The company, known among dog lovers, was founded in 1980 in Bielefeld, Germany. In the meantime, it employs more than 150 people. 50 of them work in the workshop, producing necklaces and linen primarily by hand using antique-looking sewing machines. The high-quality and high-priced leather pieces cost up to 90 euros per piece. Gradually, the company has gained customers in 80 countries worldwide, which today account for 60% of sales. Approximately 20% of sales are made online, and that number is increasing.
More and more Pets
As the magazine Wirtschaftswoche (WiWo) writes, the company has increased its turnover by 40% in the pandemic to 50 million euros, thus overtaking the already well-running market for pet needs. Between 2013 and 2021, sales there increased continuously from 3.9 to more than 6.4 billion euros, reports Detlev Nolte, spokesman for the German Pet Needs Industry Association (IVH). “More and more people have acquired pets, which has driven sales up.” And if the dog is there for the first time, there is a demand for food and accessories, for example, for play or transportation. In 2013, German dog owners spent 162 million euros on dog accessories; in 2021, it was 240 million euros.
The Value placed on Quality
However, after the end of the pandemic, sales of accessories and consumer goods in the specialty trade declined. Hunter boss Nadine Trautwein expects a stagnation in Hunter’s growth for 2023. “We feel a restraint on higher-priced products because of inflation,” Trautwein told WiWo. However, it refuses to save on certain things, such as handwork. “Of course we could produce cheaply somewhere in Asia, but I cannot judge what a leather industry looks like in Asia and therefore cannot assume that all our quality standards will be met,” she says. “In addition, people appreciate the longevity of the products, see the difference, and also like to spend a few euros more for them.” The luxury is worth it, even with your favourite pets.
