Pet store offers posh car rides to customers

A pet store in Shanghai has launched a luxury pick up and return service as part of a grooming package.

Customers at Blue Bone can now pamper their pets with rides in a Ferrari or Maserati, which cost 500 yuan ($58.8) per km and 100 yuan per km respectively.

"Some of our high-end customers are used to driving their pets in luxury cars so they were hoping that we could add this service," said Ye Biwen, the shop manager.

Ye added that many customers have already signed up for the service.

Blue Bone also offers other services such as boarding, photography and swimming. It is considered one of the first businesses in Shanghai to offer swimming sessions for pets that cost between 58 to 98 yuan, depending on the weight of the dog. Swims are usually combined with spas that could cost up to 998 yuan for one that uses volcano mud. The store is now mulling over providing manicure and pedicure services for pets, though Ye said these could be very costly.

"We recommend swimming for pets that are obese or are in need of rehabilitation after surgery. Swimming, combined with spa massages and a bath that uses traditional Chinese medicinal herbs will help improve the health of the pets," said Ye.

Blue Bone services 20 to 30 pets every day and does not accept walk-ins. About one third of its clientele is foreigners.

According to statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, the pet care sector ranked among the fastest-growing industries in the country, experiencing an average compound annual growth rate of 49.1 percent from 2010 to 2016.

Annual spending on pets ballooned from 14 billion yuan in 2010 to 122 billion yuan in 2016. Chinese are expected to spend 150 billion yuan on products and services for their pets this year.

Apart from the conventional options, others such as cremation services have emerged in the past few years. Wang Hua, who recently cremated her 13-year-old Husky, said such a service includes pick up, a ceremony, cremation and a customized box for the ashes. The entire process took half a day and cost her 1,600 yuan.

Wang pointed out that grieving customers can even commission another company to immortalize their pets by turning their ashes into diamonds, though she warned that this service will cost at least 7,000 yuan.

He Qi in Shanghai contributed to this story.