Some of the garments are sold through Amazon and Etsy. The owners’ expectations are to open more stores.
Dresses in red, plaid shirts and ponchos with native designs are some of the garments offered by businesses dedicated to the sale of pet clothing. And in December its activity intensifies. This is because families before choosing their outfit (clothing) think first of their pets.
This is how he tells it Lorena Saavedra, owner of Pet Friendlyec, a place dedicated to the sale of clothing and accessories for pets, located in Lorenzo de Garaycoa and Cuenca, in the center of Guayaquil.
“Clothing is the best seller. My clients come first to buy the outfit of the dog to dress and match accordingly, then it is a high demand ”, he mentions.
Saavedra opened his business in early 2020. He started by acquiring the clothes and selling them through Facebook’s Marketplace. He went to homes or clients came to his house.
Then, in September, he teamed up with other entrepreneurs to open a store and pay joint expenses. And so it has become known, also at fairs and on other social networks.
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The clothes are made by her with the help of her family and they learned by watching videos on YouTube. She never imagined that her love for pets would take her this far.
“In this 2021 I have been able to maintain myself, I even think better because I sponsor several (canine) clubs,” says Saavedra, who aspires to continue growing in this market.
The same projection has Karina Núñez, owner of the store online KiruPets, in Quito. They have been in this business for three years and Proper handling of social networks has made them visible internationally.
KiruPets offers ponchos for dogs and expenses, and even for humans. The idea is that the owner is also combined with his pet, says Núñez. To this product are added raincoats, belts, handkerchiefs and ties.
They ship nationally and outside the country. A year ago they entered Amazon with four models of ponchos. And then they dabbled in Etsy. His garments have reached the United States and Germany.
In 2020 it was its biggest rebound with 50% more demand than in 2019. Now that percentage has dropped a bit and to achieve a balance it has ventured into other points of sale such as veterinarians, pet shop and galleries.
“That is why we have looked for other ways to sell the product, not only online but in these stores and it has been accepted ”, he says.
According to Núñez, the ponchos are made by a family dedicated to artisan work and others in a workshop. Expect in 2022 to enter chains of retail in Ecuador.
According to the Superintendency of Companies, Securities and Insurance, There are 52 companies registered under this line of business.
And they are also in shopping centers such as Fashion Pet, in Jardines Plaza, on av. Samborondón.
The sale of clothes is linked to the hairdresser and in its two years of existence have had ups and downssays its owner Vanessa Ruggia.
Ruggia also opened in 2020 and was only on the premises for a short time due to the pandemic. Kept for sale online and reopened months later. This demand increased.
She claims this increase because pet owners waited for the opening to take the dogs to the groomer, which they saw the clothes and bought.
Now this demand for clothing has droppedsays Ruggia. He believes it is for two reasons: change of priorities or that the purchase is made a few days after Christmas.
Fashion Pet makes shipments nationwide and to boost its business it carries out giveaway (gifts). Ruggia aspires to open another store.
Concern for pets caused an increase in income of companies dedicated to the sale of products and services for pets in Ecuador
Another business is Pet Coquette, which is located in San Marino Shopping. Yuliana Medina is the administrator of that location and says that in 2020 there was a considerable drop in sales.
However, it indicates that have increased by 25% in 2021. And that they have high expectations for 2022.
Pet clothing at Pet Coquette is purchased from suppliers, Medina says.
“We are always in contact with our suppliers to combine ideas and thus bring to market garments that are fashionable and with (fashionable) colors, for example, around Christmas time a variety of models have been created for both female and male since our clients are very selective and detailed ”, he says.
Pet clothing in this business is part of the product portfolio. They also offer supplements, accessories, necklaces and others. (I)
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