Two entrepreneurial brothers who bought a failing pet shop in Leith from their family have told of how they have turned it into a growing mini-empire.
Craig, 28, and Ross Davidson, 30, come from humble beginnings and bought Dofos from their mum in 2015 after the pet shop had fallen into a problematic state due to pressures placed on it by the introduction of tram works in 2008 and some questionable business management.
But the dynamic duo hit the ground running and revolutionised the decades old business by dragging it into the modern age with a focus on healthy and nutritious food, dog grooming and an online delivery system.
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Craig spoke with Edinburgh Live from their new store in South Gyle - their third brick and mortar shop in the capital including Stockbridge and Leith. He said that what has made them so successful is their no nonsense approach and that what you see is what you get with Dofos.
The brothers have had to overcome a number of obstacles to make their business a success, from tram works, to the Covid pandemic and most recently the crisis in energy costs.
“We took over the business that was owned by our gran and then our mum in 2015”, Craig said.
“The flagship store was on Blenheim Place right next to where the bank was for decades but when the trams came in 2008 it really hurt the business. It also was not managed best as it sold traditional products from large corporations.
“These had good margins but the quality and nutritional value of the products weren’t the best. When we started we could see what we wanted to do from the offset but did not really have a lot to do it with.
“Both of us thought there was nothing else for it than to go out fighting and decided that we would just do what we believed in. Our whole goal is to educate our customers and ourselves by selling the right thing.
“My rule of thumb, and go to if I’m ever struggling with any product, is would I feed my own staffy Roy this product? If the answer is no, then the item is not stocked.
“We stock natural and ethical products and take an all natural holistic approach which we feel is doing it properly. From there the business has taken off as in the last ten years people have come round to feeding their dogs properly.”
The young north Edinburgh pair were savvy but also confessed that they were in the right place at the right time on more than one occasion. They moved the store in Leith down several units but there was a concern that the new tram line to Newhaven could cut them off from their clientele.
This led to them setting up a modern delivery service that began with two delivery days before moving up to five throughout the week. As well as this, they set up a shop in Morningside for dog lovers that would allow customers to grab products if they needed them there and then.
Their grooming service also meant that owners would be able to peruse their stores as they took their dog in for a trim.
“We introduced the delivery service and set up the Morningside store as there was a concern that the trams could cut us off”, Craig added.
“Most of the food we stock, we know the owners and could call them up or meet them face to face. Our products are unique as there are not a lot of people that sold them when they were introduced and that brought people back through the doors.
“Our online subscriptions and grooming also meant that we had a base that would allow us to navigate any problems that popped up. The delivery service also meant that if our customers couldn’t come to us then we could go to them.”
When Covid struck in 2020, the brothers had already laid down a solid foundation. As their competitors were scrambling to set up websites and put delivery processes in place, Dofos had everything set up.
“When Covid hit we saw an 800 per cent growth in our website with a retention rate of around 85 per cent. I think this comes from us having a shared belief with our customers that we want to feed our pets the right thing”, Craig said.
“We opened our other store in Stockbridge on the back of our success in October 2022. This is a smaller, more educational setting that is at the heart of a phenomenal community that welcomed us with open arms.
“It is a chilled place where people can walk in with their dog and a coffee to sample some products before they make a larger order online. Which sums us up as we are quite relaxed.
“But our desire to continue to grow led to us relocating from Morningside to a unit at the industrial estate at South Gyle. We had a big basement at Leith but with our online orders growing we needed somewhere that could fulfil our demand.
“30 per cent of our orders come from London so having a larger space felt like the next step to allow us to grow as a retailer. At first we thought it would just be a fulfilment centre but we realised there was an opportunity to do so much more.
“The unit has great parking in South Gyle and is the perfect place for customers to pop in for some supplies or to get their dog groomed. There is barely a piece of green land in the local area that is not being built on so there is also a lot of room for growth.
“We have a few things planned for the future but are trying to keep our cards close to our chest. I’d love to open a store by the seaside but with electricity costing more than rent, you have to think whether it is sensible to open more stores at this time.”
Dofos has grown their brand to unbelievable heights and have begun to collaborate with other large companies. Recently they teamed up with Maki and Ramen to offer dog treats at their restaurants and have also joined forces with Miller Homes to provide hampers and education on how to settle your dog into a new community.
Craig ended by saying: “We love what we do here. We are what we are and we do things properly.”
You can visit the Dofos website here.
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