C ustomers often see their pets as an extension of themselves. One way to share their own personal style with their furry friends is by investing in cute, creative dog apparel. If a customer loves sports, they can get their pet a licensed jersey with their favorite player’s name on it. Another customer may love fall fashion, with scarves and flannel shirts, and can find matching apparel for their dogs.

In the fall, with Halloween and the rest of the holiday season right around the corner, it’s time for retailers to promote and display costumes and holiday-themed apparel. While holiday-themed costumes and clothing are beloved by pet parents everywhere, more customers are also focusing on providing pets with practical clothing for each season. 

“We noticed that customers are now looking for more practical and functional dog apparel, instead of for fashion,” says Amy Yu of Klippo Pet, which offers a pajamas collection with matching blankets for pets. “Customers look for everyday wear, cozy outfits or outfits that are suitable for both indoor and outdoor.” 

Overall, customers want to ensure their dogs are content wearing sweaters, booties, dresses or any other articles of clothing. 

“When shopping for your pup you want to make sure that they are comfortable,” says Anna Dushak and Elenora Bonfini from Hello Doggie, which offers a variety of collections for dogs such as simple wear with a simple dress or tee, to a special occasion with one of its couture designs. 

“During the spring/summer season, it’s best to go with lightweight fabric tees and dresses like our ballerina dress or rainbow tee,” Dushak and Bonfini explain. “For the fall/winter season, you want to keep the extra chill out with warm coats and sweaters.”

In the past few years, there’s been an increase in adverse weather events, such as the heatwaves felt across Europe this summer. As a result, pet parents have had to invest in more apparel products to ensure pets are as comfortable as possible. 

“Record breaking temperatures in the northeast and sweltering summer temps in the west have pet owners looking for solutions to protect their pup’s paws from extreme heat,” says Cindy Magiera, CEO of Saltsox. The company, which produces Lavasox booties to help protect a dog’s paw from the hot pavement, saw a 200 percent increase in sales this summer. 

Customers are increasingly concerned about how apparel can help support a pet’s overall health and wellbeing. In addition to concerns about extreme temperatures, Magiera says that more customers are asking for allergy protection.

  “Many dogs are very sensitive to various grasses as well as chemicals and fertilizers commonly used in lawn care.” 

Using booties can help alleviate or prevent an allergic pet’s desire to bite at their paws. 

Another consideration for pet parents is a dog’s age, and how apparel can help them feel at their most comfortable. 

“One of the things that I think is really shifting is that dog owners recognize that they’re

responsible for their dog’s wellbeing for the dog’s whole life,” says Rebecca Gadd, owner of Goldpaw Series. “There’s been a real growth in senior dog care that goes beyond arthritis supplements, for example. People are more aware that senior dogs need extra help keeping warm and that extra warmth helps keep weight on senior dogs. 

“We have a lot of customers who keep our lightweight fleeces on their senior dogs

indoors and out to help with this issue,” she adds. “Small dogs in particular, can get cold indoors even in summer when the A/C is cranking.”

While some apparel trends are relevant for all different pets—such as a focus on more functional products over more fashion-focused ones or products that can help dogs stay cool or keep warm depending on the season—some are unique to different dogs. As an example, apparel trends are traditionally varied for smaller dogs when compared to bigger dogs. 

“We notice that customers like to pamper small dogs by putting them in cozy outfits, or dress them up like dolls,” says Yu. “Big dog owners prefer to go simple—only wear clothes when necessary, such as in cold weather or during rainy days.” 

Smaller dogs are also more likely to be moved and carried around, either in strollers or carriers, with customers on a regular basis. 

“They can go in our purse with us pretty much anywhere and that gives more of a demand for apparel and accessories for the smaller breeds,” says Dushak and Bonfini. “When the [pet parent] gets ready for the day out in comfort and style, they’ll want the same for their fur babies.” 

With apparel, sizing is extremely important. Even dogs of the same breed can come in vastly different shapes and sizes. 

“It’s more challenging when a customer just provides breed information but is unable to share a dog’s measurements,” Yu explains. “[Since there is also] no standard dog clothing size chart, each dog clothing manufacturer has its own sizing chart.” 

Yu advises that retailers recognize this issue, and to “offer assistance to customers by choosing according to measurements instead of label sizes.”

Dushak and Bonfini also highlight the importance of knowing your clientele base and what they like. Customers in Florida are likely to have vastly different preferences to customers in Washington when it comes to apparel. 

“Merchandising your store is just as important [as knowing your customer base]—you want to offer products for everyone’s style,” adds Dushak and Bonfini. “From cute and simple to very chic.” 

In addition to offering a wide selection to accommodate a variety of preferences, retailers need to consider the trends in product sourcing and how materials are made. Dushak and Bonfini highlight that, “as the industry is growing, the demand for American-made products is too.” 

Once the appropriate products for a customer base have been acquired, retailers need to show them off. 

“When buying merchandise for your brick and mortar store, you want to buy the collection and pair it with matching colors to make your display look complete—each table or display should be eye-catching,” according to Dushak and Bonfini. “You want it to stand out right away.” 

With this category, one benefit about in-store shopping is that retailers can encourage customers to bring their pets in to be sized prior to making a purchase. In displays, retailers can use mannequins to visibly showcase how a product will look on a pet, giving customers a better idea of what a product may look like on theirs. 

It’s always good practice for retailers to ask customers about their preferences, their pet’s sizing and measurements and gauge their comfort level with clothing. This attention to detail should also be applied to customers shopping online. 

“For online customers, you want to be as attentive as you would be in a store,” says Dushak and Bonfini. “Follow up with clients, email blast new products, advertise on social media, and get the word out there as much as you can.” 

Social media, in particular, is a way to engage with customers and celebrate how adorable their pets are, which is a great opportunity to make a lasting impression. 

“We found great responses when retailers post photos on social media, dog photos from their customers,” says Yu. “Every dog parent loves to show off their fur babies, which makes it easier to collect photos of their dogs wearing the outfits they bought from the retailer. Some even offer a percentage off when they submit a photo.” 

The best way to make a great lasting impression is to provide the apparel products that pets need to be happy and content, no matter the weather. Gadd highlights that “we’re beyond playing dress-up and into real, high-performance technical apparel that makes the cold of winter and the heat of summer something that doesn’t hold us back from giving our dogs what they need for their mental wellbeing.” 

“The entire way we view our dogs is increasingly empathetic and acknowledges that they have mental health needs that can be easy to neglect,” she says. “When it’s cold and windy out, it’s easy to skip the walk but our companions really need that outdoor mental stimulation. Our apparel vastly expands the range of weather that dogs can be comfortable in. 

“By using luxurious and functional fabrics, we can ensure that our pets feel good and that is the most important thing to many dog parents.”  PB