Pet Industry

[Jason_Fisher]

Just been reading some pretty interesting articles about the pet industry. The industry is worth billions, there is a huge demand for the products as pets need food just like us, i think it was 1 in 4 people have a dog/cat.

I have a contact with a wholesaler of pet products, they sell everything apart from food and claim there is a 100-150% mark-up on pet products. Surely this is a good area of business to get into? Does anyone know the mark-up on the food side of the business?

I'm suprised there isn't some sort of direct business door to door/catalogue, similar to betterware.

Is anyone in this industry? How are you finding it in these current times? I wouldn't have thought there would have been much of a decline with it being food. You could also add on other areas to the business, walking, grooming etc...

 

[sellickbhoy]

Actually, if anyone has a contact to pet food suppliers (i know, the OP has everything BUT that) I'd be interested

I'm based in central scotland

ta

 

[Jason_Fisher]

Is this an industry you are interested in? I think a door to door service would be viable... hard work but viable.

 

[sellickbhoy]

Is this an industry you are interested in? I think a door to door service would be viable... hard work but viable.

I already have a fruit and veg box business delkivering to peoples homes - loads of my custoemrs have dogs and cats.

2 birds with one stone!!

 

[Esk247]

Right see, Jason, you were in the other thread bashing OEE saying that he has also bashed you about your charity thingies but here you are asking about flippin pet supplies now :|

anyway, instead of getting in a personal rant, you really need to research the pet supplies area and not just look at a few articles. Remember that Pets at Home and stores like that are dedicated city centre pet stores and are well known by branding, so you wouldn't be able to compete on that scale. So then look at smaller, local stores, perhaps even analyse your local pet shop and right up a report on what you think are there strengths and weaknesses?

It is all about research. Select an area, research it thoroughly and objectively then look at creating a business plan that works within that gap in the market.

 

[Jason_Fisher]

OK take a breath...

That is great advice you have given if i were looking to create a business in this area, as it is constructive and gives me some actions to go away and research...HOWEVER where in my post did i say i am interested in starting a business in the pet industry. I read allot of articles in different industries and find them interesting. I was merely expressing my shock that there is such a high mark up in this industry, and wanted to see if anyone was doing well/or bad in this industry. I then went on to mention that i thought a door to door service would be viable, as a dog owner myself i would use the service.

I am sure if it was truly viable someone like Pets at Home would have already made strides in doing so...

This forum is to discuss business aswell as make contacts, not every post i have means i want to start a business in that area...

I wasn't 'bashing' OEE, i was just making a point that he shouldn't dismiss ideas and rip them apart if he cannot take it himself. And its not the fact that he just bashed my charity work, he made it sound dodgy, and charity work is very sensitive, if people think something like that and see it on an open forum, how on earth am i going to hit my target, it was bang out of order from OEE to do that on an open forum!

 

[Esk247]

I have a contact with a wholesaler of pet products, they sell everything apart from food and claim there is a 100-150% mark-up on pet products. Surely this is a good area of business to get into? Does anyone know the mark-up on the food side of the business?

Yeah but it was this bit that made me wonder if you were looking at another business fella.

I'm not going to get in to an argument on your thread anyway, just saying that it came across like that.

Local pet supplies are a strange business. I'm not sure about the profits involved, there was a thread about dog walking on here, i think it was started by Dr Pepper so you could go and have a search to see if that gives you some answers to your questions about profitability and such too.

 

Big competition in the pet food market and not that larger margins.

Now pet medicines and anti flea stuff is a different matter.

Earl

 

[Jason_Fisher]

OK, when i said i have a contact, i mean i literally have a contact who used to work with me and now works in that industry, but i can see how you might have taken it in that way, and it was good feedback if i was looking into that industry

They are good margins to be working with, but having a store eats into you profits with bills etc, i just genuinely wondered why there wasn't a large national company, say like betterware style, that do this. Send out a catalogue, take the orders, deliver the goods, not that simple but you get the idea.

