From a family-run pet store launched six years ago, HugglePets has grown rapidly into a thriving company that now supplies its own-branded products. Director Mike Dixon reveals how the Wolverhampton-based company is developing.

When did the business launch as a bricks-and-mortar store?

HugglePets opened its doors to the public in April of 2017. The store was initially more like your average pet store, but since then has seen a variety of developments to make every visit to HugglePets a truly memorable one for pet lovers, such as the Sensory Aquarium, the Exo Terra Reptile Room and the Pond & Wildlife Education Centre.

Who owns the business?

The business is family-owned and managed by father and son duo Ian and Mike Dixon. My sister, Hannah Dixon, is the Community Projects Manager of HugglePets in the Community – the non-profit, animal therapy side of the organisation. This close-knit approach is how we like to operate as in our purview, everyone wearing a purple HugglePets polo matters to what we do.

How many people are employed?

There are currently 25 people employed at HugglePets, and we’re immensely proud of our team and all that they bring to the organisation on a daily basis. With teams split between the shop, warehouse and offices, there’s always lots to do but we’re never unimpressed with how it’s done. And we’ve recently recruited two pet trade veterans in Tom Gwilliam and Frances Marshall (pictured below), who with 33 combined years of industry experience between them are certain to bring something epic to the roster here at HugglePets.

Are you moving away from the retail side of the business?

The bricks-and-mortar element is not something we're doing away with anytime soon. As much as we’re excited to grow across the whole of the United Kingdom, we love having a foothold in the Wolverhampton community as it allows us to connect with pet owners on a regular basis and really get to know both them and their pets. Losing that element would go against our very philosophy of caring for each and every pet like they're a member of the HugglePets family.

Is HugglePets becoming a pet product supplier as well as being a retailer?

Funnily enough, we actually started as a wholesaler of dog crates over 10 years ago before selling to the general public, and as we expand on our new upcoming branded dog range, this is something we're happy to build on and wholesale to even more companies. Getting to launch quality pet products with the HugglePets name on it is a privilege, and having other stores stock these on their shelves is a great bonus.

Do you supply own-branded products?

Our range of HugglePets products is something we're very proud of. After all the positive feedback we received following the launch of the HugglePets Fabric Crate Foldable Pet Carriers, we knew that it would be worthwhile to expand on this and start developing even more things that we know pet owners are in constant need of - like dog collars, harnesses, pet beds, etc. Developing these new ranges has taught us a lot as sellers about the level of care and ingenuity it takes to make a truly great product, and we're excited to roll out this next range in the coming weeks.

Tell us about being a Community Interest Company and what it involves.

As previously mentioned, HugglePets in the Community is the non-profit side of the organisation that uses animal therapy to connect with people from the community. In doing so, the goal is to improve their mental health, combat loneliness, challenge behavioural issues and promote psychological wellbeing. Since its inception in May of 2018, the CIC has helped thousands of people in need, even if just with something small like a cuddle with a rabbit and a cup of tea with one of our fully trained therapists. And proceeds from the retail side of the business go directly to this vital work, so every time someone buys from us, they're helping to make that difference. We were even fortunate enough to be visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales in May of 2021, who sat in on an animal therapy session of ours as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

How excited are you about how the company is developing?

We're incredibly excited. The winter period is a hectic time for all retailers, but we're confident with the new dog range that we'll have a selection to really shine a spotlight on and give dog owners a new lease on life (or a new lead on life). HugglePets has been steadily growing in both size and splendour for the past couple of years, and we're taking the lessons we've learnt so far and applying them to whole new challenges.

See gallery of HugglePets branded products below...