Hampton Resident Opens Online Pet Shop

SnazzyJazzyPet.com

By MaryGrace Kelleher

Hampton Union, Tuesday, July 24, 2012

[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]
Nancy Dewar, with her dogs Moose-Muffin and Flip-Flop, runs an online pet boutique, SnazzyJazzyPet.com.
[MaryGrace Kelleher Photo]

HAMPTON -- Nancy Dewar said she's filling a niche with SnazzyJazzyPet.com, an online boutique featuring unique products for pets.

"No one was focusing exclusively on the pet market," said Dewar, a Hampton resident.

Dewar and a small group of investors created the Web site featuring items she said are not found on the mass market.

The business is named after Jazz, Dewar's Portuguese water dog. Dewar said Jazz is a rescue dog who was abused in the past.

Dewar has had a passion for pets all her life. Growing up her family called her "the finder" because she was always bringing home strays. It seemed only natural to her to open an online boutique with a furry clientele in mind.

Ninety percent of the product lines featured on Snazzy Jazzy Pet are from the United States or Canada, she said.

"Many of them (lines) are by entrepreneurs who changed their careers because of their love of pets," Dewar said.

Dewar and her team find products by searching the Internet and social media sites such as Twitter and Pinterest.

New collections are featured each week and there is a three- to seven-day period when the products are sold for 50 percent off their regular price. After the 50 percent off sale is over, the products remain available on the site at regular retail price.

Products are deleted over time, but new products are always coming in, according to Dewar.

Coiled, tangle-free leashes have been a top-seller on the site thanks to the product's "brilliant" design, Dewar said. The coil design never touches the ground so it doesn't get tangled in the dog's feet while walking.

Dewar has started to create a Snazzy Jazzy Pet line as the Web site has grown. The company's "Wag Bag" has been very popular, Dewar said. The bag features the Web site's motto: "Live life with a wag."

Snazzy Jazzy Pet clientele are from all over the country and Dewar said a majority of shoppers are women. Dewar attributes the market for a Web site such as SnazzyJazzyPet.com to the trend of "the humanization of pets."

"I think a lot of people that are buying are empty nesters. The dog becomes the kids. And single women who don't have kids, the dog is the child," Dewar said.

Dewar is working on expanding the Snazzy Jazzy Pet line. For now, the boutique is exclusively online, but "never say never" there could one day be a Snazzy Jazzy Pet store, Dewar said.

AT A GLANCE
www.SnazzyJazzyPet.com