BUSINESS - Global Pet Expo Just Two Weeks Away

Hoping to surpass last year’s record setting success, Global Pet Expo has sold out of exhibitor space for the March 22 - 24 event.

“We work tirelessly throughout the year to continue to improve the Global Pet Expo experience for exhibitors, buyers and media alike,” said American Pet Products Association (APPA) Executive Vice President & COO Andy Darmohraj.

“As the largest annual pet products trade show, we were thrilled to be sold out nearly a month ahead of the Show opening. We expect Global Pet Expo 2017 to be another record-breaking event.”

The 2017 Show, being held in Orlando Florida, will feature 1,130 exhibitors, 27% of which are international companies, 3,435 booths and 223 first-time exhibiting companies.

With more than 3,000 new product launches, Global Pet Expo will showcase the latest products available for all types of pets including dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, small animals and horses.

But it’s about more than just products, free educational seminars are also available.

Some of this year’s seminar topics include:

• How to Launch and Sustain Your Pet Business
• Five Ways to Compete in a Crowded Pet Market
• Employment Law 101: What Every Employer Should Know
• Get the Most from Facebook Advertising
• The Pet Parent Revolution
• Emerging Media and Technology Trends and Your Customers
• Effective and ALMOST Free: 17 Low Cost Marketing Tactics
• Pet Food Mythbusters
• Staffing Made Simple(r) – Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Employees

Global Pet Expo is open to independent retailers, distributors, mass-market buyers and other qualified media and professionals.

For more information and to register to attend, visit the Global Pet Expo website.

BUSINESS - Top 25 Pet Retailers

The pet market has experienced more than 20 years of consecutive sales growth and Pet Business Magazine has released its latest edition of the top businesses in that sector.

Their Top 25 Pet Retailers are ranked based on the number of outlets they operate in North America.

The story of 2016’s leaders? Expansion.

The number of stores encompassed by the Top 25 grew by more than 500 units over the past 12 months, which represents a 10 percent increase since the last edition of the list was compiled in early 2016.

Clearly expansion is an accelerating trend - the Top 25 store count only grew by five percent over the previous 10 years.

For the first time, numbers one and two on the list, PetSmart and Petco, were not responsible for adding the most stores.

Number three, Markham Ontario based Pet Valu opened the most stores with 150.

There were also a number of mergers/acquisitions in 2016 which contributed to the growth of companies.

Rounding out the top five are Pet Supplies Plus and Canadian-based Global Pet Foods.

As well as opening more stores, industry leaders like PetSmart are focusing on ecommerce and service expansion with revamped store concepts.

Bentley’s Pet Stuff, Kriser’s and Earthwise Pet Supplies are all new additions to the list this year.

See all of the Top 25 - read the entire article.

Pet Business Recognizes the Best in Pet Products

Pet Business has announced their 2016 Industry Recognition Awards (IRA).

Winners were selected by Pet Business editors after scouring the industry for the most exciting and functional products on the market, as well as worthy candidates in categories such as best packaging redesign and best vendor website.

Recognition is in a wide variety of categories, from pet apparel to dog beds with self-warming technology, cat treats and food, to small animal habitats, supplements, grooming products and absolutely everything in between.

The Link AKC Collar was recognized for its GPS and location-tracking capabilities and activity monitoring and insights.

Its remote-controlled collar light helps find dogs in the dark, and temperature sensor alerts owners when the dog is in an environment that may be too hot or cold.

Lucy Pet Products’ Cats Incredible Litter, featured in InfoStream in March, was acknowledged for their breakthrough, patent-pending technology that stops ammonia from forming in the litter box.

The Torus watering system provides fresh, filtered water without the need for a power source. There’s even a locking system that makes it portable.

For the little critters, the Kaytee CritterTrail LED Habitat features two LED Bubble Plugs, which provide illumination for better pet viewing. The nighttime version has a red LED that will not disturb the pet’s natural nocturnal sight.

Interested in learning more about all the award winning products?

Read the entire article.

BUSINESS - Ultra Luxury Pet Hotels Thriving

Whether pampered pooches or downright divas – there are services catering to dog owners with an appetite for luxury.

There's fancy bedding, decadent dining, doting staff, over-the-top spa treatments and, yes, bacon-scented bubble games at some of the most posh pet lodgings, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

(Wag Hotels)

For $150 a night, dogs checking in to Wag Hotels get the royal treatment and a stay at a deluxe suite featuring a queen-size bed, a faux fireplace, a flat-screen telly and dog-friendly artwork.

Missing the owners?

Dogs can Skype with their homo sapien companions before enjoying a bedtime story such 'The Poky Little Puppy.'

Think this is too lavish to be a viable business concept?

Think again.

