Pet Industry Joins List Of Recession-Resistant Franchise Business Opportunities

Posted on November 16, 2008 by Ginger Watford

The Associated Press recently released an article that, in the face of economic recession, seemed a little strange. America, and most of the world along with it, faces record-breaking stock market losses, inflation, and unemployment. People are tightening their belts, suffering investment losses, and beginning to cringe at the thought of employee cutbacks. And yet, pet industry numbers are steadily on the rise. As AP writer Ashley Heher puts it in her article Is Pet Industry Recession-Resistant?, "companies that sell everything from organic dog treats to couture-inspired pet toys say business is up even as economic indicators show shoppers are pinching pennies during one of the worst downturns in decades."

As it turns out, the numbers actually do support the rather unexpected notion that the pet market is in fact recession-resistant. The American Pet Products Association, the leading non-profit group serving the pet industry, has estimated that when the year closes out, America will have spent $43.3bil on their pets in 2008. Over half of that revenue comes just from pet food and accessories, which the market research agency, Euro-Monitor International, expects to see a continued 13% growth in by 2013.

To some degree, the strength of the industry makes sense, as 63% of the nation’s households own at least one pet; that’s 71 million homes. Only five years ago, that number was 64 million, so obviously there has been a drastic increase in the number of American pet owners, which would make a positive impact on the pet industry. But a simple increase in pet-ownership numbers doesn’t seem enough to account for this exceptional growth during the worst recession since the great depression.

AP’s Heher tells the story of one woman who owns a veritable zoo of pets, spent $300 on Christmas gifts for them last year, and expects to spend even more this year. And though this particular consumer sounds as though she should be a stray from the norm, she isn’t. "It may sound counter-intuitive," Heher writes, "but experts say many pet owners are as dedicated to their animals as parents are to their children. And that means they’re willing to sacrifice on themselves before trimming back on their four-legged friends."

Whatever your particular opinion on this pet trend, there’s no denying that while their masters wonder about career prospects and the future of the economy, America’s dogs are having their day. Whether you’re a diehard puppy-lover going on a diet of ramen-noodles for the welfare of your pooch or simply a wise investor seeking some business independence in a successful market, here are some pet franchises that could be your ticket to recession-resistant success.

Central Bark
This franchise business is all about using and building a passion for canine caretaking. Franchisees, with the exceptional help of their franchisor, create a safe, fun, and engaging doggy daycare facility for people to leave their beloved pets at. Franchisees needn’t come to the business opportunity with previous experience; the franchisor has all the necessary tools to train new franchise owners in all matters, including daily practices, dog training, and marketing.

Pet Depot
This turnkey operation puts a franchisee at the helm of a specialty pet food shop. Of all specific subsections of the pet industry, food is perhaps one of the most lucrative and cyclical, and Pet Depot puts that to use for its franchisees. Because it’s a part of a greater chain of stores, each franchise benefits from initial store design and layout assistance, cooperative buying power, advertising aid, and chain-wide customer coupons and specials.

Petland
200 locations exist across the United States and 20 more are planned to open in the next year, both here and abroad. The core of their mission is to match people with the best pets for them, educate the public about animals and the best ways to care for them, and make everything as engaging and fun as possible for humans and critters alike. Franchises vary in size from 4,000 to 12,000 sq. ft. and benefit from an array of franchisor services including PR support, marketing help, award-winning training, and an established brand recognized around the world.

Dogtopia Dog Spa
Primarily a doggy daycare establishment, this business for sale serves the canine community and the pet owners who love them in variety of ways: providing daycare, overnight stays, training classes, a space for do-it-yourself dog-washing, doggy spa services, and retail sales of pet-care gear. Franchisees receive help finding and building out a location; receive professional-grade marketing materials and a website; and are taught not only how to manage the behavior of individual dogs, but how to control dogs in a pack. And best of all, clients can get online and see how their pets are doing through live webcams.

Canine Dimensions In-Home Dog Training
This home based business is based on two fundamental principles. One; training dogs is a worthwhile, necessary, and lucrative business. And two, dogs are best trained in their own homes instead of at some external facility. In fact, both of those core beliefs of this work from home business hold true: franchisees find an incredibly rewarding and profitable opportunity in this corner of the massive pet industry, and both dogs and owners learn better when they’re trained in proper behavior in the environment they’re going to need it in. Canine Dimensions In-Home Dog Training franchisees do train both man and beast, because if the owner doesn’t continue good training practices, all the paid services will be for naught.

Though it does in fact seem a little counter-intuitive, of all the possible business opportunities at your disposal in the midst of this economic decline, joining the pet industry may be your best bet for recession-resistant success. Whether one of the above franchises or something else, take a good, hard look at a business opportunity in this market and you may find yourself barking all the way to the bank.