Pet Gifts at Pet Boutiques

visitors to Maine, dogs love lobster—toys, anyway. “Everyone who visits Maine wants to bring home a piece of it,” Young said. And just like gifts for humans, Jennifer Brhel , co-owner of The Posh Pet Boutique in Mentor, Ohio, with business partner Rich Greer, said owners seek out unique gifts for their pets. Her custom-made dog clothing is extremely popular. “I make everything so I get a lot of custom orders,” Brhel explains. “I also do custom pencil pet portraits.”

Stratton said, “People treat their pets like their children. Many people are more inclined to have pets than children. [Because of this] birthday cakes and cookies and dog parties are big trends.” Besides her “barkery” and boutique, Stratton has a regular clientele for her an on-site grooming salon.

Pet store retailers often develop close relationships with their customers. These retailers sell products that can’t be found anywhere else——or their handmade items—like custom dog clothing—are highly sought after by their customer base. Sometimes, both encourage repeat business and Brhel gets product ideas from the fabrics she has in stock, or customer requests inspire new ideas. “My customers will send me things, or request different clothing. For instance, in my area, we have a Dog Prom coming up, and one of my customers is coming in to talk about a dress for her dog.” Lugar said she often gets product suggestions from her customers, as well, and does her best to stock unique items. “A lot of it is word of mouth—customers will come in and say they’re looking for something, or a company will reach out to us. We develop partnerships that way,” Lugar explained. Young said they find new products by “attending trade shows, local craft shows, and always

Continued on page 140