FUTURE TRENDS - PlayDate Smart Ball

(PlayDate)

The internet is buzzing with people talking about PlayDate - a wifi enabled, remote controlled ball that enables a pet owner to play with their dog or cat from anywhere.

InfoStream first brought PlayDate to readers’ attention in Pet Tech: So Much More Than a Fad and it is fast becoming the ‘next big thing’ for pet owners.

While there have been high-tech pet products on the market for a while, PlayDate has taken off in a big way - they initiated their online funding drive and pre-sales on April 19th and were 601% funded by May 27th.

The speed with which and amount they exceeded their funding goal may indicate this is the true launching point in a trend for high-tech, interactive pet toys.

PlayDate has a camera inside the ball that allows owners to see their pet and where the ball is going.

Additional features include a virtual “squeak” that can be triggered from a button in the app, a microphone that allows owners to hear their pets and speaker so they can talk to them.

Pet owners can also snap photos and record videos of their pets playing with the smart ball.

Purchasers will need to be patient - estimated delivery date for pre-orders is December of this year.

RESEARCH - Most People get Their News From Social Media

In case you were wondering how important social media is as a news source, a new study by Pew Research Centre shows more people are using social media platforms as their go-to source for news than ever before.

This comes as no surprise to those observing traditional media where there has been a pattern of amalgamations and layoffs over the past five to ten years.

The study shows that a majority of U.S. adults, 62%, get news on social media, and 18% do so often.

It also takes a look at which social media sites have the largest portion of users getting their news there. Two-thirds of Facebook users (66%) get news on the site, nearly six-in-ten Twitter users (59%) get news on Twitter, and seven-in-ten Reddit users get news on that platform. 

All is not lost for traditional news media, however. Social media news consumers still get news from a variety of other sources such as television and news websites.

The survey and its results are an excellent resource for marketers as they formulate social media strategy into the future.

As the survey shows, the growth over the past three years is significant and shows no sign of slowing down.

Find the full study here.

Small Business Confidence Hits 10-month High

A web survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) showed small business confidence rebounded nearly seven points in April, climbing to 59.2. The highest since June of last year.

“While we often see spikes in a single month of data, the size of this increase suggests the long-awaited confidence normalization has begun,” Ted Mallett, CFIB chief economist, said on their website.

On a scale between 0 and 100, an index above 50 means owners expecting their business’ performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting weaker performance. When the economy is growing at its potential, one normally sees an index level of between 65 and 70.

• Prince Edward Island rose to 70.8, the best in the country
• British Columbia climbed three points in April, reaching 65.4, good for second highest
• Alberta stopped its four-month slide, increasing two points to 28.6, though still has the lowest confidence in the country by far
• Saskatchewan saw a small improvement to 48.8
• Manitoba held steady at 54.0.
• Ontario jumped five points to 62.6
• Quebec slipped three to 62.2
• Newfoundland and Labrador fell to a new provincial record low at 46.4
• Nova Scotia fell a point to 64.6
• New Brunswick’s confidence increased four points to 57.5.

“While confidence is up, it should be taken with a grain of salt,” added Mallett. “There is stability in the sectors, but a look at order books and accounts receivables still shows that business conditions remain fragile, which is part of the reason why hiring plans still aren’t as robust as we normally see this time of year.”

Hospitality is the most optimistic sector, followed by information, arts and recreation, and professional services.

The natural resources sector remains the weakest in the country, followed by agriculture and transportation. 

The seasonally adjusted Ivey PMI for Canada reflected similar results - it went up to 53.1 in April of 2016 from 50.1 in the previous month.

According to surveys done by the Conference Board of Canada, the Index of Consumer Confidence rose 2.3 points in April to 94.5. This was the third consecutive gain for the index, suggesting that Canadian consumers are feeling more upbeat about the economy than they were in January.

While results from the Conference Board of Canada’s spring 2016 Survey of Business Confidence “suggest that Canadian business leaders continue to feel the pressure of chilling headwinds from global commodities markets.”

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.

Open Farm Launches First Certified Humane® Dry Cat Food

Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), the leading non-profit certification organization dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production from birth through slaughter, announced that Open Farm is launching the first ethically-sourced dry cat food in the U.S. and Canada with the Certified Humane® Raised and Handled® label.

Open Farm launched their Certified Humane® dog food products in stores across Canada and the U.S. in late 2014 and early 2015.

