São Paulo – A Brazilian startup born focused on offering customized pet accessories is conquering the world with its products. Zee.Dog began exporting its accessories to the United States, Chile, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and England, and today it is present in 50 countries, including Arab markets.
The startup’s exports began in 2017, after Zee.Dog established itself with the Brazilian pet-loving public. Currently, among the products shipped by the brand abroad, around 40% are leashes and collars, 40% harnesses, and 20% assorted items such as beds, bowls, and hygienic mats.
Zee.Dog arrived in the first Arab market four years ago. The distributor for the United Arab Emirates, in addition to selling the brand’s products to the Emirati market, began serving the Kuwaiti public in 2020. According to the company’s head of global sales, Lucas Sales, like the Brazilians, Arabs are also vibrant and fond of colorful items.
To increase sales in the region, Zee.Dog plans to arrive in another Arab country, Qatar, before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will take place in November and December this year in Qatar. “People from different parts of the world heading there will have access to products that still don’t sell to their countries,” said Sales.
Due to the increase in the adoption of dogs in Saudi Arabia, the nation also entered the list of places where the company intends to start marketing its products. “There are western people living in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait who take the dog and cat culture to these countries, and this culture of having a pet ends up proliferating,” said the head of global sales.
According to Sales, other Middle Eastern markets are also on the company’s radar. The executive also said the brand faces challenges in entering some destinations in North Africa due to the lack of a population of dogs and because they have a culture where pet accessories are seen as luxury items.
Creation of Zee.Dog
The Rio-based startup Zee.Dog was created in 2012 by the twin brothers Felipe and Thadeu Diz and their childhood friend, Rodrigo Monteiro, to serve the public seeking custom-designed pet accessories.
“In vets and dog products department stores, you would only find leashes and basic collars, all black or all blue, without details,” said Sales. “We turned a boring item into a vivid item. We have several collections to serve different types of consumers who buy products on themes they like for their dogs,” he explained.
With a focus on selling products for dogs, such as collars, leashes, and beds, the startup also serves cat owners. The brand designs most of its items and stands out for some differentials within the Brazilian national market. Among them are free shipping for purchases over BRL 169 (about USD 32), a 10% discount on the first purchase, and delivery within 48 hours for São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro capital cities customers.
In addition, the company invests in safety and sustainability. “The hook used in the collar is the same used in mountaineering, which is very resistant. The nylon of the leash is made with recycled PET plastic bottles,” he said. Sales mentioned there are also collars with impact absorption and leashes that do not require the use of hands by those who take care of the pet, as they are supported on the person’s body.
*Special Report by Rebecca Vettore for ANBA.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
