Summit winner receives government attention

Planet Paws Pet Essentials

Planet Paws Pet Essentials has received recognition from the Government of Nova Scotia for its commitment to the pet industry and for winning the 2013 Summit Award for Retailer. 

The Nova Scotia Minister of Energy and Communications passed the following resolution and have written it on page 924 of the Nova Scotia legislation: 

"Therefore be it resolved that members of this house of assembly join me in congratulating Rodney Habib and Planet Paws Pet Essentials staff for winning the 2013 Summit Retailer of the Year Award, the highest award in the Canadian pet industry, for the first time in Atlantic Canada, and wish them continued success in the future." 

InfoStream would also like to offer its congratulations to the team at Planet Paws for its commitment to creating healthy communities for pets and people. 

Innovation in the Urban Animal industry

In an ever-changing industry, urban animal retailers are discovering that Darwin's 'Survival of the Fittest" law can also apply in business. 

A study published by Nielson, a market trend analysis company, showed that today's consumers have more retail choices than ever but are cutting back on overall purchases. According to the Continuous Innovation: The Key to Retail Success report, trip frequency in the U.S. has fallen 15% over the past six years while basket size has climbed only 9%. Thus, retailers must evolve to stay ahead of the pack and keep consumers engaged. 

Image Credit

Nielson offered tips to help retailers stand out including price value, shopability and convenience and noted that the emergence e-commerce has threatened brick and mortar shops but that with the right innovation, these traditional retailers can still get ahead. Indeed, 2013 Summit Award winner Planet Paws Pet Essentials has developed a remarkable, loyal consumer base both online and in-store thanks to co-owner Rodney Habib's innovative approach to pet nutrition blogging. 

Innovation has played a critical role in the refactoring of the Urban Animal Program which strives to introduce innovative relationships, ideas and programs to other regions of the country, thus providing all sectors of the industry with models to capture attention and loyalty of their audience. To stay ahead, the industry must continually evolve. 

In the coming weeks, the Urban Animal Program will reach out to the urban animal industry as it searches for 2014 Innovation Showcase potentials in each region. Stay tuned for exciting updates to this new program!

FURTHER READING 

In the Dish becomes Dogs Naturally on Air

In the Dish, presented weekly by Planet Paws Pet Essentials owner Rodney Habib, is joining forces with Dana Scott, editor in chief of one of the largest urban animal industry magazines, Dogs Naturally Magazine.

The new podcast, Dogs Naturally on Air will launch late November 2013. 

Planet Paws Pet Essentials was the 2013 recipient of the Retailer Summit Award at the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in October. Rodney's continued efforts to promote pet health and nutrition have earned him a significant amount of respect in the urban animal community and his effort to connect with and educate pet families prove his commitment. 

COMING SOON!

Planet Paws Pet Essentials recognized as leading retailer

Top Left to Right: Councillor of Dartmouth East, Darren Fisher / Manager of Planet Paws, Mandie Richard / CEO of Pet Lynx, Larry Evans / Pet Nutrition Blogger and Founder of Planet Paws, Rodney Habib / Co-Owner of Planet Paws and my Father, George Habib / The Nova Scotia Minister of Energy & Communications, Andrew Younger / Assistant Manager of Planet Paws, Ashley Jewer / 

Bottom Left to Right: Planet Paws Blogger, Sarah MacKeigan / Planet Paws Blogger, Lise Blinn.

Retailers are quickly learning the importance of commanding both physical and online presence. With more and more consumers shopping online and using the web for information, social media plays a vital role in brand recognition and retail sustainability. 

The Summit Award for Retailer recognizes a retailer of pet products and services who has developed a reputation and frequent connection to pet families that has enhanced the lives of pets and people in the community(ies) they serve. In 2013, three Canadian retailers vied for this award. On October 18, the 2013 Retailer honour was won by Planet Paws Pet Essentials with 54% of ballots cast. 

Planet Paws owner and manager, Rodney Habib, launched his pet nutrition social media page as a means to research and educate pet parents after his own pets were affected by tainted pet food. Today, the Planet Paws Facebook page has nearly 12,000 'Likes' and reaches and audience of 168,000 each week. This level of traffic has been achieved in just over a year. 


The shop's physical presence in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, hosts community events and store initiatives to raise funds for local schools, education programs, animal shelters and community initiatives. 

As a member of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada and the American Pet Products Association, Rodney Habib has been recognized globally as a leader in pet nutrition and retail. His podcast for Rogers Communication, In the Dish, has become the largest pet podcast in Canada with 150,000 listeners each week. In addition to being recognized by the Nova Scotia Legislature, Habib writes for Dogs Naturally Magazine and is cast as one of the experts on a TV reality show called Fat Dog Fit Dog, which is currently filming in Nova Scotia. 

Planet Paws fundraisers contributed $75,000 to a local off-leash park, $15,000 to community rebuild programs, $5,000 to local schools and $5,000 and 9,000lbs of food to rescue organizations. Habib has also been recognized provincially by the Boys & Girls Club of Canada and received the Golden Apple Award from Nova Scotia for educating children on pet health and well-being. 

With these achievements, it is no wonder Rodney Habib and his colleagues at Planet Paws have garnered the highest level of recognition from their peers in the Urban Animal Industry.  

Visit UrbanAnimal.com for more information on Summit Awards and past winners.

Poll 2 WINNERS!

Poll 2 winners are.... 

Community Collaboration 

Michelle Lem + Community Veterinary Outreach with 30% of the vote

 

Individual Achievement 

Randy Valpy – Pets Plus Us with 41% of the vote

Retailer 

Planet Paws Pet Essentials with 54% of the vote

Wellness 

Atlantic Veterinary College  with 29% of the vote

Stay tuned for the final four Summit Awards!