“Since then, cat owners have been begging for a Certified Humane® cat food option,” Adele Douglass, Executive Director for HFAC, said in a release.

This demand comes as no surprise with the trend of humanization of pet food and increase in popularity of more natural food sources.

Under the Certified Humane® label, Open Farm will use only meat and poultry products in their cat food that come from Certified Humane® farms and ranches.

The Certified Humane® label assures consumers that farm animals are raised on farms where they can express their natural behaviors, such as flapping wings and moving around freely in their environments, and where they can live free of cages and gestation crates.

The farm animals also must also be raised without antibiotics or growth hormones and must not be fed any animal by-products.

“Cats are obligate carnivores and require meat to survive, so giving pet parents a humane option allows them to be assured that their cat’s food is coming from a good place,” said Jacqueline Prehogan, President of Open Farm, in the release. “With the launch of our cat food, pet owners can finally provide their cats with premium nutrition while taking comfort in knowing that our entire farm-to-bowl supply chain is audited and certified.”

BUSINESS - Top Insights from 2015 Global Consumer Trends Survey

Euromonitor International reaches out to internet-connected consumers from across the globe with their Global Consumer Trends Survey, then translates the results into comprehensive analysis and actionable opportunities.

While their full report includes key survey findings across all major consumer lifestyle areas, here are six key insights from the survey.

Millennials and Generation Z are leading the shift from computers to mobile. With the rapid proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, today’s internet-connected consumers have access to whatever they want, wherever they go. Smartphones, in particular, have changed the way consumers interact with the world.

The key to swaying customer opinion is to first convince friends and family. Survey respondents selected friends and family recommendations as their top marketing influence, while independent consumer reviews came in second.

Informed eaters will pay more for healthy packaged food. The consumers with a long ingredient watch-list express a much greater willingness to pay extra for the packaged food features they deem important.

Trust in “Green” labels is growing, but skepticism remains high. Consumers remain largely ambivalent towards ethical and environmental language and claims.

Many consumers struggle to link some health priorities with everyday habits. Sticking with good habits can be easier said than done.

The ability to make time for what matters most is critical for today’s ever-busy consumer. Instead of focusing on saving time, marketers should emphasize the importance of making time, highlighting how a product or service frees up time for the things that matter most.

Learn more about the 2015 Global Consumer Trends Survey here.

Euromonitor International is a leading independent provider of strategic market research. They create data and analysis on thousands of products and services around the world.

Big Heart Pet Brands reports fiscal 2014 third quarter results

Last month, Big Heart Pet Brands (formerly known as Del Monte Corporation) completed the sale of its Consumer Products business and is now one of the largest standalone pet products companies in the U.S. 

Last week, the company announced its third quarter results for fiscal 2014. Highlights from the report include a net sales increase of 9% to $576 million in pet products, an increase in operating income by 27% to $82 million and adjusted EBITDA increased 15% to $131 million. 

"As a standalone pet products company, Big Hearts Pet Brands will be singularly focused on capturing growth opportunities in the expanding $21 billion U.S. pet products category," said Dave West, president and CEO of Big Heart Pet Brands. "We are uniquely positioned with a powerful and broad portfolio of iconic pet brands, strong position in key pet food categories, robust business fundamentals and a commitment to creating a better future for pets by nurturing the bond between pets and the people who love them." 

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

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

Special Sections at Global Pet Expo 2014 Sell Out

The upcoming Global Pet Expo announced last month it had sold out all of the special exhibiting sections for the show. 

Natural Pet, The Boutique, Everything Aquatic and What's New! are the special sections included at this year's Expo. The sections were created in response to keeping up with the growing pet product trends. These sections help showcase popular product lines and make it easier for buyers to navigate the floor. 

Celebrating its 10th year, the Show is set to take place March 12-14, 2014 in Orlando, Fla. 

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

Pet Health driving pet supply market

Earlier this month, Packaged Facts reported an increase in health care related pet products are the key to growth in pet supply sales.

"We are certainly seeing more health-related and preventative health products on the market that help pets maintain healthy lifestyles," said Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Association (APPA). 

Vitamin enriched dental chews are driving growth in the pet products category, according to a recent report from Mintel. Mintel expects chews, toys, grooming products made with natural ingredients and other supplies that contribute to the health and well-being of dogs and cats to drive sales in the pet supplies sector. 

