Pet care franchises have seen an immense growth in popularity over the past decade, as man’s best friend becomes an increasingly integral part of the family unit. The business model allows pet owners and successful business owners alike to bank on the popularity of pets while also creating a career for themselves.
Franchises like Hydrodog and Dogtopia have continued to attract prospective franchisees with their approachable business models, and the industry is taking notice. In fact, the pet care market was valued at over $232.3bn in 2020, and is only projected to grow as more entrepreneurs recognize the potential value within this space.
But should you open your own dog grooming franchise? What kind of pet store franchises would be best? And if you’ve decided that this industry is the one for you, how do you even go about opening one of the many pet franchises available? To learn this and much more, make sure to continue reading our comprehensive guide to franchising in the pet care industry.
What are pet business and dog grooming franchises?
Franchises that fall under this category are commonly focused on providing services to pet owners that keep their furry friends happy and healthy. This makes opening a pet franchise perfect for animal lovers, as they can become franchise owners that get to spend all day around the thing that they love the most: dogs, cats, and other household companions.
Some offerings, such as Wag N’ Wash Grooming, provide a full-service pet experience, which includes a retail offering to buy pet food alongside washing and grooming services. Driven by its owners’ passion for animals, Wag N’ Wash started in Colorado Springs and has since grown throughout North America due to its curated, all-in-one experience.
Dogtopia, meanwhile, offers pet care services as part of its comprehensive dog day care model. Dogtopia centers feature protective rubber flooring in their open-play environments to ease joints and promote safe socialization. The centers also contain webcams to provide pet parents with consistent peace of mind. They receive a wide range of dogs and are set up in such a way that all pet wants and needs are accounted for.
You also have the likes of Scenthound, which is a wellness-focused, membership-based dog grooming franchise that focuses on five core areas – Skin, Coat, Ears, Nails, and Teeth (SCENT) – to care for healthy pets. Due to its membership-based model, Scenthound offers recurring revenue opportunities to any prospective franchisee looking to enter the pet industry.
And make no mistake: these pet grooming businesses aren’t still operating in a small niche in the market. They’re all experiencing impressive growth and turning every kind of pet owner into a successful franchisee.
Scenthound, for example, announced plans at the beginning of 2021 that it would open 35 new locations throughout the year, and the dog grooming brand continues to sign up new owners throughout North America.
“There are 90 million dogs in the United States, but the grooming market has not evolved to meet all of the needs of the canine population,” said Tim Vogel, CEO. “Scenthound is the solution to the problems the industry is facing. With each new ‘Scenter’ that opens, we are able to continue to remove barriers so that people can love and connect with their dogs every day.”
Investment into the pet grooming industry is even coming from other prominent franchise brands. Orangetheory Fitness CEO David Long, for example, joined Scenthound in June 2021 as an advisory board member, as well as an investor in the brand.
“Scenthound is carving out a new paradigm in pet care with an incredible business model and an equally strong purpose,” said David Long. “Dogs are family and I believe very much in the revolutionary concept they’ve built to help pet parents keep their dogs healthy and happy. I got involved to have an impact as this young brand enters an exciting stage of growth and becomes a multi-channel solution in the pet space.”
Which pet store franchises are best?
To answer this question, you need to understand what it is you want to get out of your investment. Pet franchise owners come in all shapes and sizes, and while all of these brands are generally focused on caring for or socializing your furry friend, each brand will have its own direction as well as unique liquid capital requirements, start-up costs, and revenue streams.
If you have a retail background, then a Pet Planet or Pet Supplies Plus franchise may be of interest. The former looks for like-minded franchise partners that don’t necessarily have pet experience, but at least love animals and serving customers to a high standard.
Pet Supplies Plus, meanwhile, provides franchisees with an omnichannel shopping offering to keep revenue flowing; with options such as online ordering, same-day delivery, and in-store grooming services.
For entrepreneurs looking to go down the dog sitting route, then brands like Fetch! Petcare allow franchisees to build a network of sitters to care for pets in their local area. Fetch! boasts a low initial investment of between $74,967 and $80,667, and prospective franchisees can be up and running in as little as 14 weeks.
For entrepreneurs looking to offer pet care services alongside elite dog training, then perhaps something like Camp Bow Wow would be of interest. With tech enhancements like live webcams for customers to monitor their pets, and in-home pet care services to take the brand’s offering into consumers’ homes, Camp Bow Wow has seen impressive growth over the past few years throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Whichever avenue you choose to go down, the pet store and dog grooming franchise industry can be a lucrative one for the right kind of franchisee. Assess the franchise fee of different brands, review possible sites for your franchise location, and determine what kind of product offering you’d be interested in pursuing. But one thing’s for sure: this isn’t a segment for lone wolves, so help and support will always be on hand to help turn your business into a franchising success.
