An EarthWise pet supplies franchise has staying power even in tough economic times

We are in an industry that can go the distance. We know this not just because of this year’s unexpected crisis, but because we’ve seen it before. 

“The pet industry stands out as famously recession resistant, coming through 9/11 and the Great Recession of 2008 relatively unscathed,” market research firm Research and Markets writes in a press release. “Moreover, all four of the pet industry product and service sectors — pet food & treats, non-food pet supplies, veterinary services, and non-medical pet services — come into the crisis on firm footing.”

The silver lining

EarthWise Pet Supplies franchise has been around for 40+ years, and our business model has always helped us stand out from the competition. We’ve never sold pets in our store, and we never will. Our focus is on all-natural, eco-friendly pet food and supplies. We offer full-service grooming as well as self-wash stations because good grooming is essential to a dog’s health. We’ve always envisioned better lives for our pets, and in the past several years consumers have been catching up.

The pet industry is projected to be at $75 billion a year, and since the pandemic started, more people than ever have welcomed pets into their homes. Since the pandemic started, Entrepreneur.com writes, “animal adoption rates skyrocketed more than 110 percent and fostering grew 197 percent comparatively year-over-year, according to Pethealth Inc.”

Small Door Veterinary’s Josh Guttman writes in the Entrepreneur article, “As the popularity of pet ownership has increased so has demand for pet care products, such as extra toys, treats, health care, and other assorted pet accessories. Add to this the growing availability of pet supplies online (the sector saw 11.3% percent growth for online sales in 2019 alone) plus the opportunity to connect with veterinarians and other professionals remotely via telehealth and other online options; the industry was well-positioned to take advantage of the COVID-19-induced circumstances.”

EarthWise Pet is prepared

No one can claim to be recession-proof, but being in a recession-resistant industry is a definite advantage. As a unique pet supply store, we also stand out within our segment. We already offered home delivery and online ordering before the pandemic, so it was relatively easy for our operators to amp up that part of the business.

We were declared an essential business almost everywhere, so we were still able to maintain operations. We remain dedicated to our customers, offering them expertise and a personal touch they won’t typically find at a big-box retailer or online warehouse merchant. Our customers can still come to see us, carefully, for curbside pickup in most locations.

EarthWise continues to be interested in expanding our brand. Are you an entrepreneur with a passion for pets? Are you excited by the opportunities presented by such a robust and growing industry? Do you want to run your own business with the guidance of experts who’ve been operating a successful brand since 1977? We invite you to explore.

Find out what EarthWise franchise has to offer

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