Heads Up For Tails
Heads Up For Tails, also known as HUFT, is a pet products manufacturer brand in India started by Rashi Narang. The company has retail stores in many Indian cities along with an e-commerce website. The brand’s CEO is Samarth Narang.
Along with its own line of products, HUFT sells products from other national and international pet products brands including Orijen, Royal Canin, Whiskas, Kong, Schesir, Wild Earth, Trixie, Ruffwear & more. Started in 2008, HUFT has diversified into:
- Retail stores in 7 metro cities
- E-commerce
- Pet grooming & spas
- Pet wellness
- Exclusive brand collaborations
- Animal welfare
With over 90 brands and 5000 pet care products, HUFT has over 500,000 loyal pet parents across India.
History
Heads Up For Tails was launched in 2008 as a bootstrapped startup and set up a kiosk at a South Delhi mall to sell pet care products to customers. In 2015, the company raised an angel round from HNI investors. In 2017, they raised a $2 million HNI investment and kickstarted their grooming vertical. HUFT won the Brand of the Year award at the World Branding Awards - Animalis Edition.
In 2019, the company raised $10 million HNI pre-series A funding. With a second time winning Brand of the Year at World Branding Awards - Animalis Edition and recognition at India Business Awards 2019, this organization made a big leap in their business. In 2019, HUFT collaborated with Shivan & Narresh to launch India’s first designer line of pet products. HUFT launched the HUFT Foundation, their NGO arm in 2019.
In 2020, HUFT collaborated with Disney to launch a line of accessories and clothes for pets. HUFT became the first pet care brand in India to collaborate with Disney. HUFT opened India’s first cats-only store in Bangalore.
Earlier in 2021, HUFT Vetline - India’s first 24x7 veterinary helpline for pets was launched.
Founder
Rashi, an alumnus of the London School of Economics and Winner of the Lufthansa Runway to Success Season 4 in 2016. Rashi has also been felicitated with the India Business Awards 2019, World Branding Awards 2019, National Leadership Summit on Women and Education 2019, Most Impactful Social Innovator by Global CSR Award in 2018 (Women Economic Forum), to name a few.[1]
Corporate affairs
Growth
The company reports a client base of 3.5 lakh customers with 20,000 monthly customers. Till Feb 2021, they have 40 stores in India. It started with a small 100 sq. ft. kiosk in the Select Citywalk Mall in South Delhi. In 2015, Heads Up For Tails merged with Paws the Pet Store in Bengaluru and set up their first store in Bangalore. Currently, Heads Up For Tails has more than 5000 products in its catalogue and over 40 stores across the country.
Funding
Initially bootstrapped, Heads Up For Tails raised funding through two seed rounds in early February 2016 and January 2017. Heads Up for Tails (HUFT) announced the conclusion of a $10 million Pre-Series A funding round. The round was led by a group of family offices, HNI's, and existing promoters. Funding raised up to Feb 2019 was $13 Mn.[2]
Locations
Heads Up For Tails has over 40 retail stores across India. They have an e-commerce arm (headsupfortails.com) and are listed on Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa and Myntra. HUFT operates 9 pet spas in Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai, with breed-specific grooming and massage services.
Innovations
HUFT has introduced over 100 India-first products.
Fresh Paws
Fresh Paws is India’s first pet sanitizer - non-toxic, alcohol-free and completely safe for animals.
Collaborations
- HUFT x Shivan & Narresh: The collaboration presented a 26-piece collection of designer clothes and accessories for pets.[3] The collection was completely cruelty-free and made from PU leather. This collection was intended to spread awareness of the HUFT Foundation’s Adopt Don’t Shop motto.
- HUFT X Disney: A range of pet care products inspired by Disney cartoons. First pet care brand in India to collaborate with Disney.
- HUFT x Wild Earth: A partnership with sustainable dog food company Wild Earth to launch vet-developed vegan dog food in India.
- The HUFT Vetline: The HUFT Vetline is an online platform that has been set up in collaboration with The Vet Connection, UK for providing accessible, economical and qualified veterinary advice to pet parents worldwide.
Cat Products Portfolio
Curated and created a line of cat products that include high-quality cat litter, cat toys, trees, treats and more.
Grooming Range and Supplements
The company has manufactured and is selling an all-natural range of grooming products like shampoos, anti-tick and flea products, brushes, and paw care products. After several research projects, they came up with superfoods like sardine oil, golden paste, liver topper and organic meat chews that offer many health benefits to dogs and cats.
Retail Offerings
Heads Up For Tails is the largest retailer of pet products manufacturer and seller in India, with over 5000 local and international products. Apart from their own range of pet products, they carry 90+ brands of pet essentials including:
- Food
- Grooming Products
- Clothing & Accessories
- Bedding & Mats
- Kennels, Carriers & Crates
- Toys for Pets
- Collars, Leashes & Harnesses
- Customisation & Personalisation Services
- Spa Services
HUFT Foundation
HUFT set up Heads Up For Tails Foundation in 2019 to improve the lives of street animals in India. HUFT Foundation conducts public workshops, volunteer programs and provides support to local animal welfare organizations in their endeavors and spread knowledge and information via social media.
References
- ↑ Nayak, P (25 April 2020). Nair, A, ed. "How Rashi Narang's Love for Pets Led to a Multi-Million Dollar Venture". MAKERS India.
- ↑ Khatri, B (12 September 2019). "Pet Care Brand 'Heads Up For Tails' Raises $10 Mn In Pre-Series A Funding". Inc42 Media.
- ↑ Raniwala, P (22 November 2019). "Treat your pets to a designer wardrobe by Shivan & Narresh". Vogue India.
External Links
This article "Heads Up For Tails" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Heads Up For Tails. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
