Pet Apparel: More Popular Than You May Think!

Come on now… everyone loves Fido! And what pup doesn’t want to be the coolest dog at the dog park?

If you have a pet, you will understand exactly what I’m getting at here.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), more than 63% of households in the US have at least one pet. Those pet owners spend in excess of $55 billion dollars on pet products every year. If we spend that much on Fido, just think about the niche market you could be missing out on!

With the drop in our economy, people were more apt to feed their pets before they buy cutesy clothes for them but now that our economy is recovering, pet apparel has rebounded nicely and seems to continue to grow out of control.

For all of you skeptics out there, wondering if it’s just the Paris Hiltons of the world who really buy clothes for their pets or if this just happens to be something you should dip into… we’re gonna try to answer some of those lingering questions.

What kinds of pet apparel do we really buy? Let’s start with bandanas! Every pup that has ever been to the groomer, or have their nails trimmed has come home in a fun, printed bandana.

Bandanas are super inexpensive, they come in a wide range of colors and prints, and you can even use them for marketing purposes. The most popular ones are known as bandana triangles. These are just a cut/sewn triangle piece instead of a full size bandana. They are much more comfy for Fido and they seem to stay in place better. They are also much cheaper to make since they use a lot less fabric (and I know we all like that). Most of them come in 100% cotton only as well. This helps with any pups that may be allergic to any synthetic materials (believe it or not, about 15% of all pets have an allergy of some kind).

By screen printing your company name, logo, website and phone number on these little guys, you market your name to a lot of prospects. Think about it… Fido goes everywhere with us. From the bank, to the coffee shop, to the gas station, the parks, the list goes on and on. They now have fenced-in parks made especially for Fido. He can run with all his friends, and yes, show off his new pet apparel! Think about how many people will catch your company name off that bandana and give you a call for their next pup-cut!

Now, moving onto tees, tanks, vests and hoodies. There are basic tanks, which I think happen to be the most popular. They come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. And, yes, even up to 2X/3X for the big, husky pups of the world.

They are a great alternative to sweaters, which can cause static in Fido’s hair. Also, they are a bit lighter weight, so a great idea for new fall wear!

Hoodies, which are trending right now, are big sellers around the beginning of fall time. They come with hoods, without hoods, with zippers and even with pockets (perfect for holding bones).

Now think holidays – Christmas and Halloween mainly (although I’ve seen the occasional kitty-cat dressed up as a bunny around Easter).

How many of us have seen that email with all the little upset pooches in their Halloween costumes? The photos are all so cute, but you know those pups are thinking “this is the worst day of my life.”

And I’m totally guilty. I seem to get a new costume every year for my little pup and every year she hates me more for it, but I still spend the money on it… even if it’s for 5 minutes worth of wear. In some sick way, I think I take joy in torturing my best friend by dressing her up (or at least trying to).

Now once you find the perfect piece of apparel, you have to, of course, add embellishments… I mean who wouldn’t right?

Pet boutiques offer everything from rhinestones to high-end embroidery embellishments to their pet line. Pet owners will pay a premium to make it more original!

Screen printing is the top choice for doing bandanas and pet-t’s, as we mentioned before, but you can also use heat transfer vinyl, like our EasyWeed and DigiCut material. You can even use a regular heat transfer paper on these materials. There are papers for both white and dark garments. They adhere great to the cotton fabric and will wash wonderfully time and time again. Adding rhinestone bling to either of these options can add additional cash in your pocket!

Now you ask, who really buys this stuff?

Retail pet stores, kennels, animal hospitals, pet boutiques, specialty shops and grooming shops. There are even mobile grooming vans I see driving around quite often where I live. They come to you (for those pups that don’t ride so well in the car).

There’s such a broad appeal for pet wear.  You can find something to fit just about any pet owner.  Think about it this way: “It’s the pet owner you’re appealing to… not the pet.”

Marketing this type of apparel can be tricky. Stick to these 3 tips:

1. Sell Cute (longevity really doesn’t matter as much as being fashionable).

2.  Stand Out (differentiate yourself from the competition – offer shirts for the pets in the family for that reunion as well as the humans).

3. Appeal to the Buyer (pups and kitties don’t make the decisions – humans do).

So, there you have it. Just some ideas of what I think is a growing market and a little about how to market it.

Pet lovers like me do some crazy things, and I would do just about anything for my little Chloe. I’m convinced she appreciates it. Well, except for that yearly Halloween costume!