Posted by It’s no secret consumers are willing to go all out on purchases for their beloved pets. In 2023 alone, the average pet parent spent $4,800 on their furry family members, with no indication of slowing down in 2024.
Now the opportunity to reach such an engaged audience has execs of the wildly popular shoe brand, Crocs, barking up a different demographic tree: Crocs for Pooches.
Croc lovers will now have the opportunity to share their favorite footwear with man’s best friend – in fetching coordinating styles.
Consider that consumers willingly dole out over $700 million annually on Halloween costumes for their dog. In light of this data, “there’s plenty of room to grow in apparel,” says Dave Stangle, vice president of brand activation for Bark, an online platform connecting pet owners with pet products and services, and the popular purveyor of “Bark Box” subscriptions.
In fact, Crocs says creating a version of their shoe for dogs has been the number one request from its customers for years. The company finally began to give the concept serious consideration a year ago. Crocs is partnering with Bark to bring the new paw product to a national audience.
While the coordinating human and dog versions of the shoes will be linked to “Croctober” promotions, the shoemaker does not envision them being restricted to a seasonal offering. The product is scheduled to launch later this month, but customers will only be able to purchase through a Bark Box subscription or through Crocs itself.
Already teasers for the matching human/canine footwear are appearing on social media, and unnamed celebrities have been lined up to sweeten the pitch. “If things go well,” says Stangle, “that might mean expanding and bringing the Crocs to Chewy and other retailers.”
Stangle alluded to another unusual but thriving project known as Bark Air – a luxury airline catering specifically to pets and their pet owners, which is reportedly taking off successfully in the Los Angeles, New York, London, and Paris markets.
“If we do it right, the market will open itself up for us – like with Bark Air,” he said. With shoes for canines and airlines for pooches, one wonders what might be next in the flourishing market of pet products and services. Read more here.