According to the report, pet supplies saw a 2% increase, bringing sales to $11.1 billion. The market research firm projects that this year, pet supplies will grow 4% over 2012 sales. 

READ THE ARTICLE

Best Buy closures force retail reconsiderations

Retailers forced to re-evaluate shopping experience after Best Buy announces nation-wide store closures.

Last March Best Buy announced it would close 50 big box stores in the US.  In the past few days the company has closed 15 Best Buy/Future Shop stores and laid off 900 staff positions in Canada. In both cases Amazon was sited as a major competitor, a fast changing market (computer and television sales to tablet and smartphone sales) and 'Showcasing' (visiting retailers to examine product then purchasing online) were sited as activities killing Best Buy revenues.

InfoStream asked PetLynx Market Services and Intelligence Analysts to comment on this activity for the retail sector of the companion animal industry. They have provided several observations that may be useful:

• Consumers are quickly moving in large numbers toward online providers when they trust the offering and enjoy better pricing.
• Competing head-to-head with an online provider doesn't work (they have lower cost structures) so bricks and mortar retailers need to check the products available to consumers in the market and move away from those not competitive.
• Move toward providing/incorporating services which can't be duplicated online. PetSmart showed this to be a successful strategy. It may involve collaborating with Ad hoc service providers in the community to recast the retail location as the center for pet families and companion animals.
• Be present online to understand what consumers are being offered and the effect online offerings may have on the bricks and mortar retail presence in the community. 
• Start lifetime conversations with consumers:
• Discover what they buy online
• Discover what they enjoy most about visiting a bricks and mortar retailer
• Focus on providing an experience pet families desire
• Develop staff that are consumer advocates with authority to remove barriers in the relationships
• Get involved with other thought leaders who face similar issues in your region.

Ten years from now we will all look back on these days and we will see clearly what Best Buy and others did not see soon enough. Bob Johansen, author of 'Leaders Make the Future' would argue that with the correct lens, leaders can see these changes coming and can make a future of their own choosing.

Happy Holidays for pets

It is expected that more than 50% of dogs and 38% of cats will receive holiday gifts this season, according to those surveyed in the American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2011-2012 National Pet Owners Survey. 

InfoStream has published articles referring to the trends of consumers to treat their pets like family members. Gift giving at birthdays, Chanukah, Valentine's Day and especially Christmas is a steadily increasing trend and one that corroborates reports that the companion animal industry is rising market. 

"We've already seen that pet owners reward their pets and purchase holiday gifts for them even in the toughest of economic situations," said Bob Vetere, president of the APPA. "With retailers and researchers expecting the 2012 holiday shopping season to be even better than last year, we have positive expectations for the pet industry."

Seventy-five per cent of retail leaders surveyed by management consulting firm Hay Group predicted that sales for the 2012 holiday shopping season will be higher than 2011. This same group of retail leaders said they planned to start their holiday shopping promotions earlier than last year, with 42% planning to start in October. 

READ THE ARTICLE

Another trend making headlines this season is the increase of high tech gadgets  under the tree for pets. An article on Courier-Journal.com suggests pet pedometers, treadmills, treat making machines, DNP tests and GPS collars as products consumers will purchase for their pets this year. Though Vetere contends that the microchip is the best high-tech pet product. 

"They are also widely used by industry professionals to track vaccinations, test results and other records," he said. "With GPS microchips now available as well, your missing pet can not only be tracked back to you but you can now track them down and prove ownership if needed."

Canadians turning to technology for holiday shopping

Fifty-five per cent of Canadian consumers plan to purchase products online this holiday season, according to a new Angus Reid poll. 

The poll, commissioned by Federal Express Canada, reports a significant shift to e-commerce, an increase of 10 per cent over last year, as Canadians opt to 'click-and-ship' and avoid busing parking lots and long check out lines. 

READ THE PRESS RELEASE

"With the availability of most major retailers now online, more and more Canadians are choosing to browse, shop online and ship this holiday season," said Brie Carere, vice president of marketing, customer experience, and corporate communications for FedEx Express Canada. "The holiday season is busy, and a lot of us will leave our shopping to the last moment when stores are overcrowded, so online shopping and fast shipping helps take the hassle out that hectic end-of-year rush."

