Independent pet shops need to offer customers something new, something different, and something innovative, argues Alex Wilson, sales and marketing director of AmPet Products. "Look for colourful designs that leap off the shelves," he advises retailers looking for a competitive edge...
"As a company specialising in importing quality dog products from the USA, 2015 presents new challenges.
"At AmPet we have a portfolio of some of the USA's best dog products that were sourced at Superzoo, the largest pet trade fair in the Las Vegas last July and launched to the UK trade at PATS Harrogate in September. Next year they will be showcased at PATS Sandown and Telford.
"As a company selling direct to retailers rather than going through wholesalers we need to convince shops and e-commerce businesses there are different, new products out there that the public are looking for. So many pet shops and websites in the UK offer the same brands, and this is the reason why so many dog owners visit dog events, country and county shows as they search for the boutique products.
"The American pet industry has thousands of innovative products and many of them are what the UK modern pet store is crying out for. This includes colour. Many of the brands we work with offer stunning colourful designs, products that leap off the shelves. They are also made of materials not normally associated with the pet industry – collars made of spacer (used in the manufacture of trainer shoes), woven collars, artistically designed collars, fleece lined harnesses in vibrant colours, pop-out silicone raised pet bowls and travel cups in bright colours. These products fit in with the modern pet owner and home.
"The UK pet business is a competitive industry and the independent retailer needs an edge over its competitor - many pet stores are family owned and operated and so many of these could benefit from looking at new purchasing routes – from suppliers who can offer something different, that can give the wow factor, products that will jump off the shelf and are not sold at the pet shop down the road.
"The modern dog owner is looking at something new, something different, something innovative. For years the dog has just been a family pet, but now many owners are sharing other activities with their dogss – like agility, flyball, K9 Aqua Sports, and Cani-Cross – and these people want equipment to match up with their sport. Dog sport competitors like Sarah Allan, leading UK competitor in K9 Aqua Sports, and UK champion agility competitor Lauren Langman choose much of the equipment for their dogs from independent retailers who are not on the high street but at events or on-line. Many of these companies offer different product, higher quality products, or dare I say it, products that are not manufactured in the big Chinese factories. They want the boutique products, and these are the products that the independent UK pet shops should also be selling too.
"My final point is travelling dogs by car. Many of us have to travel with dogs great distances, and yet so many dogs are not restrained in cars, or if they are the equipment used is neither safe, nor tested to be suitable for the vehicle.
"The highway code states that a dog must not be a distraction, yet it does not state or offer any guidelines as to what equipment should be used. Even RoSPA, in their information about travelling dogs in cars, only talk about using a car harness but offer no guidelines on what is a suitable car harness for a dog.
"Here in the UK we have no legislation as to what is deemed a suitable safe car harness or crate. Most UK retailed car harnesses have had no crash testing and would fail crash testing if they were tested. There are a couple of US based and Canadian companies who manufacture car harnesses who have had their products tested that are distributed in the UK. The Roadie from Ruff Rider Technology and the Canine Friendly Car Harness from RC Pet Products have been tested and exceed minimum safety standards, and they distributed by AmPet Products.
"Crates are another issue. Wire crates sold over the counter in the pet shops would give the dog no protection in an accident, in fact they would collapse onto the dog. There is a Swedish crate distributed by Safe Dog in London that has been fully crash tested and ideal for travelling dogs. Safety for dogs in a car is not just about the dog, but the driver and passengers too. If there should be an accident and the dog is either unrestrained or in a harness that blows apart, then that dog will become a projectile and could injure or kill anyone in the car. The safest place for a dog in an accident is to end up in the footwell."
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Alex Wilson
Sales and Marketing Director
