READY FOR A BIG RETURN

The end of the pandemic is in sight, and many franchises are anticipating an explosion in business. Leaders at four franchises share how their brands are working overtime to prepare for the rush and win back coveted business.

- STEPHANIE SCHOMER

DOGTOPIA PREPARES FOR PANDEMIC PUPS

“FOR A DOG, the pandemic has been the best thing,” says Neil Gill, president, and CEO of Dogtopia. When offices shuttered and employees shifted to working from home, pups enjoyed spending ample time with their owners. As a result, the dog daycare, boarding, and grooming franchise saw sales plummet by 80 percent in April 2020 alone. But in the long run, Gill sees a very different trend: The pandemic may ultimately be a great thing for his industry.

“Most organizations miss the signs of a tipping point, but that’s because a tipping point isn’t one single event— it’s a series of events,” he says. As he sees it, here are the factors combining for a doggy business boom.

First, the pendulum already swung back his way. Within weeks of lockdowns beginning in spring of 2020, some customers started to return to his business, which was deemed essential. (Juggling work and kids and a dog, after all, is no day at the park.)

Then came what Gill calls the “puppy binge.” Adoption rates rose 40 percent during the pandemic, and 76 percent of millennials now own a pet—and more than half of those own a dog. What will happen to those dogs when the world opens back up? New dog owners will need a place to send them—and because Gill anticipates a pent-up desire to spend money (not to mention, for many, padded savings accounts from a year at home), he thinks pet parents will be happy to invest in great solutions. Beyond that, the vaccine-rollout plan is helping consumers feel comfortable planning ahead—so he is seeing rising interest in Dogtopia.