H.H.
Backer' Associate's Groom &
Board magazine is an industry
trade publication that should be
read by every groomer and
grooming business owner. It is
no longer published.
In their June 1999 issue
their published an excellent report, Pet Services Professionals
Stretch to Take Advantage of New Opportunities in a More
Competitive Market by Joe Fucini. The report is based on a survey
of 237 pet service providers. We urge you to acquire a copy of
this issue and to subscribe. Here are just a f few excerpts
relating to the market description for pet grooming businesses.
National
Pet Owners Survey by APPMA 1999-2000
This survey is one we
look forward to year after year. It is not specific to pet
grooming services, but yes they do ask grooming questions. This
survey is great for writing business plans. The 1999-2000 survey
of pet owners gleaned information from nearly 17,000 respondents.
It is organized by The
NPD Group, Inc., and surveys pet ownership, consumer demographics,
and market trends. You can get a copy for $99 if you are an APPMA
member, or $195 otherwise. Contact APPMA at 800-452-1225.
Here are some
interesting results from the survey.
Dogs live in 39
percent of U.S. households, a 10 year high.
Females in 7 out of
10 households buys pet products and takes care of pets.
61% of U.S.
households own pets, up 5 percent from the 1996 survey.
62% bought presents
for their pets in 1998 compared to only 45 percent just 2 years
earlier in 1996. People without children in the home were more
likely to purchase presents for pets.
Veterinarians were
indicated as the prime source of pet care information (65%).
Groomers were listed higher than breeders yet below friends,
books, advertising, television, animal shelters, Internet, and pet
stores.
Veterinary care was
listed at the leading expense for pets.
Annual grooming
expenses were estimated at $59 a year for dogs, and $20 cats.
2% of cat owners
visited a groomer in the previous 12 months.
29% of dog owners
visited a groomer in the previous 12 months.
Entrepreneur
Magazine on Pet Care Industry
Entrepreneur Magazine,
October 1999 published an article, Animal Kingdom, Opportunities
in the Pet Industry Come in a Wide Range of Species. If you are
writing a pet care business plan, you may especially find this
article of interest. Here are some choice quotes.
The pet-care product
industry is worth more than $10 billion, according to business and
marketing information firm Euromonitor International, Inc. The
United States and Japan are the primary markets, accounting for
71.6 percent of all pet-care value sales in 1997, but Australia
and Spain are among several markets growing at rates above the
world average.
Although
international figures aren't available, 61 percent of U.S.
households have one or more pets--a striking indication of
animals' ever-increasing popularity.
The article detailed
several pet franchise opportunities and their growing popularity,
but none were pet grooming.