Trends emerging from the poll showed that: 

• Consumers in Alberta (70%), British Columbia (67%) and Atlantic Canada (63%) are the most likely among Canadians to shop online. 
• Men (57%) are slightly more likely to shop online than women (53%)
• Consumers aged 18-34 are most likely to shop online (73%)
• Consumers who earn over $100,000 are more likely to shop online (75%)

Mintel reports significant rise in companion animal market

Mintel, a global market research company for Europe, America and Asia reports a 15 per cent rise in the companion animal market in five years as retail sales of pets and related supplies and services producing consistent gains. 

According to Mintel, the pet market is worth more than $49 billion in 2012, up 15 per cent since 2007. With a retail value of $18.1 billion, pet food accounted for the largest share of sales in 2011 (37.8%). Veterinary services represented the second-largest segment generating over $12 billion annually. 

READ THE RELEASE

Spa products for pets emerges as a prosperous business

Research has shown the companion animal industry may just be one sector avoiding the crunch of recession. In fact, Americans are spending more on their pets than ever before. And they're not cutting corners when it comes to their animals. 

Experts say consumers are looking for products that can enhance the physical, mental or emotional health of their dogs and the market is beaming with products aimed at accomplishing that goal. In today's market, spa products range from speciality shampoos and coat conditioners to paw and skin balms, gentle ear cleansers and even nail polish. 

The growing demand makes this category a lucrative one for retailers.

"It's always a challenge for retailers to drive average ring and margins up," said Debbie Guardian, founder and owner of Opie & Dixie, LCC. "Spa products offer both - higher prices and higher margins.

Bobbi Panter, owner and creator of Bobbi Panter Pet Products adds that consumers are open and willing to spend the extra cash when it comes to quality products.

"Pet parents are recognizing that [spa products] are not just luxury items but they are essential to their pet's health," she said. "Once pet parents use these products, they see how great they are and it seems that people are willing to spend more money on their pet." 

FULL ARTICLE

The Future of the Specialty Pet Retailer

Some feel online retailers pose a threat to the future of the traditional brick-and-mortar vendors. And while this sector of the companion animal industry may have eluded serious injury in the past, many are starting to feel the pressure as major e-retailers like Amazon.com break into the pet business. 

A recent article on PetBusiness.com describes the threats posed by large e-commerce sites like Amazon and highlights the strategies specialty retailers can follow to keep 'a full arsenal' and fight back. 

So how does the specialty retailer live and even prosper in the shadow of these giant organizations? Some experts say pet retailers are far from defenseless. The bottom line is that brick-and-mortar retailers need to do the things Amazon can't, and sell products that Amazon doesn't.  

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Pet Bloggers Influence those with Purchasing Power

Pet bloggers are influencing companion animal consumers in increasing numbers by showing a strong presence and voice of influence in the pet industry in general. 

The National Pet Owner Survey for 2011-2012 revealed that in the past 10 years, use of the Internet has more than doubled as a pet care information provider. This statistic is confirmed by a recent study released by Trone Brand Energy, which states that 20 per cent of pet bloggers are considered highly influential and have a monthly readership of at lease 10,000 readers. Influencers report dealing with at lease six or more pet care brands from a marketing perspective. 

Canadians sending more texts than ever

Canadians sent 47.2 billion text messages in the first half of 2012, a significant increase from the number sent in the second half on 2011 says a report by CWTA. 

With a plethora of social media and technological voices in today's world, how do you plan to be heard above the noise? 

Person-to-person text messages sent in 2011 totaled 78 billion, up from the 56.4 billion sent in 2010. If the first half of 2012 is any indication, the numbers could see as much as a 60 per cent jump from 2011 by year end. In June 2012 alone, Canadians sent 8 billion messages, or approximately 268 million messages per day. 

CWTA'S MESSAGING STATISTICS 

Top online searches by Albertans

YouTube, Facebook and Kijiji rank among the top sites searched online by Albertans according to an infographic put together by an Edmonton-based Internet marketing agency. 

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How Halloween influences pet trends

A recent article on the US economy reported that consumers planned to spend as much as $8 billion on Halloween in 2012. 

Approximately 76 million adults and 64 million children will be dressing up in costume and in 2012, 15 per cent of Americans will dress their pets in costume. This was more than the 14.7 per cent who dressed their pets in 2011, spending more than $310 million in the process. 

The most popular pet costume was a pumpkin (12.7 per cent), devil (6.9 per cent) or hot dog (5.7 per cent). 

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