I suppose its getting harder aswell as supermarkets now stock pet supplies, limited selection but still...

 

[papverpoppies]

The pet industry is huge, its' not just food. - it was one of the few markets not to take large losses through the recession.

Clothing
Breeding
Photography
Pet Hotels
Dog Walking/Sitting
Kennels/Catteries
Gift Ware
Trimming
To name a few....


As, with any business though, you have to know and research your market and make sure there is an opening.

Poppy xx

 

[Consistency]

If you are talking of dog food, what type - tinned, raw or dry?

 

[DesignerNick]

If you can deliver some raw meat every couple of days I am in

 

[Vending Siting Services]

The pet industry is a growing market, even in the current climate. I have downloaded a really useful app, Plimsoll Market Analysis. Excellent app to get up to date informaiton on any industry. There you have it, it is official, the pet industry is on the UP.

Barbara

 

[scribe]

I think there was a forum member who set up quite a big website to do with Pets/Dogs .Sorry i don't know their name, someone may know on here.

 

[Jason_Fisher]

How is the fruit and veg box business goin? I always wondered if there were many of those sold (i don't want to start selling them, just curious )

Where can i find good information about markets/industries etc, as i'm very interested in this sort of stuff. The pet business is massive in the US...

 

[Consistency]

If you can deliver some raw meat every couple of days I am in

Would be good in some ways but a pain in the bum and the cosos would be driven up, especially ith fuel prices. We have ours delivered monthly and have two large chest freezers. So much better than tinned.

 

[Jason_Fisher]

so you get your dog food delivered? do they seem to be doing ok? do they just specialise in the raw food?

 

[Consistency]

I don't know how profitable their business is but it does us good and it is brilliant food. Very bloody sometimes when defrosting and so it is not everyone's cup of tea but is brilliant for dogs. There is no added ingredients, just pure meat unless ordering meat with vegetables.

They do specialise in raw food.

 

[saxondale]

Just been reading some pretty interesting articles about the pet industry. The industry is worth billions, there is a huge demand for the products as pets need food just like us, i think it was 1 in 4 people have a dog/cat.

I have a contact with a wholesaler of pet products, they sell everything apart from food and claim there is a 100-150% mark-up on pet products. Surely this is a good area of business to get into? Does anyone know the mark-up on the food side of the business?

I'm suprised there isn't some sort of direct business door to door/catalogue, similar to betterware.

Is anyone in this industry? How are you finding it in these current times? I wouldn't have thought there would have been much of a decline with it being food. You could also add on other areas to the business, walking, grooming etc...

beaten to it - just had a visit from the guys who left a leaflet last week.




http://www.oscars.co.uk/

 

[saxondale]

Actually, if anyone has a contact to pet food suppliers (i know, the OP has everything BUT that) I'd be interested

I'm based in central scotland

ta

dry mix?



.

 

[Tej]

Dawg is the expert.... he would not be wasting his time if the industry wasn't on the UP and UP.

 

[Dawg]

The pet industry is huge, its' not just food. - it was one of the few markets not to take large losses through the recession.

You can of course back this up with figures?

The pet food market has been static for years, and is in gradual decline. It was hit and is being hit by the recession. Premium packaged foods and treats are OK but there is market oversupply.

The ancillary markets, (walking, photography,portraits etc) are all low margin and unscaleable, and although I don't have figures my impression from being in the pet food trade is that they are suffering a lot.

You could try a freelance distribution gig, but ask first why others are not doing it. Others will have tried it, I've met quite a few.

Whatever: research, research. Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 74679]

I think there could be a business in door-to-door pet food. Lots of elderly people have pets and it's a struggle for them to get hold of, and store those 15kg bags of dry food. A weekly service, like the veg box idea, would appeal to them, and to others without access (or the inclination) to get to the out-of-town retail sheds. Our greengrocer sells dry dog food loose by weight, but there are very few places which do that. If you supplied a good brand like Fromm, you could piggyback on their nutritional advice to actually advise owners on the best food for their dog's needs.

