Why luxury brands are cashing in on rich millennial pet owners: from Hermès’ US$1,100 dog bowl and Prada’s pup coat to Versace’s pet collection, wealthy animal lovers are splurging on their fur babies

Oct 25 , 2022

A chestnut-coloured dachshund sits inside an Anya Hindmarch bag. Photo: @anyahindmarch/Instagram

Reports show that the number of pet owners in the US and UK increased after Covid-19, and that people, especially millennials without kids, are willing to spend more on pooches

Designer Anya Hindmarch launched luxury pet pop-up boutique A. Houndmarch in London’s Belgravia, while Lady Gaga’s injured dog walker used Wild One accessories

This past spring, accessories designer Anya Hindmarch opened her latest store in the affluent London district of Belgravia. A. Houndmarch, as she called it, serves beef pâté, duck sausages and biscuits.

Anya Hindmarch opened a pop-up just for dogs. Photo: @anyahindmarch/Instagram

But the shop isn’t a cafe – it’s a pop-up aimed squarely at an entirely new group of customer: dogs.

Pets are a prime market right now, thanks in part to the pandemic. A 2021 report by the American Pet Products Association found that ownership of small animals, fish and reptiles increased 30 per cent in the US in 2020, with retail sales of treats, pet supplies and vet care rising 6.7 per cent year over year. Moreover, 30 per cent of pet owners said they spent more on their pets and pet supplies in 2020 than in 2019.

Anya Hindmarch’s “butcher’s shop” for dogs opened in London’s affluent Belgravia neighbourhood. Photo: @anyahindmarch/Instagram

In Hindmarch’s home territory, more than 3.2 million British households acquired a pet over the course of the pandemic, the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association reported last year, contributing to a total of 34 million pets in the country.

Pet care is one of the few industries that’s shown to stand steady, if not grow, in times of economic crisis. And with more people working from home, some are using money that might otherwise have been spent on commuting to splurge on their adoration for the new family dog – and a few canny businesses have spotted the potential for profit.

Designer brands are expanding from humans to pets

Anya Hindmarch’s pop-up dog supply shop welcomed over 3,000 pups and their owners over the span of five weeks. Photo: @anyahindmarch/Instagram

Designer brands are increasingly moving beyond human customers to four-legged ones. At A. Houndmarch, along with dog treats, customers can buy US$170 (£150) dog collars and US$140 (£125) poop bags (and poop-bag charms), and mingle with dog therapists and caricaturists. Over the five weeks the pop-up was open to the public, Hindmarch, 54, said that more than 3,000 dogs and their owners passed through its door.