What Are the Best Dog Products to Sell in 2022?

Pets mean a lot to us. So much so, that they’re truly considered one of the family! Pet parents think of their animals like children, and no more so than man’s best friend – the beloved dog.

There’s an ever-increasing demand for pet products, often mirroring human trends. We’ve begun indulging our dogs like our kids (in some cases, more so), with expensive foods, gimmicks, treats, toys and accessories. And can you blame us? Pets have so much to give in return! Their companionship provides a sense of fulfilment and comfort that has improved their owners’ mental health beyond measure.

‘More than half (56%) of pet owners say that pets appreciate being given new accessories, rising to 62% of owners aged 16-44.’

Trend-Monitor

Giving Pooches the Feel-Good Factor

We’re a nation of pet lovers and there’s certainly a feel-good factor involved with making your dogs feel loved. This is something that companies are capitalising on with marketing messages that dogs deserve the best, and let’s face it, that’s exactly what they’re getting!

Dogs can now indulge themselves with a doggy beer after a long day of going for walks and scratching their ears. And if they don’t get out much, they can use ‘new pet tech’ in the form of a doggy treadmill. Sound absurd? Or right up your street?

While to some, it may seem barking to humanise dogs, it’s happening! No matter your personal opinion, It only makes sense for specialist and non-specialist retailers to use the opportunity to stock products that will contribute to more sales.

The Pet Market is Growing

While pet ownership decreased by 7% from 2014 to 2019, with 56% of UK households owning a pet, the desire to want the best for our pets is seeing the market grow.

A big chunk of this spending is thanks to the pet accessories market, with over a quarter of dog owners admitting they like to pamper their pets, finding it hard to pass by a new toy or a treat even if they did not plan on buying it (46%).

– Mintel 2015.

The pet accessories market alone is expected to hit over £900 million before 2021 and accounts for about 12-14% of This shows just how willing owners are to pay for the extras they want for their pets. Dog products are all the range in 2022, but which ones should you be selling?

The Best Dog Products to Sell in 2020

1. Toys

Like humans, dogs love to play games. Interacting with a dog is a pastime humans have enjoyed for more than 6,000 years.

Unlike humans, dogs can’t watch YouTube videos or play board games, so they tend to adopt more destructive methods if they’re bored, like stealing food or chewing up the sofa! Thus, most pet owners will attempt to keep their dog entertained with a toy. 

The pet toy market is worth over £100 million and is made up of people who want simple, cheap options and those who are looking for more elaborate, topical or ‘trendy’ toys that are a little more expensive.

Also, it’s estimated that 40% of dogs and cats are overweight or obese in the UK, so toys and exercise are an excellent way to help them lose weight.

Here are some wholesale dog products we’re loving right now:

• Dog Ball Thrower Assorted Colours
• Good Boy Gnaw-a-Bone Giggler Dog Toy
• Good Boy Face Balls Dog Toy
• Good Boy Chewy Dog Toy Assortment
• Noodly Drake Dog Toy

2. Treats

One thing dog owners love to do is treat their pets, which can be with anything from standard dog chews to doggy beer or chocolate. Most dogs would probably eat anything, so getting the right treats is also important to dog owners.

Much like food, the big brands are in the treats market, but you can look out for the smaller independent brands if you want something a little more inventive or unusual.

‘The dog treat market grew from £268 million to £482 million from 2012 to 2018.’

Statista

There are various types of treats you can stock:

• Dog biscuits – the standard crunchy treat, come in many shapes and sizes.
• Soft treats – useful for trainers as they don’t take long to eat and people that have older dogs with weak teeth.
• Freeze-dried/jerky – great tasting, meaty treats that resemble human food. Check out our Good Boy range of chewy meat treats.
• Dental chews – useful for owners that want to alleviate tartar and freshen their dog’s breath.
• Rawhide and bones – there are mixed opinions on rawhide and bones, and commercial bones and rawhide are often laced with preservatives and flavourings, so check your supplier before you buy.
• Pig ears – a popular choice for many years, but pig ears have declined in popularity since the rise of safer treats, more healthy treats. Mainly used as an occasional treat.
• Human food – if you’re a non-specialist you’ll probably have items like peanut butter and cheese in-stock. If you’re a specialist, you could stock some and recommend them as a healthy human alternative.
• Specialist treats – wine, beer, chocolate, iced-woofins, popcorn, birthday cakes. Get seasonal treats if you want to tempt pet owners into an impulsive buy.