Wag Hotels, which first opened in 2004 now has locations in Sacramento, San Francisco and Redwood City, and recently opened its fourth location in Oakland, California.

"You are getting people who are treating their dog more like a child, not the family pet. They want to create a homelike environment," Jennifer Duryea, general manager of Wag Oakland told the Mercury News.

Just like rock stars, some of the dogs' owners demand super special treatment for their canine companions – and they aren't disappointed.

One Wag client wanted her dog to watch 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' during its stay while the owner of a Boston Terrier, who drinks bottled Fiji water, required the designer dog to have its feet wiped and cream applied to its nose before being put to bed dressed in its comfortable PJs.

But that's just some of the decadence doled out at Wag where guests can devour dog-friendly ice cream sundaes, frozen yogurt bars “full of antioxidants” or have blueberry facials in the grooming salon.

Former zookeeper, Carlie Thibault, was brought on board to help create activities for the guests which include playing with bacon bubbles for dogs and swinging plank obstacles for felines.

Yes, cats are welcome, too.

"My role is taking my experience about what we know about animals and what makes them tick in the wild and bringing that into our facility in an interesting and fun way," Thibault told the Mercury News.

Rooms range from $50 to $150 a night.

But owners don't just ditch their dogs or cats, with many opting to check up on their beloved pets via webcams after check-in.

Stacey Wells brings Tugger her Labradoodle to daycare once a week to get the dog better socialized.

"I'm like one of those really bad soccer parents," Wells told the Mercury News.

"My kid never plays, and I'm like, 'Come on, play,' screaming from home watching her."

Lucky dog, Lily, has been a regular at Wag since she was a puppy.

Now that she is moving up in age her owners are even more inclined to shell out $580 a month for her to go to doggie daycare there.

"She's now deaf, so if there were something to happen at the house, there's no way for her to hear about it," owner, Danielle Murphy told the Mercury News.

"We don't have kids and both of us are working, so it's really for our peace of mind and comfort with a 16-year-old dog to know that people are taking care of her every day."

Wag is certainly not the only company catering to those who want to lavish their dogs with loads of luxuries.

D Pet Hotels is thriving and expanding in the U.S..

North of the Border, the B.C.-based Jet Pet Resort is also very stylish with courtyards, lounges and its on-site Spaw where dogs can have baths, nail trimming or a full grooming package.

Day lounges feature plasma TVs and there are a la carte extras which include meals tailored to dogs' dietary needs.

“We can anticipate when nap times are needed, fetch is a necessity and when some pets just need that little bit of extra TLC to settle in,” Jet Pet Resort's website states.

“We are used to hand feeding, grooming, cuddles, games and simply going the extra mile to make them feel at home.”

Feline owners need not fret – there is a separate cat lounge with plenty of scratching posts, toys and a telly as well as private cat suites.

By Nadia Moharib

Nadia is an animal lover who has adopted everything from birds to hamsters, salamanders, rabbits, fish and felines. She has written about all-things-pets for years and was a long-time editor of a pet magazine in a daily newspaper which featured a Q & A column, Ask Whit, penned by her pooch (ghost written, of course.) The serial dog owner lives in Calgary, Alberta and most days can be found at a dog park picking up after her rescue pooch, Scoots.

BUSINESS - Petco and PetSmart Pull Hill's Products from Stores

A breaking news story from Pet Business reports PetSmart and Petco have pulled Hill’s Pet Nutrition Products from their stores in Topeka and Lawrence, Kansas “in what some industry observers are describing as a shot across the company’s bow due to its e-commerce and potential channel-hopping approach.”

The disappearance of Hill’s products from Petco and PetSmart shelves has also been reported in the local media.

It is being speculated that this action may be the result of pet specialty channels’ growing concerns about predatory pricing - the deep-discounting strategies online retailers use to capture market share.

“Independent pet retailers, in particular, have expressed increasing concern about the role that online outlets are playing in pet food manufacturers’ go-to-market strategy - particularly as it relates to product pricing,” writes Mark Kalaygian in Pet Business.

Their concerns seem to be justified as online sales accounted for $3.7 billion of the U.S. pet care total in 2014, approximately 6 percent of the total, and an increase of 76 percent since 2010, according to market research company Forrester.

As well, increasing numbers of pet owners are turning to Amazon to buy their pet supplies according to global e-commerce analyst Profitero. 

Read the full article here.

BUSINESS - Pet Tech: So Much More Than a Fad

Sometime between iPhone editions, advancements in pet technology have made leaps and bounds and the obsession in the consumer market has transcended into the pet world.

PlayDate

Certainly, if North Americans can track every detail of their lives – from every step, breath, heartbeat and calorie ingested – it seems like a natural progression for pet lovers to dabble in the various technologies that can alleviate racing home on time to feed their Fido, throw a ball on autopilot or speak to their anxiety-ridden pup through the convenience of a computer.

