BUSINESS - IDEXX Supports Human Animal Bond Research

(pexels.com)

 

IDEXX, a world leader in veterinary diagnostic instrument development and manufacture; reference laboratory services; and dairy and water testing, has become an official supporter of the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI).

HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that maintains the world’s largest online library of human-animal bond research and information; funds innovative research projects to scientifically document the health benefits of companion animals; and informs the public about human-animal bond research and the beneficial role of companion animals in society.

“IDEXX is proud to support HABRI and its mission to advance human-animal bond research,” said Jonathan Ayers, Chairman and CEO of IDEXX Laboratories.

“IDEXX is committed to enhancing the health and wellbeing of pets and people alike by bringing to market the most advanced diagnostics and software in veterinary medicine. When we provide high quality care for pets, human health also benefits.”

Scientific evidence increasingly shows that pets improve heart health; alleviate depression; increase well-being; support child health and development; and contribute to healthy aging.

In addition, companion animals can assist in the treatment of a broad range of conditions from post-traumatic stress to Alzheimer’s disease to autism spectrum disorder.

“IDEXX is an innovative leader in pet health,” said Steven Feldman, Executive Director of HABRI. “By supporting HABRI, IDEXX is demonstrating its dedication to the human-animal bond and to keeping pets and people healthy together.”

With over 6,000 employees in 175 countries, IDEXX is a major player and their support of the relationship and health connection between humans and animals lends more credence, not just to HABRI, but to initiatives like One Health that is working to unite human and animal medicine.

By expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment, One Health Initiative hopes to accelerate biomedical research discoveries, enhance public health efficacy, expeditiously expand the scientific knowledge base, and improve medical education and clinical care.

ACQUIRE - Target Invests $75 Million in Online Startup Casper

Target has become the latest large brick and mortar retailer to take major steps to strengthen their ecommerce profile and appeal to young consumers.

The company recently invested an estimated $75 million in online mattress startup Casper, whose “bed-in-a-box” strategy is tailored to millennials.

The deal will have Casper products exclusively in Target stores starting June 18th.

“At Target, we strive to bring guests amazing new products and exciting partnerships,” says Jill Sando, senior vice president, merchandising, home. “We love Casper’s brand and innovative products—and we really love the idea of giving our guests a simple way to get a better night’s sleep, with everything they need in one convenient place.”

A Recode report, citing unnamed sources, stated Target had initially attempted to purchase the company for $1 billion.

The Casper partnership follows deals Target brokered - with Bevel and Harry’s, two subscription-based online brands - that also resulted in exclusive deals to be the only mass retailer to carry their products.

“The cool factor Target had ten years ago is today captured by these niche brands, and Target is hoping to capture some of their luster with these investments and partnerships,” said eMarketer analyst Yory Wurmser.

These steps by Target are in concert with another large retailer, and one of their major competitors, Walmart.

Walmart recently acquired Jet.com followed by ShoeBuy and Moosejaw - all strong online retailers whose acquisitions have resulted in increased sales and revenue for the retail giant.

Brick and mortar retailers are faced with a rapidly growing global trend in mobile and ecommerce, along with a young customer base growing up in an environment dominated by the Internet of Things.

They are responding by purchasing or partnering with businesses that have a large online subscriber base, outstanding online customer service, and/or strong online retail sales, to help maintain a competitive edge.

HR - Hiring in Today's Marketplace

Predictions of economic growth and increased employment opportunities in 2017, along with a large number of people looking for work, means businesses need to step up their recruitment game to find the best possible candidates.

With talk about millennials being “different” many companies are wondering just what needs to be changed in their recruitment process.

Canadian HR Reporter is offering a free webinar on June 1st - The New Face of Talent in Canada - that addresses how to effectively recruit from recent grads to recent retirees.

Everything from career sites, to employment brand, to how the application and onboarding process is laid out, affects how competently businesses are able to hire.

