Becoming a dog owner has become a conscious lifestyle choice that thrusts you into a whole new ball game. Pet parents now include their fur babies in every facet of their lives, from dining to travel.
Springer Pets founder Shannon Ross saw this seismic shift and wanted to fill the enormous white space in the industry for on-the-go pet parents. Through Springer water bottles, she has made it possible for pet parents to effortlessly keep their dogs hydrated wherever they go.
Springer has done for travel dog bottles what Yeti has done for coolers.
Springer’s origin story is deeply rooted in Shannon’s upbringing, particularly the influence of her father, Gary Ross. He is an inventor best known as the man behind the travel coffee mug.
When Shannon co-founded Springer with her mother Diana Ross in 2021, she drew on childhood lessons, approaching product development by solving problems through design. Existing products on the market lacked functionality and style, prompting Shannon to create products that are not only visually appealing, but simple and easy to use. Her father created the initial prototype of the Springer water bottle.
Leveraging the SKUniverse
A pivotal moment in Springer’s journey was participation in the SKU Dallas 2020 Track. Through SKU, Shannon forged connections with like-minded individuals within the CPG space and found invaluable mentors. She has stayed in contact with many of them, including Andy Fogarasi, who joined the Springer team.
“SKU put me right in the middle of this amazing community,” says Shannon. “I didn’t really know a lot of people in the CPG space before, and instantly I had a ton of not just acquaintances, but friends. To this day, they’re all in your corner rooting for you, and that’s really nice as a founder.”
Pleased Pet Parents
Revenues have grown steadily for Springer. The first redesigned Classic Dog Travel Bottle was launched in July of 2021. By year’s end, Springer had shipped nearly 13K travel bottles to customers nationwide.
The brand got a big boost when Shannon and her brother Griffin appeared on Shark Tank on season 13. They asked for $400K and got offers from sharks Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner. They accepted the $400K offer from Greiner. In addition to wowing the judges, their appearance also was a marketing and sales bonanza for the brand. In May 2022 Springer received a favorable reception and an offer from Lori on SharkTank. The Shark Tank appearance and a lot of hard work helped brow revenues by over 800 percent and to nearly 113K units.
The brand has expanded into a wide range of retailers, ranging from Urban Outfitters and Hollywood Feed, with plans to launch in Nordstrom in the near future.
This year, Springer has expanded into international markets as well as additional channels, which will fuel revenue growth of more than 50 percent.
As Springer grows, innovation continues to be key. The current Springer pet water bottle, now in its fourth iteration, offers an expanded array of fun color options. And the brand now offers creative, practical products including an all-in-one Walk Bag + Dog Leash and a Sling Bag + Dog Leash. The company launched a Flip Travel Bottle in August.
Springer’s growth has been driven by happy pet parents who rave about the products. With more than 2.2K reviews on Amazon, it has an an average 4.5 star rating.
One evangelist first saw a Springer travel bottle at his local dog park.
“So I had to buy one, It’s fantastic and so worth the money. You can lead a dog to water, but not make them drink, This has been a problem with every other drinking vessel except this one. I love it so much!”
Another happy customer says the bottle has truly simplified the lives of pet owners, “My pup loves this bottle! We use it multiple times every day; at the park, on morning walks, and in the car!”
Barking up the Right Tree
Springer’s growth is a part of a fast-growing industry driven by a generational mindset shift as people delay parenthood and instead choose to adopt and splurge on their fur babies as well as the humanization of pets. Additionally, there is a growing concern among pet parents for their pets’ water hygiene. Springer has tapped into this expanding market at a crucial time, appealing to a new generation of pet parents with pet water bottles that promote pet wellness and safety.
The global market for pet accessories is projected to reach $32.3 billion by 2028 from an estimated $20.5 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 7.9% according to Benzinga.
With an unwavering dedication to crafting innovative, high-quality products, Springer is poised to be the top dog in the pet accessories market, making it that much easier for dog owners to bring their pups into their everyday lives.
If you are the founder of a brand who would like to successfully scale, we encourage you to apply to SKU’s Spring ’24 Track Learn more here.