Client Case: Horkans

Private Labeling Increases Customer Loyalty

Attract loyal customers by differentiating products with a private label. In a recent interview with Marvin, the category manager at Horkans, we explored Horkans' journey of integrating private label products from Holland Animal Care. As a leading player in the garden and pet industry, Horkans has embraced the concept of private labeling to offer their unique products to customers. Let's delve into Marvin's insights about their experience and the benefits they have achieved with their private label.

Who is Horkans?
Responding to questions about Horkans and its services, Marvin said, "Horkans is a family-owned business that started as a garden center in Castle Bar, Ireland. Over the years, we expanded our operations, and now we have three companies under the name Horkans: Garden Centers, Pet World, and Pet Food Depot. With a team of 120 dedicated employees, we aim to provide support and expertise to our customers in the pet and garden industry."

It started with a Business Visit
When asked about their decision to start with private labeling, Marvin emphasized their visit to Holland Animal Care in 2020. "We were excited when we saw the facilities and production processes at Holland Animal Care. Even seeing how close-knit the teams were helped in our decision. To say the least, our visit played a crucial role in sparking our interest in private label products."

Positive reactions
To give us insight into the team's reactions to private labels, Marvin enthusiastically shared, "The team loved the introduction of private label products from the beginning! They were behind it right from the start. With the training manuals and support from Holland Animal Care, our team quickly understood the value and benefits of private label products."

Customers also supported the choice of private label products. Marvin believes this was reinforced by the enthusiasm of their team. He stated, "I think when that happens, people can feel that this is something the team is passionate about, and that helped bring everything together."

Increased Sales and Customer Loyalty
The private labels were created as Horkans' own house brand products. Marvin noted that this gave their staff an incentive to sell it. Marvin said, "It was easier for them to get behind it. The creative approach of Holland Animal Care's graphic design team and the work of our own marketing team at Horkans really created products that stand out on the shelves. The products spoke for themselves. So you didn't need anyone to sell them for you."

Favorite project due to collaboration
When asked about the experience of collaborating with Holland Animal Care, he replied, "I couldn't fault any of it throughout the whole process. The team at Holland Animal Care was incredibly helpful. From their export manager explaining the products, to the pricing structure and the graphic design team, it was fantastic. It was one of my favorite projects to work on in my entire time at Horkans."

Support with international regulations
Marvin mentioned they were concerned about hemp products during the process. They presented these questions to the quality control department of Holland Animal Care. When asked about this, Marvin emphasized, "Everything was thoroughly checked and verified by their team before we proceeded with the products."

Regarding their overall experience navigating international regulations, Marvin said, "At every step, from start to finish, we were guided and supported by the quality control team."

Customers come back for the products
When asked about the benefits of selling a private label compared to selling an established brand, she replied, "It's ours. We have a lot of freedom in owning our own brand and what we can do with it, and we can take it to the next level. Also, you can determine your own price structures and margins, which is a huge advantage for us."

Marvin noted that it is easier to resell the products because it is their own brand. Customers come back to their store instead of searching for the product at another store offering huge discounts or low prices. Marvin also said, "The quality of the products is fantastic. It's our own unique product that customers will always come back to us for. They keep making repeat purchases because the product just works."

Expanding in the future
When asked about future possibilities, he said he is enthusiastic about expanding their private label assortment. "We would love to introduce more products, especially in the care range. Holland Animal Care always comes up with unique and innovative products."

Horkans successfully integrated the private label products from Holland Animal Care and experienced amazing results. Their staff and customers enthusiastically embraced the concept. Horkans looks forward to expanding their private label assortment together with Holland Animal Care and offering their customers even more innovative products.

Would you like to share your experience with our services? Contact your account manager to be featured in future stories.

Are you excited and want to create your own brand?

Thanks to private labeling, this is easy to achieve. Decide whether you want 1 product or a whole line and then we will take care of developing your own brand in just 4 steps.