In this webinar participants will learn:  

• Changes in candidate expectations today vs before
• Areas of recruiting impacted by the changes
• Simple ways your company can become more attractive to job seekers of all ages.

If you have ever been asked or wondered “Why do we have to do it differently than we did for years?” this webinar will provide you with answers.

Register and learn more.

BUSINESS - Pet Care Market Predicted to Reach $117 Billion in 2021

Euromonitor International’s most recent forecast for the pet care market predicts it will hit $117 billion in 2021.

In the report, Healthy Pets, Happy Owners: Health & Wellness Product Development in Pet Care, it is projected that value sales will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 2.4 percent at constant prices.

According to the report: “health and wellness has become perhaps the main driver of innovation in pet care.”

Dog and cat food brands abound with products promising to aid weight management, slow cognitive decline in aging pets, or are grain- or gluten-free, natural and organic.

In pet products, natural ingredients and well-being have come to the fore, while electronic gadgets are enabling owners to monitor the activity levels of pets and even play with them remotely.

Euromonitor’s study aligns well with Packaged Facts’ report on the increasing popularity of natural and organic foods for pets, and the Nielson study on the humanization of pet foods.

The report analyzes a variety of factors influencing the pet care market such as:

• Owners increasing unwillingness to compromise on the quality of food they feed their pets
• The evolution of protein
• The growth of internet retail
• The lengthening life expectancy for dogs and cats and the increased prevalence of overweight and obese pets
• The growth in pet tech
• The accelerating pace of humanization.

Purchase and download the entire paper from Euromonitor.

BUSINESS - Thrive Affordable Vet Care Available in Select Petco Stores

Petco announced a joint venture with Thrive Affordable Vet Care to incorporate full-service Thrive clinics in select Petco stores later this year.

“We know that pet health and wellness are increasingly important to pet parents and critical to the long-term health and well-being of our pets," said Bill Engen, Petco senior vice president.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to providing services and experiences that pet parents want, we are excited to expand our current offerings, which include our existing vaccination clinics, by partnering with Thrive Vet Care, to bring their progressive, 'affordable veterinary care' model to select Petco locations."

Petco is counting on consumer demand for affordable, convenient, one-stop pet care continuing to grow, and Thrive is looking to expand their business.

"Thrive is a rapidly growing team of pet care professionals focused on delivering high quality care to pets and an unprecedented value to pet parents," said Odis Pirtle, CEO of Thrive Vet Care.

"We're extremely excited about the partnership and the opportunity to collaborate with a world class organization like Petco as we continue to expand our business."

This expansion of services is in-line with Petco’s recent acquisition of PetCoach, a digital services company that connects pet parents with veterinary professionals, trainers and other experts for free personalized answers and advice.

It also reflects the ongoing growth in the pet retail industry.

Petco and Pet Supplies Plus both increased their number of stores in 2016, with Petco providing services such as grooming and dog training in some locations.

Pet retail competitor PetSmart also expanded - opening 50 new stores in their 2015 fiscal year and 80 in 2016.

The brick and mortar locations endeavor to draw customers in with services beyond pet retail as online pet supply sales continue to grow.

BUSINESS - PetMatrix to be Acquired by Spectrum Brands

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately owned PetMatrix, LLC, a leading and rapidly growing manufacturer and marketer of rawhide-free dog chews.

Financial terms of the accretive, all-cash transaction were not disclosed.

"PetMatrix will immediately strengthen our pet care portfolio with its well-established and growing brands catering to healthy alternative pet trends," Andreas Rouvé, Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Brands Holdings, said in a release.

"We expect it to further solidify Spectrum Brands as a leader in the North American dog chews category and to provide compelling white space revenue opportunities in Europe, Latin America and Asia." 

Spectrum Brands products include Nature's Miracle, FURminator, Littermaid, Dingo, Tetra and Marineland.

Founded in 2008, PetMatrix provides a broad portfolio of innovative, rawhide-free dog chews across its two flagship brands – DreamBone® and SmartBones®.

