will only increase. That includes premium foods (organic and imported), beds, toys, collars, services like grooming and daycare. This in turn allows more pet store franchises to carry specific or higher quality, higher priced items.

4. Brand Loyalty might be a challenge.

While pet spending is on the rise, a comparison in shopper loyalty from 2006 and 2013 showed an 11% drop in customer loyalty, showing that people are more likely to shop around at different pet store franchises, but do not fret! By creating a personal experience, unique merchandise, and special care for your consumer’s families, your customers store will have no problem with repeat customers and customer loyalty. It’s all about the service and this is the obstacle that Splash and Dash pet store franchises have solved with a signature bath membership.

5. Pet Obesity is on the Rise.

In a 2013 survey, the Associate for Pet Obesity Prevention found that 52.6% of dogs and 57.6% of cats were considered overweight or obese and the average of 90% of those owners thought their pets were normal sized!
If you are opening pet store franchises in the near future keep this information close at hand and use it to your advantage. The pet industry is rapidly growing and with the right information and focus, you can grow along with it.