PetSmart buyer discusses what's hot for Halloween
October 5, 2009 -
Megan Dinchak, PetSmart
When it comes to Halloween costumes for pets, Rashell Cooper knows what's hot right now! Cooper is the Dog Fashion Expert at PetSmart® and kindly allowed me to interview her about how she chose the new Fall 2009 Halloween apparel for pets.
This season, Cooper says she focused on fabrics that were soft and cuddly, so that pets are comfortable during their big night out. She also wanted to peak the interest of the Pet Parent to reach out and touch the costumes, feeling how comfortable and soft they are while shopping.
When choosing a new wave of Halloween costumes, Cooper takes a couple key points into consideration:
• What are consistently the best selling costumes (pumpkin, devil, angel)
• What human Halloween costumes can be translated into pet costumes
• Will this costume be comfortable for the dog to wear and keep them safe as well
• The cuteness factor – how adorable a dog will look in that costume (a Dalmatian dressed in a fireman costume)
When asked which costume was her personal favorite, Cooper says that the Top Paw® Bumble Bee costume looks adorable with it’s dangly legs. She also loves the Tigger costume from Disney because, “Who doesn’t love Tigger from Winnie the Pooh?”
When shopping for pet costumes, Cooper looks for items that are both comfortable and safe for pets to wear. She favors cape style costumes with adjustable hooks at the neck and belly, which make it easy for the Pet Parent to put on. This style also fits many different shapes and sizes of dogs.
To check out the latest Halloween pet costumes and toys, visit PetSmart stores or online at PetSmart.com.
Rashell Cooper, Dog Fashion Expert
Rashell has more than 10 years of experience in fashion merchandising, and still tracks trends in the human fashion world before selecting items for the fast-growing categories of dog apparel and soft-sided carriers. She was a buyer for an Iowa-based family department store before joining the PetSmart team. Rashell has two rescued cats: Bama and Fuamatu Ma'Afala. As the former buyer for “waste management” products, Rashell is affectionately known as the Queen of Poop. She still receives tons of product samples every day, ranging from candy (see her if you have a chocolate craving), socks for humans, posters, cards, stationary, and even pet caskets.
Pawspectives®
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