When you think of luxury beauty brands, your dog is probably the last consumer that comes to your mind.
Pet care brand Lil Luv Dog is setting out to change that. The company recently launched new “clean beauty” products for dogs at Selfridges, as it marked its debut in the UK market.
The business launched its liquid shampoo and leave-in conditioning mist exclusively at the department store earlier this month, with the products joining its dry shampoo vessel, dry shampoo sachet refill, grooming wipes, and grooming brush.
Despite catering for furry clientele, Lil Luv Dog has intentionally built its distribution via prestige US beauty and lifestyle retailers, such as Goop, Violet Grey and Revolve, rather than traditional pet channels.
“The ideal place” to introduce Lil Luv Dog
Lil Luv Dog’s liquid shampoo gently cleanses without disrupting dogs’ skin barrier, according to the brand.
Meanwhile, its leave-in conditioning mist detangles, softens, and refreshes dogs’ coats between baths with no rinsing required, with the two products creating the brand’s complete wash routine.
Lil Luv Dog is the first pet care brand to be Environmental Working Group (EWG) verified. Its products are available in its two signature scents – cactus flower and oat.
Lil Luv Dog founder Cara Santana-Leto explains that the business chose Selfridges as its first international retail partner because it “wanted to enter the UK through a retailer that shares our point of view on where beauty and culture are going”.
“British consumers have the same deeply emotional relationship with their dogs that we see in the US,” she says.
“94 per cent consider their dog part of the family and younger consumers are increasingly spending on them at premium, human-level standards.”
She notes that Selfridges felt like “the ideal place” to introduce Lil Luv Dog since it had “always been at the forefront of redefining what belongs in beauty and giving emerging categories cultural credibility”.
“For us, this isn’t simply about bringing an American pet brand to the UK, it’s about establishing pet beauty as a global beauty category, and Selfridges is exactly the kind of partner that can help define that shift.”
“A new category of beauty for dogs”
Lil Luv Dog’s products are currently available in Selfridges’ Oxford Street, Birmingham, Manchester Trafford and Manchester Exchange stores, as well as online.
The group’s co-founder Stephanie Suganami says that it “really wanted” its assortment to “allow customers to discover Lil Luv Dog as a complete beauty routine for their dogs, from bath day to everyday maintenance”.
She explains that herself and Santana-Leto built Lil Luv Dog because they felt “there was a disconnect between how sophisticated the beauty and personal-care industries had become and what was still being offered for dogs”.
“We approach pet grooming through the lens of beauty: thoughtful formulations, elevated fragrance, beautiful design, sustainability and transparency around ingredients,” she says.
“Our Dry Shampoo became the first pet grooming product to receive EWG Verified certification, and we’ve continued to build the line around the idea that the products we use on our dogs should be held to an incredibly high standard.
“Ultimately, we want to help establish a new category of beauty for dogs rather than simply make another pet-care brand.”
A growing physical retail presence in the US
Lil Luv Dog’s products are on the pricier side, with its liquid shampoo costing £42 and its leave-in conditioning mist coming to £38.
In terms of who its target audience is, Suganami explains that its customer is “someone who already thinks very intentionally about what they put on their own skin, what they bring into their home and the brands they choose to support, and increasingly wants to bring that same level of consideration to their dog”.
“They may be a beauty consumer, a fashion consumer, a design consumer or simply an incredibly devoted dog parent,” she says.
“We don’t think you should have to be a ‘pet person’ to understand Lil Luv Dog. If you understand modern beauty and wellness, the brand should immediately feel familiar.”
With the company being founded in the US, its products are currently sold from a variety of different retailers across the pond.
Suganami explains: “Our retail model varies by partner.
“Lil Luv Dog has been available through a mix of physical retail and e-commerce across our US partners, including independent specialty retailers and experiential retail environments such as Pop Up Grocer.
“We’ve intentionally partnered with retailers across beauty, fashion, lifestyle and specialty retail rather than relying solely on traditional pet stores.
“As our assortment expands, particularly with the launch of our new wash products, we expect our physical retail presence in the US to continue growing.”
Although the exec says it currently does not have plans to launch a permanent standalone Lil Luv Dog store, she assures that the brand is “very interested in physical experiences”.
“Dogs are inherently experiential, and there is something special about creating spaces where people can bring their dogs, discover the products, experience grooming services and engage with community,” she points out.
“So rather than rushing into permanent stores, we’re excited by pop-ups, takeovers, beauty suites and other experiential concepts that allow us to explore what a Lil Luv Dog physical world could ultimately look like.”
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