3. Doggy Travelling Accessories

There are various types of treats you can stock:

Most people have access to a car these days and travel to some extent; so they often take their pets with them! Travelling with pets is common around the holiday season, during school holidays and during summer when people are going on holiday.

Dog owners are always wondering how to keep their pooches safe when they’re travelling, whether it’s to prevent them from running away or getting lost, the logistics of travelling, general health and wellbeing or insurance.

While you may not be able to sell insurance, you can stock items that will make it easier for dog owners to travel. You could stock dog seat belts, collapsible pet bowls, self-cooling mats and GPS trackers.

Dog owners take the well-being of their dogs seriously, so you should make options available to them that allow them to do that.

4. Dog Food

An obvious choice, but the most obvious choices are often the best. Every dog needs to eat regularly to survive. The difference is that much like human diets – think keto, vegetarian and vegan – dogs have specialist diets and plenty of choices these days. 

It’s no secret brands like Pedigree and Purina dominate the market. Still, plenty of challenger brands and smaller, independent retailers have emerged in the last 5-10 years, creating more choice for curious dog owners.

Here are some dog foods you should think of stocking so owners can get the dog food that’s right for their pooch:

• Dry food – a common type of dog food, a dried biscuit that’s cooked at a high temperature. You probably stock this already if you stock dog food.
• Wet food – another common type of dog food, wet food isn’t dried out, so it retains some of the moisture, oils and texture of natural food. You probably stock this type of food as well.
• Homemade – less common type of dog food because it involves procuring ingredients as you would for a regular human meal, also takes time to make. While there are specific supplements for dogs like cod liver oil, it’s difficult to stock and market regular ‘human food’ to animals as people can pick them up from a local supermarket anyway.
• Raw – another less common form of food, but one that has been growing in popularity. Dogs have strong stomach acids which allow them to break down bone and raw meat easily. Again, it can be difficult to stock and market as a dog-specific diet, but people will buy anyway if you have this stock available.
• Dehydrated – dehydrated food comes in a similar form to kibble, but it’s dried rather than cooked, which is thought to retain more nutritional elements of the food. The food has to be rehydrated with water before serving.

There are hundreds of different dog food brands to stock in your store, so explore the different types listed above and get a mixture of all if you can. Also, consider different diet types like high protein or grain-free as dog owners will often ask if you stock them.

5. Environmentally-Friendly Doggy Bags

The moment every dog owner dreads… Picking up dog poo! There’s nothing that’s ever going to make picking dog poop up a fun or enjoyable experience, but there are ways we could make it easier on the environment.

‘It’s estimated that the dog population of the UK produces 900 tonnes of faeces every day.’

GSPCA

The problem comes with how to do it. Leaving dog poop on the ground can be dangerous and spread disease. However, picking it up in plastic bags send it to landfill where it doesn’t degrade. Luckily, people are open to reducing their plastic use.

If British consumers are looking to reduce their plastic use, then retailers should listen to them and source environmentally friendly alternatives. Whether you want to continue to stock standard plastic bags is up to you, but it pays to give people an alternative, especially one that solves a problem.

‘Eight in 10 consumers are trying to reduce their plastic waste and half would be willing to pay higher prices for eco-friendly packaging.’

The Guardian

To add to that, 50% of UK consumers also said they’d pay a higher price for biodegradable packaging, so you’d still be able to make a profit on your goods.

Get Your Store’s Dog Products for 2022

Here at Harrisons, we have a huge collection of wholesale dog products that your customers will love! Shop our range of dog products and ensure your store is equipped for dog owners.