Dogs aren’t all that different from coffee, according to Peter Thomas.
Coffee was quite popular prior to Starbucks but the retail chain helped the market explode with its branding efforts, said the chairman of U.S.-based Dogtopia.
Thomas is certain his 12-year-old doggy daycare company, which officially opens its first Canadian franchise Saturday (November 22) in Coquitlam, could become the Starbucks of the canine services market.
“There already is a huge underground dog business,” he said.
“But it’s not branded and there’s no leaders.”
The market for dog-centric care services, such as overnight babysitting and spa treatments, appears to have teeth.
Canadian spending on pets is expected to rise from $6.6 billion in 2013 to $8.3 billion in 2018, according to Canadian Pet Market Outlook 2014.
Over the past decade, the Dogtopia brand has grown to include 31 locations throughout the U.S.
The company had US$17 million in revenue in 2013 and it plans to expand its franchise base in Canada to 40 outlets within eight years.
“The pet industry is ripe for franchising,” said Thomas, you brought the Century 21 brand north from the U.S. in the 1970s when he founded Century 21 Real Estate Canada.
While those “underground dog businesses” that often pop up in strip malls or at people’s homes can support a dozen or so dogs, Thomas said the outlet in Coquitlam will feature 6,000 square feet of space that could accommodate more than 100 dogs.
Meanwhile, a 9,000-square-foot site has been secured in Victoria for the next B.C. franchise, which is expected to open in late 2015. The second Canadian Dogtopia franchise is scheduled to open in March in Mississauga.
