Bow Wow Labs Reaches $500,000 in Monthly Revenue Selling Dog Products

By Bruce Harpham | Monday, 26 April 2021 | Business, Ecommerce

Ever wondered what happens to successful Kickstarter projects? Sometimes they grow into successful companies like Bow Wow Labs. The ecommerce company raised over $50,000 in support from more than 1,000 backers in 2018 on Kickstarter. Building on that success, the company has since expanded into selling its dog products via Amazon and its own website. By January 2021, the ecommerce business reached $500,000 in monthly revenue.

How Bow Wow Labs Landed Its First 100 Customers

The business made the most of Kickstarter to acquire its initial customers. “Friends and family to achieve the Kickstarter success, then friends of family of Kickstarter backers to launch the company helped us attract the first 100 customers,” Michael London, founder of the business, told Startup Savant in an interview. Before starting Bow Wow Labs, Landon worked on several business ventures, including Carcub.com, an automotive-focused company.

The Company Aims to Become the Amazon Prime of Dogs

The dog-focused ecommerce business has its sights set on growth. “We expect to build a $100 million year business in a relatively short period of time with great products under the umbrella of our Bow Wow Labs umbrella, which you can think of as “Amazon Prime for Dogs,” added Landon.

Bow Wow Labs Helps to Prevent Dog Choking

Today, the business offers a combination of toys and snacks for dogs. For example, the company's crunch puffs treat product sells for $6.99 for a 1.4 oz bag. However, the company is best known for its Bully Buddy product. The durable product helps to prevent dogs from choking on treats. Unfortunately, some dogs have problems with their treats, toys, and bones. The Pet Food Manufacturers Association points out that dogs can break their teeth by chewing on toys and bones that are too hard.

Growing the Business Through Several Platforms

Bow Wow Labs is reaching its business growth targets by using several platforms. “Our sales are roughly 50/50 between amazon and our Shopify store,” Landon told Startup Savant. In addition, the ecommerce company has recently expanded to selling via Walmart.com. In 2020, Walmart opened its website to third-party sellers in partnership with Shopify. Walmart expected to add more than one thousand Shopify stores to the Walmart marketplace last year.

Stay-at-Home Trends Help Company Growth

With many consumers stuck at home for months, spending more money on pets and pet accessories has been attractive for many people. “Bow Wow Labs’s customers cut across all demographics from 20-year-olds to 90-year-olds. The consistent demographic is that they are dog owners who think of their dogs as extensions of their family and care enough about their dog to worry about the health, safety, and happiness,” said Landon.

CNBC reported an industry estimate that Americans spent approximately $99 billion on pets in 2020. Further, online pet food increased substantially last year. In addition, pet-related purchases became one of the most popular items in the 2020 holiday shopping season. “Pet parents have more time. All of us have more time,” he said. “When you have time, and there are more people at home, pets are getting entertained and engaged more," Chewy CEO Sumit Singh told CNBC.

About the Author

Bruce Harpham

Bruce Harpham is an author and marketing consultant based in Canada. His first book "Project Managers At Work" shared real-world success lessons from NASA, Google, and other organizations. His articles have been published in CIO.com, InfoWorld, Canadian Business, and other organizations. Visit BruceHarpham.com for articles, interviews with tech leaders, and updates on future books.