PetMatrix products are sold to mass merchandisers, food and drug stores, and pet specialty stores and the company is on pace to achieve approximately $75 million in sales in calendar year 2017.

"The PetMatrix team and I are excited to join Spectrum Brands," said Mark Stern, founder and CEO of PetMatrix. "This partnership will bring additional resources to our company and allow us to execute our plans for continued growth in the coming years."

The acquisition, which has been approved by Spectrum Brands' Board of Directors, is expected to close by the end of May 2017.

Previous acquisitions by Spectrum Brands include the European business of Iams and Eukanuba, as well as Proctor & Gamble’s European pet care business.

BUSINESS - Zoetis to Expand Manufacturing Capabilities

Zoetis Inc. plans to expand capacity at its Global Manufacturing and Supply facility in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The company will install two new production lines and related operations to manufacture oral tablet and chewable medicines for companion animals.

Having more chewable medications on the market will make any pet owner who has wrestled with a stubborn cat or canine very happy.

Zoetis expects to add up to 45 manufacturing positions in the next three years as a result of the expansion and will spent about $64.5 million on the project.   

“Kalamazoo is home to one of the largest and most important manufacturing sites in Zoetis’ Global Manufacturing and Supply network,” Matthew Everhart, Vice President, Pharmaceutical and Aseptic Operations, Global Manufacturing and Supply at Zoetis, said in a release.

“Locating manufacturing here gives us continued access to a highly skilled and diverse workforce which is essential to managing a global animal health company.”

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) awarded Zoetis a Business Development Program incentive grant for their choice to build in Michigan rather than another state.

“Today’s investment announcement by Zoetis will foster a long-term positive impact on western Michigan’s economy and bring new jobs to the area. Numerous public and private partners deserve thanks for helping make this project happen, and we are pleased to support that collaboration,” said MEDC Chief Executive Officer Steve Arwood.

Zoetis currently employs approximately 300 people at its manufacturing facilities in Kalamazoo and Portage, including 265 dedicated directly to manufacturing.  

Renovations to the 524,000-square foot facility in Kalamazoo will expand production of Simparica(R) (sarolaner) Chewables, the oral flea and tick medication for dogs, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2016.

The company expects to begin renovations later this month and to complete the project by early 2019.

This expansion isn’t a first for a company that continues to grow steadily.

Zoetis increased their manufacturing capabilities at their Nebraska facility in 2014.

The company was recently recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s best employers for a second year in a row and made news with their acquisition of Nexvet Biopharma.

 

FUTURE TRENDS - Augmented Reality to Take Off This Year

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Augmented Reality (AR) got off to a slow start.

Although the technology has been available for years, early consumer products were generally disappointing from both a sales and experience perspective.

The Oculus Rift had pre-order shipping delays, the HTC Vive had pre-order cancellations, and Google Glass was a failure with implications for other major developers as well.

But then, Pokémon Go. had $600 million in revenue in its first three months, and suddenly people were engaging with AR in ways they hadn’t before.

The app smashed expectations and opened up possibilities.

2017 promises to be the year that AR (and VR) finally starts to reach its potential.

Snap’s Spectacles seem to be succeeding where Google Glass didn’t, and on the Virtual Reality front, Google’s Daydream View is delivering a consumer experience that finally satisfies expectations.

Digi-Capital’s comprehensive overview of the state of AR/VR in 2017 includes the five major hurdles that AR will have to overcome before becoming an everyday technology:

1. hero device (i.e. an Apple quality device, whether made by Apple or someone else)
2. all-day battery life
3. mobile connectivity
4. app ecosystem
5. telco cross-subsidization.
   
   

Each of these issues presents unique challenges for tech companies who want to be at the forefront of AR market growth.

Battery life is a particular challenge, because consumers need an all-day battery on their AR technology if it’s going to become fully integrated in the way app designers hope.

