With the world slowing getting back to normal post-pandemic, July 2021 turned out to be a fun-packed, hectic month for Rudy & Lou! Read on to find out what we’ve been up to…
Having launched Rudy & Lou in November 2020, deep into the pandemic, we were yet to showcase our gorgeous range of luxury dog collars, leads and accessories to the British public. Although we are an ecommerce brand, we strongly believe that having the face to face contact with our customers is the key to making the Rudy & Lou brand successful. Therefore, at the very first opportunity, we took the plunge and have spent the past month doing just that!
First, we booked The Great Yorkshire Show which was held in Harrogate across 4 days (13th – 16th July). Our debut location was stand 168 at the top of Fifth Avenue, and what a great location that turned out to be! We were quite nervous wondering if we would do well and of course whether we had the right collars and leads to appeal to every owner and their pups. For first-timers, we prepared well and our little family team were ready, bright and early on the first day, ready for action.
The country was just opening up after lockdown, with relaxed social distancing, so people were desperate to get out and feel normal again. Albeit numbers were limited, and dogs were not permitted, but we were not disappointed!
There’s something for everyone at The Great Yorkshire Show, from top level showjumping, best-in show cattle, falconry, forestry and the best food you could wish for. It’s well worth the trip out if you are considering it next year!
The Yorkshire folk were so friendly and eager to speak about their beloved fur babies (which we obviously LOVED). We advised on sizing and explained the history behind the brand to eager listeners, talked about dogs and looked at pictures of so many breeds! It was great to be out and enthusing about our brand (and dogs-one can never enthuse too much about dogs!)
We fully expected our range of rope dog collars and leads to be the most popular, but we were pleasantly surprised to see a real mix of choices! Those with Border Collies and Gundog breeds of course were drawn towards our rope products, however our embellished dog collars and leather dog leads also played a part, with our brighter coloured Romeo waxed leather and Luca striped fabric pieces shining bright!
The feedback we got from those who visited our stand was amazing! Customers commented on the quality, style and choice – we came away with ideas for new products too, which we will include in our product development plans to keep Rudy & Lou on trend, current and practical. We enjoyed The Great Yorkshire Show so much we have booked for next year!
Whilst at The Great Yorkshire Show, many other stand holder recommended The Game Fair. Off the success of our first show, we decided to hedge our bets and head straight down to Warwickshire, to The Game Fair at Ragley Hall for 3 days from 23rd– 25th July.
A show for the whole family, The Game Fair has some great events to watch, including the Shetland Grand National, falconry, fishing and gundog shows to name a few. Not to mention the huge array of shopping opportunities (we definitely enjoyed this part!)
The forecast was a bit hit and miss for that weekend, with thunder and lightning predicted, but we were lucky with only a small smattering of rain (phew!). This did not put off the thousands of hardy, outdoor, country dwelling dog owners that came out in their droves. This time there were SO many dogs to stroke and new breeds to see, and because of this it was a totally different ball game. We could try numerous styles on the dogs at the owners bequest and suggest the ideal collar and lead combos!
Our rope slip leads were a particular favourite of the many gundog and retriever owners, especially as our Bianca slip leads come complete with a ready made figure-8 fitment! We also sold out of our tweed Enzo collars, Caterina Swarovski crystal collars and many of our Romeo waxed leather colourways too.
We came away buzzing again with lots of new ideas – a trio of very tired but happy small business owners! Again, we have re-booked The Game Fair for 2022!
The fact that we could get out and talk to people about Rudy & Lou and discuss their different breeds and needs has given us a greater insight into the minds of dog owners! Our brand awareness has been given a huge boost too, with orders coming in following both shows. After a tough launch year, it is finally starting to feel like our hard work is paying off, and that dog owners are starting to fall in love with our products, just like we did last year. Plus we got to see lots of cute dogs – always a bonus!
And we haven’t finished yet! We will be at DogFest at Tatton Park on 25th and 26th September 2021. If being surrounded by thousands of dogs of all shapes and sizes sounds like heaven to you, you must join us at DogFest. With have-a-go activities, live music, sensational arena displays , expert advice and of course shopping, this is a puptastic event you don’t want to miss – plus dogs go free! Use code DFSHOPPING20 for 20% off your tickets today and stop by to meet us at our stand M2. If you are planning on visiting us, let us know on Facebook or Instagram. We can’t wait to see you!
