Purchasing pet products is big business

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
SO YOU'VE REMODELED THE KITCHEN AND UPDATED YOUR WARDROBE WITH A SPIFFY NEW JACKET OR GREAT SHOES. YOU'RE FEELING SO PROUD.
BUT WAIT. BUSTER, YOUR BULLDOG, IS STILL WEARING THE SAME OLD COLLAR, AND BETSY, THE TERRIER, HASN'T HAD A NEW SWEATER IN YEARS.
TO BE CHIC, YOUR NEXT CHORE MAY BE TO TAKE THE FOUR-LEGGED FAMILY MEMBERS SHOPPING.
PET ACCESSORIES AND FOOD ARE AMONG THE FASTEST GROWING ITEMS IN RECENT YEARS, SAYS WGSN, THE BRITISH-BASED FASHION NEWSLETTER. THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS PET OWNERS ARE SPENDING UP TO $36 BILLION A YEAR ON PRODUCTS.
SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING TO SEE DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS DEVELOPING NEW GOODS TO ENTICE FIDO. ITALIAN DESIGNER MARCO MOROSINI, WHO OFFERS FUNKY BAGS AND SUN BEDS, HAS ADDED STYLIZED DOG HOUSES ON THE LABEL BRANDINA, WGSN REPORTS. DESIGN HOUSES SUCH AS GUCCI, VUITTON AND BURBERRY HAVE ADDED CARRIERS TO THEIR LUGGAGE LINES. BUGGIES AND POUCHES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO KEEP THE SKITTISH GUYS SAFE AND DRY. COLLARS DRENCHED IN SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS ARE COMMON, BUT COLORED LEATHERS ARE EMERGING.
AND MANY FASHION HOUSES OFFER NOT ONLY PET JACKETS AND JUMPERS BUT ALSO SHOES, BOOTS AND, SERIOUSLY, FOLKS, EYE SHADES.
MORE EVIDENCE: BARRY KIESELSTEIN-CORD, THE NEW YORK DESIGNER LONG KNOWN FOR DIAMOND-TRIMMED JEWELRY, LUXURY BAGS AND A SOCIALITE CLIENTELE, EXPECTS TO HAVE A NEW PET ACCESSORIES LINE, AKC, IN STORES NEXT SPRING. IT IS PRICED FROM $1 TO $10,000.
BUSTER MAY HAVE TO GET A JOB.