By Lulu Rodriguez
The country of Spain ranks fifth in Europe when it comes to the economic growth in the Pet Care and Pet Grooming industry, according to statistics provided by AEDPAC (Asociación Española de Distribuidores de Productos Para Animales de Compañia).
In Spain, the industry as a whole has experienced continual & balanced increase since the year 2000, based on data provided by the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística). They also advise that more than 50% of all homes in Spain have pets, and out of the 1,100 euros spent yearly on pet care and maintenance in the average Spanish household, 28% of that is spent on grooming.
Spaniards are becoming more concerned with the proper care of their pets and this increased awareness is reflected in better nutrition, advanced behavioral enrichment and upscale grooming. To meet the need, today’s pet groomers have added salons in many of the smaller towns and villages, as well as all the major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla and Valencia.
Since its inception in 1909 in Barcelona, Spain, Artero has had the privilege of being on the forefront of this industry. In 2013, they organized the World Championships, one of the most prestigious international grooming competitions, where the United States won first place and brought home the Gold Medal. They are also the organizers of the Grooming Slam, a top–rated grooming competition & trade show. Last year’s show hosted over 500 grooming professionals, with more than 200 dogs, from more than 20 countries.
Artero is also a leader in the educational sector of our industry. They host worldwide educational seminars that include X–Perience, XI Master, Jornadas Madrid and most recently, Jornadas USA. They have over 60 training and educational locations throughout Europe operating under Artero International Academy that offer pet stylists the training they need to become industry professionals. 