I've never had a dog. In fact, it's taken me many years and a
small amount of mental labour to actually get to a point where I
feel comfortable in the presence of a dog. But I know many of you
out there view dogs as much like miniature people, who are like
your brothers and sisters in all but genetic make-up, ability to
speak, cognitive function, walking style, and texture.
I also know that among those of you who can identify with these
sentiments, there is a further sub-section who will, say, dress
your dog up in a cowboy outfit. Or get their nails manicured (not
sure whether you call them nails or claws but you know what I
mean). Or create Facebook pages for them, as if they really were
competent users of social media.
That is also fine (though very slightly less fine than people who
just really like dogs, in my books. Sorry). So when you look at the
image above, of an ice cream van dedicated entirely to the canine
consumption of such Heston-Blumenthal-esque delicacies as gammon
and chicken ice cream, I know you will fall into one of three
camps: those of you who just don't get it; those of you who think
it's novel and would think of doing it if you happened to stroll
past one while accompanied by your canine acquaintance; and those
of you who can't read this blog quickly enough to find out where
the K99 truck is so you can take your dog there asap.
Now for those of you in the first camp - well, just think about all
those people in the third camp for a moment. Because while this
ultra-novelty little niche business might seem two spaniels short
of a kennel club, the number of people in the third camp (you know
who you are, canine-dresser-uppers) may just be numerous enough to
make this work.
The pet sector in the UK is worth well over the £3bn mark. Research
by the Family Pooch Index found the average dog-owning family
spends £15,000 per 10 years on their four-legged friend.
http://www.swellpets.co.uk/news/19759005/families-spend-thousands-on-dog-food-and-treats-each-year
And, if you hadn't clocked on already, this article highlights how
readily dog owners are willing to splash their cash on what they
perceive to be a premium product to treat their beloved hairy
one.
http://www.pet-food-choice.co.uk/pet_food_cost.htm
So while some of you non-doggy people doubtless saw the above and
thought it was an awooful idea, others saw the incredible cashcow
that is pounds for hounds. Much like the baby products' industry,
businesses like this - however innocently - tap right into those
all-powerful love feelings that make you want to buy the best and
most expensive for your precious one. Barking mad? Nah. Providing
this cart has nestled itself into a suitably well-off areas where
people are likely to have a few quid to spare and in a nice
dog-walking park, this is a winner.
Woof woof.
That is also fine (though very slightly less fine than people
who just really like dogs, in my books. Sorry). So when you look at
the image above, of an ice cream van dedicated entirely to the
canine consumption of such Heston-Blumenthal-esque delicacies as
gammon and chicken ice cream, I know you will fall into one of
three camps: those of you who just don't get it; those of you who
think it's novel and would think of doing it if you happened to
stroll past one day while accompanied by your canine acquaintance;
and those of you who can't read this blog quickly enough to find
out where the K99 truck is so you can take your dog there asap.
Now for those of you in the first camp - well, just think about
all those people in the third camp for a moment. Because while this
ultra-novelty little niche business might seem two spaniels short
of a kennel club, the number of people in the third camp (you know
who you are, canine-dresser-uppers) may just be numerous enough to
make this work.
The pet sector in the UK is worth well over the £3bn mark. Research by the Family Pooch Index found the
average dog-owning family spends £15,000 per 10 years on their
four-legged friend. £15,000!
And, if you hadn't clocked on already, this article highlights
how readily dog owners are willing to splash their
cash on what they perceive to be a premium product to treat
their beloved hairy one.
So while some of you non-doggy people doubtless saw the above
and thought it was an awooful idea, others saw the incredible
cashcow that is pounds for hounds. Much like the baby products'
industry, businesses like this - however innocently - tap right
into those all-powerful love feelings that make you want to buy the
best and most expensive for your precious one.
Barking mad? Nah. Providing that this cart has nestled itself
into a suitably well-off area where people are likely to have a few
quid to spare, and in a nice dog-walking park, this is a
winner.
Woof woof.