Heads Up for Tails (HUFT) started off as a pet parent for Founder Rashi Narang when Sara entered her life. In 2008, she set-up a small kiosk in South Delhi’s tony Select City Walk Mall, one of India’s oldest premium and luxury mall. The company celebrated the opening of their 75th store at Vegas Mall in Dwarka recently. In 2016, Ridhima Coelho and Sandip Atmaram, Founders of Paws the Pet store, Bangalore joined hands with Rashi to drive the business together. The chain also operates 45 pet Spas, most of which are located within the HUFT stores. The stores are spread across 15 cities in India and plans to take the store count to 150.
Vegas Mall at Dwarka is one of the most visited malls where the locals of the suburban area flock to regularly. Over weekends, discerning customers travel from across other parts of New Delhi and Gurgaon to this mall which houses Lifestyle, Croma, SPAR, H&M, Hamleys, PVR Luxe and over 300 Indian and International brands.
Commenting on the launch of HUFT’s 75th store, Rashi Narang, Founder of Heads Up For Tails said, “What started as a small kiosk in 2008 in Delhi now has its paw prints across India and we are extremely proud to launch the 75th HUFT Experience Centre in Delhi. We are excited to partner with Vegas Mall, as it will cater to a burgeoning pet parent community in Dwarka. Through our efforts of continuous innovation, we hope to fulfill all pets’ needs and in turn, help strengthen and celebrate the bond between pets and pet parents”.
In August 2021, HUFT had raised Rs. 277 Cr (USD 37 mn) in a Series round led by Verlinvest and Sequoia Capital India along with participation from Amitell Capital and existing investor, W&C PetTech. Over all, the company has till date raised an estimated Rs. 420 Cr (USD 50 mn). HUFT had posted net sales of Rs. 66.4 crore (USD 8 mn) during FY 21-22, according to VCCEdge.
The petcare industry is currently estimated to be around Rs. 8,000 Cr (USD 1 Bn) and is expected to treble by 2032. The global pet care industry is currently estimated to be USD 240 Bn. The market is mostly unorganised and there are thousands of sellers of pet food, accessories, pet toys through neighbourhood shops as well as online through marketplaces and their own websites. Some of the other reputed players include Supertails Dogspot, Wiggles, Doggie Dabbas, Benny’s Bowls, Flying Fur, Captain Zack among others.