Smartphones may be the answer to four of these hurdles, since they already provide battery life, connectivity, app ecosystems, and compatibility across telecom providers.

Once the new generation of smartphones are released later this year and in early 2018 - phones with the required sensors and software - what seems now like a significant series of obstacles will become much less challenging.

 

It’s unclear who will provide users with the “hero device” that Digi-Capital identifies as the critical and unsolved missing piece.

The Google Tango phone is a disappointing piece of hardware with exciting potential, and although it’s the first fully AR phone on the market, it won’t be the equivalent of the iPhone.

However, Apple, Samsung, and others could learn from the faltering first steps taken by Lenovo and Google’s collaboration.

In terms of the apps, there are a lot of exciting AR apps to explore, even with the current crop of smartphones.

One of the fastest growing AR apps is Lumyer, which has particularly taken off in Asia and South America.

The app allows users to augment photos and videos and share the results with friends and family.

Individual consumers aren’t the only growing market for AR technology.

While consumer sales and experiences were slow to build, enterprise was taking advantage of AR for everything from education to plant maintenance and business-to-business sales.

About Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a published academic, an editor with the Editors Association of Canada, an independent scholar and researcher, and a self-care and narrative coach. She is particularly interested in the intersection of technology and identity - how our tools shape our selves and change our stories, and in how the nature of work is changing as we incorporate more technology into our daily lives.

BUSINESS - Voting Open for PIJAC Canada's Animal Welfare Retail Award

Five finalists have been announced for PIJAC Canada’s Animal Welfare is Everyone’s Business Retail Award for Western Canada.

The finalists were selected for their efforts in the pursuit of improving animal well-being through the promotion of pet care education, responsible pet ownership and overall community involvement.

“One of the great things about this venture is that the candidates will be voted on by their contemporaries. People who understand exactly how hard they work to serve the community,“ says Louis McCann, President of PIJAC Canada.

Successful nominees were assessed using a points system based on the award criteria.

Every nominee is a great example of social innovation in action in the animal industry.

Finalists include:

Bosley’s by Pet Valu, Columbia Square in New Westminster, BC support the local animal shelter and food bank. Pets are available for adoption in-store, the business offers pet care talks in the schools and also works with the mayor and council on animal related issues.

Global Pet Foods Winnipeg hosts pet adoption events and regularly donates food and supplies to animal rescue organizations. They are a sponsor of Bark for Life, an event that raises funds for cancer research, and the Manitoba Pet Expo.

Pets West in Victoria provides adoption space to a large number of local rescue organizations for a variety of animals - cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, chinchillas, and more. Their reach goes beyond animal groups as they have also supported a lot of human oriented organizations as well.

Homes Alive Pets in Edmonton also promote responsible pet ownership and have strong relationships with rescues and Edmonton animal control - providing adoption space and supporting initiatives. They stepped up in 2016 to help victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire.

The Pooch & Pony in Stony Plain have introduced animal wellness programs into their business and support a large number of animal and human related organizations in their community. They provide grooming services to the Parkland Humane Society and supported victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire.

Voting is available online to PIJAC Canada members, pre-registered visitors and exhibitors of the Western Canadian Pet Industry Trade Show until May 23rd.

The Western winner will be announced at the Full House Gala & Fundraiser, during the Western Trade Show, the evening of Sunday, June 4th in Calgary, Alberta.

The nomination process for awards for other regions of Canada will begin in the summer.

DIGITAL - Social Media: Best Practices for Pet Stores

(World Pet Association / SuperZoo)

World Pet Association has released a whitepaper to help pet businesses with digital marketing.

Social Media: Best Practices for Pet Stores was compiled by Crystal Vilkaitis, social media expert and SuperZoo speaker.

“Social media has become an indispensable tool for retailers and we recognize they’re hungry for information to ensure they’re optimizing their accounts,” WPA President Doug Poindexter said.

“By providing a whitepaper focused on this hot topic, we’re giving retailers access to actionable ways to improve their businesses.”

