Furrfetch. The Brand That Started It All.
Luxury pet accessory brand scaled from launch to £1.2M annual revenue in the first year. £185k in a single week. The brand Harry built before founding Sabre Digital.
Furrfetch was a luxury pet clothing and accessories brand launched in January 2021, selling globally from a 3PL based in China. In its first year, the brand generated over £1.2M in revenue with a £130+ average order value, peaking at £185k in a single week during December 2021.
This was not a client. This was Harry's own brand. Every ad was managed by Harry. Every Shopify page was built by Harry. Every CRO decision, every Klaviyo flow, every product page iteration was done first-hand with real money on the line. The lessons learned building Furrfetch are exactly what Sabre passes on to every client today.
Google Ads was the primary scaling platform. After a testing phase in Q1, Google unlocked exponential growth in Q2 and Q3, driving the majority of revenue alongside Meta Ads, Klaviyo retention flows and a conversion-optimised Shopify store. Harry taught himself CRO, ads management and ecommerce through courses, YouTube tutorials, books and most importantly through trial and error with real spend.
Furrfetch was the brand that allowed Harry to leave his full-time job and focus entirely on ecommerce. It directly led to onboarding Postman Pooch as the first agency client and founding Sabre Digital. The site is no longer active, but the pet niche remains one of the strongest markets for DTC ecommerce in 2026.
Scaling Furrfetch also meant encountering every problem in the book: ad account bans, payment processor issues, customs delays, logistical breakdowns, cash flow pressure, supplier problems. At the time, these were painful and expensive lessons. Today, they are the reason Sabre can advise founders before they hit the same walls. Harry passes on the experience he wished he had access to at the time, helping entrepreneurs avoid the mistakes that cost real money and real time.
Launch to £1.2M. Year One.
Google Ads was the engine. After a testing phase in Q1, the account unlocked exponential growth in Q2 and Q3 and the brand never looked back.
The first quarter was about finding what worked. Testing products, testing audiences, testing creatives, testing landing pages. Every decision was backed by real spend and real data, learning fast what converted and cutting what did not.
Google Ads was the primary scaling platform. Once the winning products and campaigns were identified, the account scaled aggressively through Q2 and Q3, driving the majority of revenue. Meta Ads ran alongside Google for acquisition and retargeting, with Klaviyo handling post-purchase flows and retention.
The Shopify store was continuously optimised for conversion. Product pages, the checkout flow, upsells, trust signals and the overall experience were iterated constantly based on data. This hands-on CRO experience, learned through trial and error with real money, is exactly what Sabre applies to every client store today.
December 2021 was the peak. The week of 13th December generated over £185k in revenue. Q4 alone delivered £556k in Google Ads revenue from £90.4k in spend at a £23.79 cost per conversion. The brand finished the year at over £1.2M in total revenue with a £130+ average order value, selling globally from a 3PL in China. Net margins were over 35% after all costs including marketing, logistics, product and operations.
£1.2M total revenue year one. £999k from Google Ads alone at 4.93x ROAS from £203k spend. £556k in Q4. £185k in a single week. 35%+ net margin after all costs. Every strategy now used in Sabre was tested first-hand on this brand.
- Launched January 2021 from scratch
- £1.2M total revenue in the first year
- £999k from Google Ads at 4.93x ROAS from £203k spend
- £556k in Q4 alone from £90.4k spend
- £185k revenue in a single week (December 2021)
- 35%+ net margin after all costs
- £130+ average order value
- Google Ads as primary scaling platform
- Meta Ads for acquisition and retargeting
- Klaviyo flows for retention and LTV
- Shopify store continuously CRO optimised
- Global fulfilment from 3PL in China
Why This Matters
- Harry built this before founding Sabre
- Every strategy was learned with real money
- CRO, ads, email, Shopify all self-taught
- Trial and error, not theory
- Led to leaving full-time job to focus on ecommerce
- First agency client (Postman Pooch) came directly from this
- Operator experience, not just agency experience
Pet Niche in 2026
- One of the best niches to break into
- Pet influencer UGC for creative
- TikTok, Meta, Google omnichannel strategy
- Klaviyo for repeat purchases and LTV
- High-converting Shopify store essential
- Harry still runs a brand in the pet space
Pet Ecommerce and DTC FAQ
Yes. Harry scaled Furrfetch to £1.2M in the pet niche and still runs a brand in the space. In 2026, the pet market is stronger than ever with opportunities in pet influencer UGC, TikTok, Meta, Google and Klaviyo to build an omnichannel strategy driving traffic to a high-converting store.
Yes. Google Ads was the primary scaling platform for Furrfetch, unlocking exponential growth in Q2 and Q3 of 2021. Combined with Meta Ads, Klaviyo and a conversion-optimised Shopify store, the brand reached £1.2M annual revenue in its first year from a standing start.
Yes. Harry built and scaled Furrfetch to £1.2M before starting Sabre Digital. Every strategy, CRO technique and ads approach used in the agency was learned through building and scaling real brands with real money. This operator experience is what separates Sabre from traditional agencies.
Ready to Launch or Scale a DTC Brand?
Whether you are launching from scratch or scaling an existing brand, Harry has done it first-hand. In a free 30-minute call he will review your plans and give you honest advice based on real operator experience.
Book a free discovery call
30 minutes with Harry. No pitch, just honest insights from someone who has done it.
- ✓ Review your brand and market
- ✓ Identify the best scaling strategy
- ✓ Get honest advice from an operator, not just an agency
- ✓ No obligation, no contracts
We only take on 2-3 new brands per month to ensure hands-on strategy.
