It can sometimes be hard to tell if the ‘busy-ness’ we’re feeling now is due to an increased demand for dog grooming, or if our minds and bodies are comparing our current work rates to the uninvited but undeniable hiatus that COVID lockdowns afforded us. In other words, are we experiencing a delayed onset Corona hangover, or is business really booming?

 As we rummaged through endless stats and reports, there was one irreputable fact – Australian’s love their furry and feathered friends – so much so, that we have long boasted one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world!  

Between 2016 and early 2019, back when our biggest conundrum associated with Corona was whether to pair the beer with lemon or lime, Australians maintained a consistent pet ownership rate of 61% (meaning 61% of households owned at least one pet).

Fast forward to 2022, and we’re now sitting at a whopping 69%. Whilst an 8% increase may not seem like a lot, remember that pet ownership rates remained unchanged throughout the three years prior to COVID.

So just for your piece of mind, no, we’re not hungover or losing our marbles, there really ARE more dogs! Almost half of all Australians have at least one dog in their household (48%, up from 40% in 2019) making them by far our most popular pet.

It’s almost as though the pandemic felt bad for taking dog groomers out of the biz and said, “not only will we give you an influx of lockdown matting, we think you should have ALL of the puppies too!”. Ah COVID, you generous thing, you!

But is this manic period of dogs-galore giving us a false sense of security in terms of the demand for dog groomers and dog grooming businesses?

Whilst there aren’t isolated figures to represent dog grooming specifically in Australia, the global statistics for dog grooming are projecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.06% between 2023 and 2027.

But what the flaming flamingos does that mean?

It means the pet grooming industry is expected to grow consistently at a rate of 9.06% per year over a forecast period of 4 years. Whilst giving you a cake and saying, “each year we’ll give you an extra 9% of that cake” might sound like you’ll be going hungry, to put that into perspective, a ‘good’ CAGR for an industry is between 8 and 12%.

So even if we see pet ownership rates plateau post-covid, people have been and will continue to spend more on the upkeep of their furry family members, which is great news for dogs, dog groomers and business owners.

What are our recommendations for you during this forecast period?

1. Invest in yourself and your team. Ongoing training and education are paramount in ensuring you’re growing with the industry.

2. Track! It’s all well and good for us to tell you these stats, but it’s important to have comparable records to confirm ongoing growth within your salon or identify potential areas for improvement.

3. Establish ongoing relationships with your clientele. It can be easy to get caught up in this bizarre period of SO MANY dogs, but it’s important to remember this rush of pups is an isolated and unlikely-to-be-repeated event. Each and every four-legged friend, both new and old, is contributive to your ongoing success!

For more tips, tricks, training, and big boss business coaching, check out: igroombiz

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