It seems lately that most people consider their fur babies a member of the family and treat them as such. As a result, they want only the best products for their pets—with convenience being a must so they can more easily transport them wherever they go. Bowls, accessories, treats, pet waste bags, and totes are faring well in this market segment.
Dog bowls, doggy bandanas, and dog flyers are trending at
Garyline. According to Paul Hanney, vets, dog groomers, dog walkers, fundraising walks, animal specialty center, retail store promos, pet food, and medicine companies are driving demand for these items. Custom colors on these items
is currently popular.
“Humanization of pets is growing, and consumers continue to treat their pets like children or family members,” Lori Garrick at Evans Mfg. comments. “This affects their purchasing behavior. We are seeing this in the promotional products industry, as convenience is king. People want pet products that are portable and aid in bringing their pet with them more convenient.”
Pets also have a positive impact on mental health issues, notes Josette Bosse of Bay State. “Maybe it’s because of social media and their immense cuteness or possibly because of the awareness of what a positive impact dogs have wellbeing for things such as depression, socialization, anxiety, emotional support, etc. Whatever it is, it seems people are more into their pets now than ever. Some even have their own social media page. They say the heart of the home is your kitchen. I would argue my dog is the heart of mine.”
An array of new and best-selling pet products can help distributors decide which items to offer their customers. Garyline has introduced the PTB67 Pet Treat Bag and BOWL 7 Chow Time 7-inch Pet Bowl. These join the company’s best-selling DB29 Big Doggy Bandana, FDB63 Folding Dog Bowl, and DSDOG Cinch Tote Pet Care Kit.
Evans Mfg.’s best-selling pet products make traveling/activities with pets more convenient:
H2O-To-Go Bowl,
Pet Collapsi-Bowl,
7-inch Pet Collapsi-Bowl, and
Poopy Pet Bag Dispenser. “We will continue to offer new pet products in 2019,” Garrick says. “One of our favorite new products is the Fold-It™ Pet Bowl. The bowl is constructed of PET material. It folds flat for easy carrying and
storage, and features a carabiner for easy attachment to
leash, bag, belt, etc. We will also be adding the Illuminate-It™ Pet Bag Dispenser. This plastic dispenser holds 20 disposable bags and features an activate LED light. The sturdy, built-in carabiner allows for easy attachment to
leash, bag, belt, etc.”
Bay State’s pet offerings include a pet food lid, paw magnetic clip, added security reflector light, portable and collapsible pet food bowls, dog bag dispenser, and pet pill box.
Southern Plus has found its apron line to be popular in the pet space. Brannon Craig explains that pet superstores, dog groomers, and vet assistants have used the aprons to protect their clothes and promote their employer’s (or product sponsor’s) brand. “We have four different bib styles—depending on whether you want pockets in front or not—and how far you want it to wrap around you,” he comments. “The 7603–Butcher Apron seems to be most popular (no pockets).”
To sell pet products to your customers, Garyline’s Hanney suggests targeting dog boutique hotels and spas found in larger cities, the smaller local pet groomers, and pet clinics—as they are usually multiples in any area. “The pet industry is a huge market and regardless of the economy, people always spend money on their pets,” he says. “So, the businesses that work with them will always do well and want to promote. Sending them a mailer and following up with a call and an email within a week will greatly increase the chance of getting to a decision-maker and getting their business. Try doing this three months in advance to a charity walk, national pet day, or another event you want to promote.”
Craig at Southern Plus adds to Hanney’s thoughts. “Simply locate your local pet groomers and veterinarians and send them an apron presentation flyer from our site, with their logo on the products,” he notes. “It will take less than a minute to do so.”
Evans Mfg.’s Garrick recommends targeting specific industries when it comes to pet products. “With hospitality, many Americans are likely to travel with their four-legged friends,” she comments. “These people will usually only stay at accommodations that welcome pets. These hotels could offer unique or practical pet items to encourage pet owners to come back and also spread the word to their friends. With real estate, realtors are always looking for ways to stay top-of-mind in the home, and pet products are a great way to accomplish this. Food lids and pet waste bag dispensers are great options.”
Case Studies
Paul Hanney, Garyline: We recently had a distributor who needed an item for a restaurant that wanted to promote their Halloween dog parade costume event. They had a budget for under $2 an item. We suggested an orange dog flyer with a black imprint. We created the virtual and they got the order shortly after that. Virtuals help sell! Plan to use them and plan in advance. We heard they used the flyers to pass out dog treats since our flyers are safe for food contact.
Josette Bosse, Bay State: An animal adoption agency gave out our P602 Fresh’n Sealed Can Food Lids at an open house they held. The open house was to show off the facility and encourage owners to get their pets spayed and neutered. The lids had their business name and number printed on each of them and were handed out to each guest that attended the open house.