Ruff Wear, the Bend-based producer of Gear For Dogs On The Go, has expanded its European distribution. After seeing a year of steady growth and success throughout Europe in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany, Ruff Wear has announced that it will expand its distribution to include the UK, Italy, France, Spain and Ireland.
The Denmark-based distributor, Original Doggear, has been extremely successful and made tremendous headway in the outdoor, search and rescue, and specialty pet markets since early 2003. Says Original Doggear Founder and Owner, Kjell-Arne Engeseth, “Ruff Wear has become a brand known for innovation and high quality in Scandinavia introducing a new standard to the pet and outdoor markets.” Recognizing this international success and opportunity Ruff Wear recently expanded its distribution network by adding Canine Spirit, a United Kingdom-based distributor.
With the addition of Canine Spirit, Ruff Wear's entire product line is now widely available in Western Europe. Canine Spirit owner, Carolyn Cresswell states, “Ruff Wear's product category and concept is relatively new to consumers in Europe; its proven success in the US is a good indication that the idea of gear for adventurous canines and their humans will catch on here. We anticipate Canine Spirit's website to provide a good 'educational resource' for our consumers.”
Having established such a strong brand nationally, Ruff Wear looks forward to the opportunities of taking its gear to international dogs. “We are very happy with the great work that Original Doggear has done establishing and growing the Ruff Wear brand in Northern Europe over the past year,” says Geoff Peddicord, the Ruff Wear Sales Manager. “We are looking forward to working with Canine Spirit and continuing our international expansion into specialty outdoor and pet markets while still maintaining our strong brand image. This is a natural step in Ruff Wear's continued commitment to the interactive relationship between dogs and humans.”
