As Tamara L. Benefiel, owner of Lux Pet Products, Inc., explains,
the pet apparel category can be broken down into two segments.
Not exact matches
Dog
apparel has always had a fun and silly side to it — which are still important qualities — but as more
pet owners look to
apparel to protect their dogs from the elements, the
category's tone and mission is changing.
Value and affordability are important to
pet owners, says Kim, mentioning that consumers have plenty of
apparel choices in this fairly competitive
category.
As more dog owners rely on
apparel to keep their
pets protected from the elements or to outfit them for holiday photos, the clothing
category provides retailers with a profit - making opportunity.
However, there is a plethora of auxiliary products —
pet apparel, removal gadgets, grooming products like shampoos and flea combs, natural food additives — giving rise to an excellent opportunity to educate customers and create a profitable in - store
category.
These represent
Pet Life's initial focus within the
pet care
category and reflect Braha's background in the fashion world, where he was involved in young men's
apparel, women's swimwear and fashion merchandising.
Dog
apparel has traditionally been associated with amusing or adorable costumes for small dogs — which, thankfully, is still a trend — but a serious, more practical side to this
category has emerged recently, and
pet owners are fully on board.
«We're also finding that
pet apparel is one of the major
categories that can really separate retailers from the competition,» Cress continues.
Although
pet -
apparel manufacturers do keep an eye on the human runway, the dog
apparel category is not as beholden to fads and whimsy.
The company has also launched award - winning products in other
categories, including
pet apparel and cleanup.
Those are spread out over
apparel, travel, electronics,
pets, and other
categories and are sourced from many of the rewards deals Next Jump already offers through its 90,000 corporate employee programs.