DOGUE is a premium Australian dog brand enriching the daily lives of their four-legged friends through a combination of products, daycare, and grooming services. From one single shop in 1998 to a network of nine in 2023 (plus a country retreat that doubles as a day spa and boarding facility), they’ve certainly come a long way.
We sat down with Owner & CEO Margaret Hennessy to talk about the brand’s journey so far, and how Tyro has helped them along the way.
What DOGUE do
DOGUE was born 25 years ago, out of Founder & Creative Director Simone Kingston’s frustration when looking for fashionable, stylish, and sensible things for her dog. “I think Sim’s vision initially was to be something quite different to what was out there in the market. So, it was the first dedicated dog shop,” Margaret explains. “Since then, we’ve always been very clear about dogs coming first. Most of our decisions are about the welfare or the happiness of the dog, but at the same time we have a stylish edge. We have a lot of fun with developing our products, our social media, all to represent this brand”.
As part of their product lineup, DOGUE has their own signature range available in store and online, including all kinds of canine essentials from beds and bowls to toys and apparel. Their walkwear is a crowd favourite. “We’ve got a beautiful range of Australian-made collars and leads. They’re made in Melbourne and we’re trying to increasingly do more locally made products,” says Margaret.
When it comes to grooming, DOGUE offers three main services to keep dogs looking and feeling fresh. “There’s a full clip that most dogs will do every six to eight weeks to keep their coats manageable. There’s a tidy service, which is more just a fluff up. And then there’s your basic wash.” With all bases covered, it’s no surprise they’ve developed such a devoted community. “At a store like Bondi, where we have such regular clients who have been coming to us for many years, they love their dogs clean. So, we do have quite a few clients who do the wash tidy every week or every two weeks.”
What makes DOGUE different
So, how does DOGUE set themselves apart from the rest of the pack? Margaret says branding and perception play a key role. “We are perceived, partly to do with our longevity and the premium status, as a very trusted brand. So, I think that’s something that’s really important. And the sheer perseverance and tenacity of its owners and a lot of hard work, but we really do love what we do.”
DOGUE also focuses on intimate customer service, and really getting to know each dog that walks through their doors – something their customers love. “We get to know our dogs really well. Some of the dogs are coming to us three, four times a week. So that’s a really big part of it, that premium service that we aim for.”
Fun is also a big thing at DOGUE. “We do have fun, the dogs have fun, and we love having fun with the products that we do,” says Margaret.
How Tyro works for DOGUE
DOGUE first connected with Tyro back when they had three or four stores with a different payment provider for each one and were looking to consolidate. “When we first opened our stores, we simply went with one of Australia’s top four banks. As we expanded, we trialed Tyro in store.”
“With Tyro, we were happier with the rates, the no set up fees, the customer service and the flexibility with no lock in contract and no cancel or break fees. We did not perceive the advantage of staying with our bank.” says Margaret.
Now, whenever DOGUE checks in and checks out a dog, or does a sale, they always use Tyro. “We’ve been using Tyro for well over 10 years now. It’s easy for our staff to navigate, as the Tyro EFTPOS machines are well designed and intuitive, and it’s easy for reconciliation. For our customers, Tyro is fast and easy for them with tap and go. We really enjoy it.”
Margaret says they’ve stuck with Tyro for so long because it works. “We’ve had hardly any downtime. And when we’ve ever thought about looking at other providers, either the rates weren’t as good or we just weren’t convinced they were going to give us a better service.”
When it comes to Tyro’s customer support, Margaret says it’s fantastic but that they hardly use it. “I think that shows in itself. We do have account managers we work with and we’re just bringing in new machines now. It’s been good.”
Margaret sees Tyro as continuing to support DOGUE well into the future. “As our corporate network expands we will continue to use Tyro, we see Tyro a key partner in that growth.”
The future of DOGUE
After celebrating their 25th birthday this year, DOGUE plans to keep catering for their canine friends (and their owners) on home soil, while potentially expanding overseas.
“We certainly want to maintain our niche here in Australia, which is at the premium end of the market and continue to deliver amazing service to all the dogs in our care and the customers who trust us and combine that with looking outside of Australia as well.”
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