 

[saxondale]

I think there could be a business in door-to-door pet food. Lots of elderly people have pets and it's a struggle for them to get hold of, and store those 15kg bags of dry food. A weekly service, like the veg box idea, would appeal to them, and to others without access (or the inclination) to get to the out-of-town retail sheds. Our greengrocer sells dry dog food loose by weight, but there are very few places which do that. If you supplied a good brand like Fromm, you could piggyback on their nutritional advice to actually advise owners on the best food for their dog's needs.

seen the oscars link above?

 

[Deleted member 74679]

seen the oscars link above?

I have, and it's probably a good business model, but I was thinking more of smaller quantities. Oscars only sell 15 kg bags at £50 a time, which last my dogs a couple of months and is heavy to lug around and store. I was thinking about selling (well, I'm not thinking about doing it myself, but for the OP - having said that I am an accredited animal nutritionist so perhaps I should reconsider!) smaller quantities, loose - say enough for a week at a time.

 

[Dawg]

You edited, but just to let everyone know: Fromm is American. It is available here, and the website claims it is made here too; don't know who by.
I'm always suspicious of products which claim they are 'not tested on animals', as they do. Of course they are tested on anmimals, palatability tests at the very least. The 'not tested' claim is a spurious type of greenwashing. Who knows how believable their other claims are?

Sojos, in my view, are superior in their nutritional advice.

(@OP): Oscars is a franchised business model, which if you are interested, you might want to follow up. They produce their own product, (outsourced), and as with all franchises some seem to do well, others less so. Good mid range product.

 

[papverpoppies]

You can of course back this up with figures?

The pet food market has been static for years, and is in gradual decline. It was hit and is being hit by the recession. Premium packaged foods and treats are OK but there is market oversupply.

The ancillary markets, (walking, photography,portraits etc) are all low margin and unscaleable, and although I don't have figures my impression from being in the pet food trade is that they are suffering a lot.

You could try a freelance distribution gig, but ask first why others are not doing it. Others will have tried it, I've met quite a few.

Whatever: research, research. Good luck.

Pet Industry

Poppy xx

 

[Dawg]

That link is to global pet product sales. The Far East market will be virtually all, if not all of the increase. Any UK figures?

 

[Consistency]

You edited, but just to let everyone know: Fromm is American. It is available here, and the website claims it is made here too; don't know who by.
I'm always suspicious of products which claim they are 'not tested on animals', as they do. Of course they are tested on anmimals, palatability tests at the very least. The 'not tested' claim is a spurious type of greenwashing. Who knows how believable their other claims are?

Sojos, in my view, are superior in their nutritional advice.

(@OP): Oscars is a franchised business model, which if you are interested, you might want to follow up. They produce their own product, (outsourced), and as with all franchises some seem to do well, others less so. Good mid range product.

Of course the palatability tests have importance but when pet food companies say not tested on animals, some of them may be referring to the vivisection that some of these carry out. I have seen a video of some awful experiments carried out by Iams pet foods.

The link below gives more information.

http://www.peta.org.uk/features/non-animal-tested-companion-animal-food/

more about Iams

http://www.iamscruelty.com/

 

[Bob]

Actually, if anyone has a contact to pet food suppliers (i know, the OP has everything BUT that) I'd be interested

I'm based in central scotland

ta

Is Glasgow anywhere near you :| Best Pets prices are very good

 

[Nayy77]

Hello,

I just stumbled upon your thread whilst engaging in some thorough research.

I am entering the world of U.K Pet Supplies etc. and although I have many contacts in the supplier field, I certainly would not turn my nose up at your information!

I am also new to this forum, so please, nobody bite me!

Many thanks

 

[Consistency]

A very warm welcome to you.