The content doesn’t just apply to pet stores, all pet businesses can apply the information in the paper.

With a focus on the social selling mindset, created by Crystal Media, the document is packed with best practices - everything from which channels to focus on to the best mix of video, photos and graphics, along with advertising strategy.

Also included is a case study of The Pet Authority, a company who dumped traditional radio ads for social media, resulting in cost savings and increased sales.

Download a copy of the whitepaper from World Pet Association.

BUSINESS - Petland Inc. Launches Petland Charities

Petland Inc. recently announced the launch of Petland Charities, a 501c3 organization that will raise funds for shelters and K9 units in the US.

Petland will invite customers to make donations to local shelter or K9 units throughout the year and Petland Charities will match customer donations up to $3,000 per store per year.

Petland Charities and the campaigns to raise funds for local shelters and K9 units will be introduced to the corporate stores in phases.

The first campaign launched May 1st with participating stores in Cicero, NY; Athens, OH; Chillicothe, OH; Dayton, OH; Gallipolis, OH; Grove City, OH; Heath, OH; Hilliard, OH; Lancaster, OH; Washington Court House; OH; and Monroeville, PA.

"We want to give these non-profits as much help as possible," said Edwin Sayres, executive director for Petland Charities. "All money raised from these campaigns will stay in these communities, ensuring local organizations receive the funds they need."

Petland will continue other corporate charitable giving, including promoting the adoption of homeless pets, granting children's pet-related wishes via the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, donating to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital®, paying for the training of service dogs for disabled veterans, donating food to K9 units and providing grants to teachers to purchase pets and pet supplies for the classroom.

"Petland has been giving back since the company was founded, so Petland Charities is simply an extension of our current efforts," Joe Watson, president and CEO of Petland, Inc. said.

"We take our role in the community very seriously and are excited to see the positive impact this new endeavor will have."

If your organization is interested in being considered for a charitable donation or you want more information, visit the Petland website.

North of the border, Petland Charities Canada has been supporting local communities and organizations, including flood relief, dog parks and more, for several years.

BUSINESS - Petco Acquires PetCoach

Petco recently announced that it acquired PetCoach, a digital services company that connects pet parents with veterinary professionals, trainers and other experts for free personalized answers and advice.

This follows the acquisition of pet supplies and pet medicine e-retailer Drs. Foster & Smith in 2014.

Both purchases show the importance of online retail and services for brick and mortar stores like Petco.

Some may find the PetCoach acquisition puzzling for a profit-based organization that is focused on the bottom line.

But one thing recent corporate acquisitions has demonstrated is the importance of elements like an online subscriber base and social innovation.

Providing pet owners answers to the medical and behaviour questions they may have helps build relationships and customer loyalty - something that is extremely valuable in today’s digital world.

"Nurturing powerful relationships for better lives together is at the heart of all we do," said Petco CEO, Brad Weston.

"As we continue evolving our value proposition – helping pet owners wherever and however they want to improve the health and well-being of their pet -- we believe that an entrepreneurial and digital leader of Brock's caliber will help Petco exceed the ever-changing digital expectations of the modern pet parent."

As part of the acquisition, Brock Weatherup, PetCoach co-founder and CEO, joins the national pet specialty retailer as Executive Vice President, Strategic Innovation & Digital Experience.

In this new role, Weatherup will be responsible for driving Petco's growth through innovation and enterprise-wide, consumer-focused digital initiatives.

"We are thrilled to be joining a talented team and a leading company like Petco. Connecting even more pet parents and their pets to the personalized tools, resources, veterinarian advice and products they need is exciting," said Weatherup.

"Having had the opportunity to lead and build several startups, we are ready to bring the speed, innovation, competitiveness and scrappiness of entrepreneurialism to Petco, while leveraging their scale, infrastructure, resources and strong brand."

Petcoach reportedly has more than 150,000 unique monthly visitors and receives several thousand health questions each month.