As California and the U.K. vie for the title of animal tech capital of the world, the innovations are constant and dynamic. From auto pet feeders, to activity trackers to spying devices – the conscientious pet owner can literally keep her pet entertained, fed and exercised from the remote click of a button.

Here are some of the top trends for the tech-obsessed pet lover on the market right now:

Exploding from a grassroots Kickstarter campaign in 2013, iFetch was the end product for the Hamill family of Austin, TX – who realized an auto-pitch device to throw balls for toy poodle Prancer was more than just a great distraction for their precious pet, it was the beginning of a great prototype.

“There wasn’t anything like this available and we’ve captured a small piece of a growing high-tech segment of the market,” said iFetch president, Denny Hamill, who thought up the device with the help of grandson, Grant.

Dubbed as ‘the world’s first truly interactive pet camera,' enter PlayDate – a pet camera in a smart ball.

According to pet techies, the beauty of PlayDate is that it can be handled from its owner’s mobile device app to ‘Play. Anytime. Anywhere.’

So as not to ostracize the feline persuasion, PlayDate has a cat version that includes a slit in the polycarbonate shell for ribbon inserts; this outer shell is said to be thick and shatterproof.

For the more elite pet techies, Dogtra offers up the ‘world’s finest e-collars’. These e-collars are said to be user-friendly and designed for the ‘most demanding training conditions’.

The possibilities for pet tech appear endless. As the digital age continues to evolve, these technologies will only continue to improve and close the distance gap between working parent and fur-clad offspring.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

BUSINESS - Food Trucks for Fido

Gourmet food trucks have become extremely popular in urban centres across North America over the past five years - the industry bringing over $857m in revenue annually in the US.

Growing competition makes success more of a challenge, but one Seattle truck is setting itself apart from everyone else by also offering food for man’s best friend.

The Seattle Barkery, is a food truck that serves dogs and their owners in area dog parks, office building parking lots, farmer's markets and private events.

"I think there is definitely a market for more things like that, where human and canine activities are combined. You don't want to always leave them at home or leave them in the car," Dawn Ford, who owns and operates the truck with her husband, Ben, told Tulsa World.

The menu includes air-fried chicken feet and duck neck, “pupcakes” with bacon, mini cheesy doughnuts, pumpkin pretzels and peanut butter-banana cookies.

The treats are all homemade and the truck is one of just a handful in the country that caters to canines.

Fido To Go serves Chicago’s dogs and claims to be the first doggy treat truck of its kind in the nation, and Los Angeles truck, PhyDough, sells preservative-free dog treats made with organic, human-grade ingredients along with dog-friendly ice cream.

BUSINESS - Global Pet Accessories Market Expected to Exceed $19 Billion by 2020

A recent article in Pet Age Magazine predicts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over five percent in the global pet accessories market from 2015 though 2019.

This growth translates into an expectation that the market will exceed $19 billion by 2020.  

This data was gleaned from a market research study by Technavio called “Global Pet Accessories Market 2015-2019.” The study provides an analysis of the market in terms of emerging trends and revenue, along with forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.

According to the study, the global pet toys market is expected to reach $10 billion by 2019.  “There is a rising popularity of natural and organic pet toys as they are considered to be a safer option for pets,” Brijesh Kumar Choubey, a lead research analyst at Technavio for pet supplies, told Pet Age.

The global pet housing, bedding, and food market is expected to reach $5 billion by 2019, making it the second most prominent segment in the global pet accessories market. The global pet collars, leashes, and utility market is expected to exceed $3 billion by 2019.

Executive interviews uncover the future of pet retail

Consumer trends in the pet care industry have seen significant growth in the past 20 years and pet-related consumer spending continues to trends upwards. 

But with the landscape changing at such a constant and rapid pace, organizations and businesses need to be able to answer important questions about demographics, growth, trends and technology. 

Pet Business Magazine sat down with several prominent industry executives to discuss how they see key issues playing out leading up to 2020, with an eye on what the future holds. 

READ THE INTERVIEWS

Pet Business announces winners of Industry Recognition Awards

Pet Business celebrates the best that the pet care category has to offer with the 11th annual Industry Recognition Awards. The online retail publication announced the winners of  the awards 01 December 2012. 

Each year, the Pet Business editors honour innovation in the pet care category with the Industry Recognition Awards. Now in its 11th year, the IRA program has been expanded to include more products than ever.  Winners are selected by Pet Business editors who search through vendor press releases, the aisles of the industry's major trade shows and local pet store shelves to find the most exciting and functional products the industry has to offer.

CLICK HERE TO SEE IRA WINNERS