 

[sla3]

What type of pet supplies and to whom? Wholesale or retail?

Emmm ... are you from Essex?

I mean - cough - Fur-Jazzles? Really?

That's kind of a specialised market, init tho? Kna wo' I mean bruv?

 

[Nayy77]

Wow,

Wasn't expecting to be judged?!

I'm actually from Wales.

And the name is merely a gimmick, as it's more relative
to the owners than the animals.

I'll be trading in retail.

Many thanks for the welcome.

 

[Consistency]

I was wondering what a furjazzle was! Still none the wiser.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

I was wondering what a furjazzle was! Still none the wiser.

If that's the case DO NOT Google "vajazzle"

 

[Consistency]

You know I am going to google it now.....................

 

[Consistency]

And this is what I found, it is body art. So I still don't get what that has got to do with pet things.


Vajazzle spelling blunder leaves customer with wrong man's name on bikini line
Mar 18 2012 by Mike Lockley, Sunday Mercury

A BEAUTY salon customer was left less than dazzled by her vajazzle - the intimate body art craze sweeping the nation.
Toni Allport decided to take the plunge and have the same sequined, spangled treatment as stars of ITV reality show 'The Only Way Is Essex'.
She wanted to mark her 40th birthday by having her husband's name, 'Lee', written in Swarovski crystals along the bikini line.

​

But her visit to local salon Meridian, which specialises in the risqué body art, was more 'The Only Way Is Dyslexics' than TOWIE.
And she had to answer some pretty awkward questions after looking down after the 40-minute session to discover the name 'Len' picked out in gems on her stomach.
Thankfully, the mistake didn't spell trouble for the Walsall school assistant.
"I don't know who the hell Len is," she laughed, "but thankfully my husband saw the funny side. I'm confident it won't spoil the romantic break we've booked for my birthday. I've told Lee not to look at it.

"It's not like a tattoo - I won't have to get Lee to change his name by deed poll. They can put it right."
The busy salon in Cheslyn Hay has quickly carved out a reputation for mixing ornate non-permanent body art with traditional beauty treatments. There's currently a queue of women waiting to have their toenails encrusted with 'sparklies'.
"Toegems are the latest 'must have' for the beach," cooed salon boss Faye Bray. Former X-Factor contestant Faye is a glittering, walking advertisement for her products.
She admitted, however, that when it came to regular customer Toni she and her girls got it wrong.
"It was a mixture of a very busy day, a communication breakdown and one of our girls having a boyfriend called Len," said the 30-year-old. She wouldn't say who.

"Toni saw the funny side straight away - even when we said we couldn't put things right there and then. That's because she had spray tan and waxing at the same time."
And the fashion faux pas won't stop Toni visiting Meridian again. "They've been superb," she said. "They couldn't be more apologetic and have thrown in a few freebies. They're the best at what they do.
"We've all been in stitches."
Locally, Meridian is at the forefront of the vajazzle craze with women of all ages wanting the ornate, eye-catching designs.
Manageress Michelle Parker said: "We're doing them for all ages, with Christmas and Valentine's Day proving popular.
"With the summer holidays coming up, we expect to be rushed off our feet."
The salon also has a growing list of male customers. "We have a lot of men in for skin peels," added Michelle, 35. "Eyebrow waxes are also popular."
Boss Faye said the business boom was down to the hard work of 'her girls', pointing out: "We all make mistakes and no harm has been done.
"I don't know if it's a wind-up, but they've told me a woman has booked in to have 'Denis' spelt out on her midriff with crystals.
"Fingers crossed..."
[email protected]

 

[sla3]

Wow,

Wasn't expecting to be judged?!

Eh? Is that some modern-day youth whinge thing? Like demanding respect without ever having earned it? Just asking, as I saw no-one sitting in judgement upon you. You might need to grow a thicker skin unless you were being ironic.

 

[Nayy77]

Oh dear. Can't see me getting very far on here.
Nice to have met you