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Trying to start a website selling dog shirts to the US - Advice please

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Ilovedogs2 
#1 ·
My girlfriend sells dog clothes in a market in Thailand. I built a site for her to sell online and ship to the US. I thought there would be a good market but she is getting moderate traffic and only a handful of sales.

Not sure if it is the product, price or the fact they are shipped from overseas. There are 19 shirts currently on the site under Pet Products . She has lots more designs and works for low margins but I am not sure if it is worth persuing further.



The shirt designs I think are cute, I see lots of people in thailand like to dress up their dogs, but I do not see that at all around where I live.

Is there a market for these products in the US? Personally I love dogs, but I have never dressed up any of my dogs. Intested to know what dog enthusiasts think.
 
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#2 ·
Hello! First I would like to say cute clothes from what I saw. Second, there is a market in the US for doggy clothes.

I believe that she should focus on states that are a little cooler and colder, especially the ones with harsh winters. I moved to Minnesota recently from Hawaii and have a small chiweenie/terrier mix who is bald on the under side of her neck and her belly down. I never was one to put my dog in clothes until it became a necessity for her to stay warm. Also, a lot of people I know who dress their dogs (me included) are not huge fans of sporting big corporate logos. But, I didn't look through your entire inventory, just what you posted.

A big problem I ran into when I was trying to find warm clothes for my dog was practicality and the lack there of. Necessity being the mother of invention, I started making her clothes myself. Another problem was the price, ridiculously over priced, and one would think a dog shirt or sweater wouldn't and shouldn't cost more than what I would pay for my own clothes.

I believe your girlfriend is definitely on the right track and has the right idea. But from my experience I would say maybe focus on a region in the US, such as the Midwest (WI, MN, IL, ND, SD, etc.), where the temperatures are colder a good part of the year & add (if you haven't already) warmer clothing options that cover the chest & neck areas, like doggy turtlenecks. On that note...

I just checked out the web site through your link. The clothes are very reasonably priced (a lot lower than most) and the shipping is very reasonable; added together makes the item way cheaper than anywhere I've seen. The one detail I noticed is that there is no explanation for the sizes (such as the specificity of weight, measurements, etc.) which is a turn off as a consumer because I'm not familiar with sizes 0-6 and I don't want the hassle of receiving an item that doesn't fit and having to return it. Maybe use sizing such as XS – XL that people in the US are more familiar with.

In conclusion, with the prices and shipping as low as they are, that is a huge plus. Another plus is that you use Paypal as a form of payment, so I don't see any reason why being over seas would turn anyone away (everything in the US now practically comes from over seas). And one more thing that is very important is advertising and getting your product out where people can be aware of what your girlfriend has to offer because I think what she is selling is great. Maybe try different marketing strategies and more advertising on sites such as Facebook.

I hope this helps and I will pass your girlfriends products and website on to my friends. Thank you!
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the feedback. Nice to get someone elses perspective, especially thanks to Addy for giving such detailed feedback.

As for the dog sizes I have asked but the sizes do not correspond exactly with the sizes in the US. I have taken your point and made the size chart more prominent, and added the size chart under each shirt.

I also asked about winter stock and she has put some (3) winter designs on the site. I am sure she will now have some more made.

I will try to market the the areas you mentioned.

Thank you so much.
 
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