How to start a Pet store on Etsy 

You may have heard that if you want to make a living selling on Etsy, you must sell in specific niches – Pets, Jewelry, Home Decor, and Gifts. In this post, I will give you ideas on how to start a pet store on Etsy and what you need to get started.

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One of the best ways to cash in your love of pets is to open an Etsy store, but as much as I’ve always said Etsy is a great side hustle, these days, Etsy is rewarding shops that build their online store consistently, which means logging in each day and building your small business on the platform.

I have a cat, her name is Margo. Everyone else in the house calls her Ghia or something meaning earth. Many pet owners see their pets as part of the family, so it’s a great time to open a pet store on Etsy and cash in on our emotions with pet products.

Out of all the cats I’ve had in my life, and there are many – she is by far the most adorable. She thinks I’m a cat too, and I’m a cat lover, and thousands of potential customers are like me. This is big business for anyone considering pet supplies. 

When we go away – we don’t want to leave her. This is especially important now after we have extended periods away from family and friends doing less’ visiting.’ Many people have found their pets have become even more critical in the family unit. 

How to open a pet shop on Etsy?

Decide on what sort of shop you would like to create, your Etsy shop name, your target market, and how you will create an emotion with your product. It’s a good idea to create a small business plan, really dig into the figures for production costs, craft supplies, how much free time you have to dedicate to your store, where your target market hangs out on social media, do you need to start a Facebook page, what will your business name be, what are your product ideas. These are the most essential steps to owning a successful Etsy shop or any small business, for that matter. 

I would not consider a pet shop on Etsy a side hustle. It’s more of a small business and works best when it is run by pet owners since they will know best what their target market is and what products people buy. 

Starting an Etsy pet shop is an excellent opportunity to make extra money, whether you plan to take start as a side hustle selling handmade items – or create a niche product for pet owners.

If you have yet to open an Etsy shop – this post will take you through the process of opening an Etsy shop

The pet niche is big business on Etsy, with thousands of potential customers just waiting to give you their money and show their love for pets. 

Your plan should include precisely what kind of pet store you would like to open. 

Do you wish to sell all things Dogs and your target customers are dog owners, digital or physical items – for example, Dog Bowls, Dog collars, homemade dog treat business, dog tags, dog bandanas, dog clothes, etc. – or would you like a general pet niche with the only product. For example, collars for Cats, Dogs, and rabbits. 

Once you have decided on this – a general store is more diverse for a new seller. You might enjoy selling dog beds but wish to sell something other than endless bowels. The products you can begin to sell as a print-on-demand are endless and growing all the time. 

If you can offer something personalized, this is also a great option and generally provides more profit opportunities since the seller can charge more for unique items. Many people are willing to spend more money on these. 

The process needed for opening an Etsy shop is the same, and I’ve covered extensively in this post about how to get started on Etsy. 

Come back once you are open, and let us understand what you should consider when opening a pet store on Etsy. 

What is a pet store on Etsy?

A pet store on Etsy can be a general store selling all pets. The customer base is usually the pet owner, but it can also work as a gift for your Pet loving friends. Everything from Blankets, beds, collars, pet treats, dog tags, and clothes. 

Another type of pet store could be more niched down – such as selling only one pet accessory product for various pets. An example of this would be a store selling only pet collars; that’s all they sell. Collars for cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits, etc. 

These stores do well because the buyer feels like they are simply giving a gift to their Pet – they can see the gift daily, and so can others. 

Believe me when I say pet owners love to show the world how important their Pet is to them. 

But why have pets become so important in the lives of pet owners?

Why is the pet niche so popular on Etsy?

Pets make a home – they provide the comfort and loving attention many crave. You can not buy the therapy a cat gives you just by sitting close to you, and it’s an emotion that builds over time. 

And emotions sell products on Etsy. 

Other reasons why Etsy pet niche is popular on Etsy 

• Pets build emotion, and you can draw upon that.
• There are 100’s pet print-on-demand products to choose from 
• There are over 20 million cats and dogs in the Uk alone.
• When someone purchases a pet, there is a minimum amount of products that you need to buy since they can’t really use your bowels or collars. 
• They do very well on personalized products on Etsy.
• The niche can cross from person to Pet. For example, someone could purchase a dog coat and a t-shirt with the exact text. 
• Even if you want to avoid going with print-on-demand, digital products can also cover the niche. , Eg, Pet calendars, printable portraits 
• If you are clever, it’s possible to extend your customer base and create your own online store outside Etsy. 
• Dog products and any pet products are scalable since, what works for one Pet, will often work for another.

