Dive Brief:
-
Ikea has launched a new line of pet products, according to a company release. Dubbed "Lurvig," the line's name means "shaggy" or "hairy" in Swedish.
-
With dog beds, couch covers, cat tunnels and scratching posts, the line was created by "pet loving designers" and trained veterinarians, the company said on its announcement page.
-
Stores in the U.S., Canada, France and Japan will carry the goods and the line will expand globally next March, according to a report from Bored Panda.
Dive Insight:
Ikea is at a crossroads, late to e-commerce and increasingly hamstrung by its reputation for inexpensive, lower-quality (if well-designed) merchandise. The company last year said that it's taking steps to elevate its standards and boost its online sales, most recently through a tie-up with Amazon as of this summer.
All that is very complicated, but this entry into pet sales is an easy one. Pet supply retail has grown in recent years, and grocery stores and general merchandise retailers like Walmart and Target have expanded their offerings.
For example, Target in August announced a partnership with pet retail subscription service BarkBox, along with an expansion of its "Boots & Barkley" pet supplies brand, sales of premium pet food from Blue Buffalo and a partnership with popular lifestyle and advice blogger Kate Arends of Wit & Delight for a line of pet-related holiday items.
Rising pet ownership in the U.S. helped retailers in the space weather the Great Recession fairly well, and spending has continued apace since, research shows. Households that view their dogs as family members spent $438 on average at the vet, compared to $266 in households that view their dog as a "pet or companion," and $190 on those who view their dog as property, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
More Americans are pet owners these days, too, increasing from 53.6% to 56.5% between 2009 and 2013, with pets in nearly 67 million households.