August 14, 2005
POOCH-ASES
By EILEEN P. GUNN
Talk about your dog days of summer.
On a recent humid evening on Cedar Hill in Central Park, a group gathered to munch snacks and run in the grass. Some wore party hats for the occasion while others got spritzed with the latest in deodorizing scents.
They all wore dog collars.
No, this wasn't a picnic for the S&M crowd, but a "Pupperwear" party run by Manhattan pet consultant for Shure Pets, a direct sales outfit that is signing up New Yorkers with surprising ease. The guests at this affair were, indeed, dogs, whose owners were invited to bring their canine companion to sample some of the latest in pet accessories.
While direct sales are more closely associated with Mary Kay and Tupperware and are usually huge in the 'burbs, Shure Pets is winning over sophisticated Gothamites, who take a back seat to no one in wanting something special for their pets.
Catherine Auerbach, who came to the party with Bailey, her corgi, liked the smell of a fruity shampoo and was thrilled to find pot of paw balm. "I've only seen one other company do this, and it's great during the winter when the salt bothers their paws," she says.
Amy Robinson of the Direct Selling Association explains, "More products are coming on the market that appeal to city people, like pet supplies, spa products and gourmet food."
The potential of the urban market wasn't lost on Andy Shure, the Chicago dog owner who founded Shure Pets in late 2003. "One city block probably has more people and more dogs than some entire towns in the Midwest," he says.
But sheer density of people and pets isn't the only appeal of the big city.
"New Yorkers spoil their dogs," says Joel Lulla, a lawyer who happened upon the Pupperware party while walking Trudie, his yellow Labrador. "And most people in the city aren't too price-sensitive. If the product's good and the dog likes it, we'll buy it."
That's music to the ears of Shure Pets, and the dozens of pet consultants in and around New York.
Christine Tamarian, 25, an executive assistant during the day and the host for the recent Central Park party, stumbled into Shure Pets after Princess, her fussy Maltese, gobbled down a treat offered to her by another dog owner.
She plunked down $99 for the starter kit six months ago and now hosts two Pupperwear parties a month. Tamarian's guests spend about $60 apiece at her parties, about 25 percent more than the company average, and her best affair rang up $800 in orders ? that's $200 in profits.
While the company sells things for cats, birds, fish, horses, and other pets, the dogs are the usual party guests. So it's no surprise that the hound-related goodies sell the best.
Treats including carob candy bars and care-related items like no-rinse shampoo, all in the $5 to $15 range, are top sellers.
This year, Shure Pets hopes to triple the $300,000 that it rang up in 2004. But despite its rapid growth, it's still a long way from being top dog in the direct-sales pack. Some 4.9 million Avon ladies sold $7.7 billion worth of beauty products last year, and Tupperware's 880,000 reps sold $1.2 billion worth of popsicle molds and unbreakable pitchers.