Luxury dog bedding company Charley Chau named Fusion 2014 Entrepreneurs of the Year

Raised wooden dog bed by Charley Chau.

Luxury dog bedding company Charley Chau's co-founders - sister duo Christine and Jenny Chau - have been named as the Fusion 2014 Entrepreneurs of the Year.

The sisters founded Charley Chau in 2010 after endless frustrating searches for good quality and stylish dog beds. The pair took matters into their own hands one Saturday afternoon and designed and made their own on their sitting room floor. After posting photos on Facebook of what has become Charley Chau’s signature “Snuggle Bed” the sisters were inundated with requests and Charley Chau was born.

According to a new report published by AMA Research with a comprehensive analysis of the pet accessories market and forecasts of future prospects up to 2017, pet accessories are part of the overall UK pet market which was valued at £4.8 billion in 2012. The pet accessories market accounts for an estimated 16% of this overall market, valued at an estimated £779 million in 2012.
Dogs and cats are key to the performance of the pet accessories market, each accounting for an estimated 30-35% share of the market respectively. Fish & reptiles continue to gain share,  accounting for an estimated 12-16% share.  Leading sectors of the pet accessories market are toys (accounting for around 30-35% of the market) and care product at over 40%.   Housing, bedding & feeding are also a significant sector  and are often part of a ‘starter kit’ for many new pets.

Faux-fur dog blanket by Charley Chau.

Sisters Christine and Jenny Chau are self-confessed “crazy dog ladies” who founded their luxury dog bedding business as a quirky side-line hobby  in 2010, and two years later the business had taken on a life of its own and they had to make a decision: shut Charley Chau down or leave their day jobs. Charley Chau won and they haven’t looked back since. 

Christine said, “When we started Charley Chau we both had full time jobs [Christine previously worked in the  marketing communications at one point running Marketing and Events for the Mayor of London, and Jenny is from an investment banking background] so we had to do everything in the evenings and at weekends.

The sisters share their home with four Italian Greyhounds (Charley Chau is named after their first dog) and they put a large part of their success down to being “dog people” and understanding the problems that dog people face when it comes to choosing bedding for their dogs.

Rattan dog bed by Charley Chau.

“We design dog beds and blankets that are super-comfy, stylish and practical. Comfort of the dogs has to come first but styling and performance are hot on its heels. Just because someone loves their dog it doesn’t mean that they’ve had a style malfunction! As well as wanting their dogs to be as cosy as possible, most dog people also want the inside of their homes to look great.”

Now in its fourth year Charley Chau has happy customers in over twenty-five countries around the world with devotees from all walks of life including a host of television and radio personalities.

The company has experienced exponential growth since launch in 2010 and 2014 looks set to be another strong year helped by major deals including a contract signed with big-brand retailer Ocado earlier this year.