one or two new colours per season. As we are trying to keep sustainable, we are not fast fashion and we will only bring in one new design each year. We follow a rule that everything has a timeless classic feel, with a contemporary edge. What sets you apart from your competitors? Our dog jumpers are the best quality on the market, not only do we make everything in the UK, but we also use Hinchcliffe Lambswool, this is to ensure a premium soft finish that will feel luxurious against the skin. Not only that, we make complex and unique designs that are not easy to knit. There are only a small number of competitors that make their dog jumpers in the UK and they are all in block colour, similar to home-knitted jumpers. Our true niche is the matching aspect, which make us more of a lifestyle brand than just a pet wear brand. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? It is mainly affecting us in terms of manufacturing costs and yarn that have shot up. Also, the national strikes with post offices severely affected us in the run up to Christmas. We appreciate that people do not have as much excess income right now so we do our best to let people know how durable our knitwear is and we make it specifically so that it can be worn for years to come. How do you view the future of independent retail post-pandemic? I feel as though we are currently going through massive changes in retail and I feel at this given time, independent boutiques will become more popular and any products that are sustainable. This is difficult for people with the cost-of-living crisis to be able to afford a slightly higher price point, but we are seeing people buy less, but with more quality. Are you active on social media? How is this important for the business? Yes, we are active and try to post at least once a day. We are still quite new, so we are only just able to analyse the statistics to see whether they are helping us. I do feel that we are starting to get recognised and we do have people at shows that talk to us and say they have seen us on Instagram. Check out our Instagram @ wag_and_wool Do you have any advice for new businesses starting out in the world of gifts? I would say do as much market research as possible on competitors and potential future customers, and any manufactures that you work with. Put in a strategy plan from the beginning to see where you want to go to with the business. What can we expect in the future from the company? We have just launched ceramic dog bowls at Spring Fair and they were received really well. We also had lots of potential leads for gift shops that we can wholesale with. As we have become a go-to for gifting we are also looking at a range of greeting cards too. WAG&WOOL E: info@wagandwool.com www.wagandwool.com 69 UP AND COMING
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