Let’s look at a few products you can sell on Etsy in the pet niche

1. Custom pet portraits 

These products are evergreen, meaning they sell extensively all year round. You don’t need a pet birthday or occasion to sell a pet portrait. But they are great Birthday presents. These days you only need a little in the way of design skills. You can remove the background of any pet photo in a pro version of Canva.com and add it to your product. 

Many stores on Etsy sell customized pet portraits; they also take them into a program such as photoshop and edit them to look more like a cartoon image while still keeping the customer’s pet image intact. 

1. Pet-themed products on Etsy. 

Many pet-themed products are selling on Etsy. Far too many to list here. I love more unique products, things you would not see on the high street. Cat printables, Pet themed toys for babies, Pet games, Pet decor, Animal Jewelry, pet Christmas products, Pet inspired gifts, Pet weddings, 

These products are designed for a pet lover and not purchased for the Pet but for the owner. 

After all – not many cats require a coffee mug, but many cat owners want a mug with a cat on the side. 

Double points if the mug has an image of their cat on it. 

Tripple points if the mug has an image of their 2 days and 7 cats. 

Everyone pet owner loves these products, and they buy them over and over for themselves, their friends, and their family. 

1. Pet products for pets

Now my cat probably won’t thank me for a new cat bowel with their Pet’s name on it. They don’t care, but as a pet owner, nothing is too much for this cat. You may have noticed that many gifts are now aimed at the animal, not the owners. One day they will be able to communicate with us, but for now, this is our way of expressing our love for our pets.

Anything from the top daily products you use with your Pet, pet toys, pet blankets, pet dog accessories, and Practical things we use daily to keep our little babies happy. 

Think about it – it’s not unusual for a family to purchase a coat hook and one for their beloved pet dog Sandy’s lead. 

1. Products that announce to the world you own this Pet.

When considering pet products, it is worth a moment to stretch that niche and sell products that have yet to be saturated. If you are a new seller, it’s essential to stick to the tried and tested. If a product is selling – create your own better version, preferably until you understand what is selling and popular on Etsy. Think yard signs, door signs, door mats, pet care products, man pet lover products – such as wallets, and grooming products.

The idea is that you niche down from a pet to a pet product, to a themed pet product, to a particular person’s pet product. 

Sometimes you should think about seasonal pet products too. 

There are several options for opening an Etsy shop – and even if you don’t enjoy pets, there are a number of ways to make money at home.

Now we are moving more into gatherings, and with the change of seasons, we are thinking more about 

Holidays

Weddings

Becoming thrifty (this is a new norm)

Graduations

Anniversary’s 

Things we can celebrate again are growing back in popularity on Etsy. 

Can you sell a t-shirt with a Pet-themed holiday? 

You can find them on Etsy right now – but there will be few of them. This is where you can find a little gap in the pet niche. 

Finding inspiration to start a pet store on Etsy 

Review the above and write down as many ideas as possible that fall under the pet theme. This should be fairly simple to complete since almost everything can be translated in some form or other to the pet niche. 

Visit your local pet stores and make notes on what sort of products people are buying for their pets. What are their best sellers? This is a great way to understand what it’s like being a pet owner and what you must purchase as soon as your Pet arrives. 

Try searching on Etsy for cat’ a’ and see what comes up – even if you think it’s not valid, write it anyway. Then continue with B. 

This is an extended exercise, but if you want your own Etsy shop in the pet niche, it’s reasonable to assume you have to work on it for 6-8 months before anything happens. Doing a little research now will mean you maximize your chances of picking a pet niche with profits. 

Your target market is, of course, pet lovers, and it’s essential to maintain that premise throughout your shop. The shop header and all of the shop branding should reflect the pet owner. 

Before you go…

If you are still considering opening an Etsy shop, research is the first step in any online business. Even seasoned Etsy shop owners can get it wrong, and essential to avoid repeating the same mistakes over and over. Read my next article to ensure you avoid making the same mistakes. 

60 Etsy shop mistakes and how to avoid them