Woof Gang Bakery | US
Woof Gang Grooming will continue to grow in 2019, accounting for half of the company’s revenue
New store every ten days
Woof Gang Bakery, the US leader in speciality pet retail and grooming, had 110 franchise locations by the end of 2018, and enters 2019 with a goal to open a new store every ten days. The company offers the very best in petcare by providing quality products and grooming with a service-oriented approach.
“Most of our recent growth comes from grooming,” says Paul Allen, President and CEO. “More than one million dogs and cats will be using Wolf Gang Grooming services in the coming year.” The growth in the dog grooming industry is expected to be 11% per year for the next four years (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Frequent franchise applications
“We receive about 50 qualified applications for a franchise each month and our plan is to cap store openings in 2019 at 36, to enable us to best support new and existing franchises,” says Allen. The success of the franchise locations, designed to be neighbourhood stores committed to the well-being, health and happiness of pets, is attributed to the services offered. For 2018, the average store will have realised a 20% year-over- year increase in revenue. In 2019, $45 million (€ 39.4mln) in sales will come from pet grooming. This accounts for half of the total system-wide revenue.
Twelve-state growth strategy
Woof Gang Bakery’s 2019 growth strategy is to focus expansion within twelve states in which it has existing stores. The aim is to further maximise resources and leverage brand recognition. Much of the growth in 2019 will be from existing franchise owners opening a second or third location. To support this regional development, the company is opening franchise support centres.
Business forecasts indicate that store number 200 will open in 2021 – the result of an even greater focus on pet- related services offered within stores. In addition to the grooming provided in nearly every location, other specialised services that satisfy customer demand include Woof Gang Wellness Clinics, Woof Gang Dog Walking and Woof Gang Dog Massage. These services will be offered in various combinations in all new and existing stores.