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sábado, 1 de fevereiro de 2014

Miniature dogs take the lead as UK splashes out on its pets


World news and comment from the Guardian | theguardian.com

Miniature dogs take the lead as UK splashes out on its pets

Devoted owners fuel a high street boom in gourmet food, grooming, even cat cafes

Hard-pressed households may be struggling with the cost of living but more people are finding the cash to pamper their pets.

Despite troubles on the high street, there has been a near 10% increase in the number of pet shops over the last two years, according to the Local Data Company as chains such as Pets at Home, Pets Corner, PamPurred Pets and Jollyes have all expanded.

Pet owners are splashing out on better quality food, pampering, treats and even fashion. Daycare centres for dogs, walking services, pet-friendly hotels and dog bakeries are opening up while London's first cat cafe is set to open this year, where customers will be able to sip their coffee and enjoy a calming stroke of a resident cat at the same time.

According to analysts at Euromonitor, the amount spent on pet foods and care products is up 4% year on year and they predict sales will continue to grow at the same pace for the next five years.

Unsurprisingly, the big grocers are keen to win a share of that extra spending: internet grocer Ocado has opened a separate online pet store, Fetch, while Sainsbury's recently launched a range of gourmet pet foods. At the other end of the market, the discounter Poundstretcher has developed the Pet Hut chain, selling bargain pet care products.

It is not just pet shops cashing in on our weakness for pets: the vocational education body City & Guilds says the number of people qualifying as dog groomers has gone up by 75% over the past two years, with nearly 2,000 people qualifying last year.

Heidi Anderton, owner of Absolutely Animals in Lee, south London, says she now grooms two cats a day – on top of the 70 dogs a week her salon has groomed for years – and has trained 20 new cat groomers in the past 18 months.

"People want to have cleaner houses, they don't want dog and cat hairs everywhere, but they don't have the time or inclination to groom the animals themselves. If they're in a better financial position, they can pay people to groom or even walk their dogs and that's jobs for us which is brilliant," says Anderton.

Pets at Home, which is due to launch on the stock market this spring with a potential valuation of £1.5bn, has been opening grooming centres in its stores. Business has also been booming for Airpets and other pet importing and exporting firms that help owners take their animals on holiday or to new homes abroad despite charges which can run into thousands.

"More people treat their pets as a member of the family and are willing to give them nothing but the best," says Paula Flores, head of pet care research at Euromonitor. "There is a trend towards humanising pets and wanting premium products so the market is still strong."

She points out there are 9.5 million single-person households and almost 7.5 million couples without children in the UK, and reckons these groups want pets as "replacements" for a partner or children. This view of pets as furry "children" is also behind a trend towards keeping smaller animals. The number of French bulldogs registered – pet of choice for A-listers such as Hugh Jackman, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Beckham family – was up nearly 50%, while boston terriers were up 11%. chihuahuas 10% and pugs nearly 5%.

Matthew Hopkinson, director of the Local Data Company, said pet stores and pet groomers were benefiting from the same economics as other service providers such as barbers, tattoo parlours and bookmakers. "There has been a fourfold increase in the number of vacant shops and so prices have come down by about 20%. Entrepreneurs have spotted that pets is not a market well served by the supermarkets and seen an opportunity to move in," he said.


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