Food MArketing & Technology In India CC for web-Low Res | Page 55

ABK wanted to cater to a larger audience.
ABK identifi ed the pet professionals and
ventured into importing of high quality
grooming products and veterinarian
equipment for these pet professionals who
tirelessly work with pets. Th ese products are
empowering the pet care giver to lead more
healthy lives and continue their service
towards pets. Our grooming products and
vet equipment off er comfort, ergonomics
and safe practices for the betterment of both
the pet professional and the pets.
Pet identifi cation is another category ABK
ventured into aft er realising that nearly 1 in
3 pets would be lost at some point in their
life. Today, ABK off ers pet identifi cation
solutions so that every lost pet is returned
to their owners.
E
ducate us about your products and
services.
ABK serves almost every pet household
across India. Its presence pans across the Pet
Treats and Training category, the Pet Care
and Hygiene category, the Pets At-Home
& Travel category, the Pet Toys and Games
category as well as the Pet Grooming and
Well Being categories. ABK works only with
trusted brands that are household names
across the world. Th ese include top brands
like Trixie, Savic, Flexi, Petkin, Tropiclean,
UrineOff , Simple Solution, Chip Chops,
Outward Hound, etc.
ABK empowers every pet groomer and
veterinarian across India by off ering high
quality imported grooming products
and vet equipment across the Pet Dryers
category, the Grooming Tables category,
the Clippers and Blades category as well as
the Pet Operation Tables and Runner Cage
category. Th ese include top brands like
Andis, Aeolus, Metrovac, Biogroom, etc.
ABK off ers pet identifi cation solutions
by providing the largest selection of ID
Tags and the highest quality of in-store
engraving machines. ABK also off ers
microchips and readers for pet electronic
identifi cation from the popular brand
Datamars, Switzerland.
W
hat is your USP that sets you apart
from competitors that are selling
similar products and services?
ABK’s USP is its strong distribution
network, reliable delivery and constant
eff ort to off er new innovative products.
ABK off ers pet professionals free shipping
on all products, easy exchange policy, and
lowest price guarantee. ABK also provides
dedicated aft er sales service for all grooming
and vet equipment.
W
hat initial roadblocks did you face
while importing pet products into
India?
Th ere were very few organised companies
in the pet accessories business, so pet
retailers were used to buying sub-standard
products from the grey market. ABK was
one of the few companies trying to work
in an organised way in the unorganised
pet market. Initially when ABK started
importing, the market did not accept
our products because of high MRP and
perceived low margins.
T
ell us about your company’s journey
in the past 10 years.
ABK is one of the largest and amongst
the fastest growing pet consumer goods
companies in India. Established in 2010,
pets have been the centre of our attention for
the last ten years. With our inquisitiveness,
know-how and passion for pets we have
grown continuously.
Presently, ABK provides about 1,200
products for dogs, cats, birds, small
animals, and fi sh to about 1000 retailers in
India. ABK’s extensive grooming and vet
equipment range is supplied to more than
500 pet care givers across India.
ABK promotes education in grooming,
safe grooming practices and has sponsored
international dog grooming competitions
in 2014 and 2018.
W
hat hurdles did you come
across while procuring
distribution rights for international
brands in India?
International brands didn’t have a very
good experience with business owners
from India. We were told that people
had purchased goods and never paid the
companies and many similar stories. Th is
was the biggest hurdle where brands were
looking at India in a very negative way. It
took us a lot of eff ort to build our credibility
and make the international brands believe
in us and ABK.
W
hat are your expansion plans for
the next 5 years, if any?
We are studying and analysing a number of
projects as we speak. We believe the Indian
market has huge potential and you will soon
be hearing more exciting news from us on
the expansion plans.
H
ow did you raise funding for your
business venture?
We put in the initial funding to start the
business by taking a loan from our father
and eventually we repaid him and started
funding our business through banks.
I
f you had the chance to start your
venture again, what would you do
diff erently?
Honestly, with all the ups and downs, our
experience has been great. We believe that
as entrepreneurs you always need to go
through the curve and keep learning and
educating yourselves as you grow. So, we
have no regrets and would really not want
to do anything diff erently.
W
hat advice would you give to
upcoming entrepreneurs?
Th e only advice we can give to entrepreneurs
is that you need to believe in yourself and
if you really want to achieve something in
life then there are no shortcuts to success.
Keep your goal and vision clear and you will
defi nitely achieve it.
August 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 8 • Noida
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| Creature Companion