Spanning the Global Pet Expo

The annual Global Pet Expo continued to bring retailers and suppliers together in record numbers. Show organizers said that the event, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., in March, set numerous records, including number of booths, square footage and, most importantly, total attendees and retail buyers. 

Andrew Darmohraj, executive vice president and COO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA), said that nearly 6,800 buyers were at the three-day event, a 9.5 percent increase compared to 2016, adding that there was a 22 percent increase in international buyers. While 72 percent of buyers were from domestic companies, more than a quarter of total buyers were from outside of the U.S., coming from 79 countries.

“We take pride in our hard work to make Global Pet Expo a unique and rewarding opportunity for attendees each and every year,” said Darmohraj. “With new exhibiting companies, new innovative products from repeat exhibitors and even changes to the floor layout, we strive to provide the most beneficial experience to all each year.”

In total, there were 1,130 exhibiting companies—including 270 first-time exhibitors—accounting for more than 3,437 booths. Twenty-seven percent of the exhibitors were international, making up 305 of the 1,130 exhibitors, an increase of about 30 percent from the previous year. 

Here is a look at some news that came out of the show:

​Petrageous Designs Stays Busy

Petrageous Designs released a number of items at the Global Pet show, including stainless steel bowls, a 6-SKU collection of lightweight bowls designed to be durable, easy-to-clean and eye-catching. There are two styles, each with three capacity options. The white/gray combination and the gray/black combination come in a 1.75-, 3.75- and 6.5-cup capacity. Suggested retail prices range from $6.99-$14.99.

“What makes them unique is their perfect mix of function and style,” said Gretchen George, president of the Burlington, Mass.-based company. “The non-slip TPE is designed to prevent the bowls from slipping or scratching while offering a unique and modern look. The TPE hugs the exterior of these bowls offering a sleek and decorative pattern.

“Our Fiji Stainless Steel Bowls are ahead of the curve in the stainless steel bowl evolution,” she added. “The use of the non-slip material as a functional and decorative feature is truly unique. These bowls are specifically designed to coordinate with modern kitchen décor. Additionally, they are easy to merchandise. They can simply be nested on a shelf to save space. They are lightweight and durable so they can be stacked quite high.”

​Multipet Smells Great

Multipet International introduced the Aroma Dog, a lavender-infused dog toy that omits the scent of lavender inside the squeaker. Company officials said the scent of lavender has been proven to relax dogs, especially on long car rides, trips to the vet or when the animal is home alone. The six SKUs in the line have a suggested retail price between $6.99-$12.99.

The company is also coming out with a new look for its popular Lambchop dog toy. The new item features Lambchop facing forward, creating a more classic look for the toy. The Moonachie, N.J.-based company also introduced the Groom Genie pet nail file. According to Leslie Yellin, executive vice president at Multipet, the nail file fits into the palm of the hand and is designed to make it easier for the consumer to maintain the proper nail length of their dogs. 

“It is going to change the way consumers look at clipping their dogs nails,” Yellin noted. “All of these products are designed to help our retailer partners continue their success with the pet care category and our brand. We want to keep offering retailers the opportunity to generate turns and keep their sets exciting.”

Groom-Me with Conair

Conair Corp. is bringing Groom-Me, a brush for dogs, to the marketplace. The products in the 6-SKU line are a bristle brush, gentle slicker brush, slicker brush, shampoo massage brush, curry comb and a metal pin brush. The brushes each have a suggested retail price of $4.79. 

“These products are designed to increase the bond between the pet owner and the pet,” said John Vasone, national sales manager for the East Windsor, N.J.-based company. “There is a tool here for every aspect of grooming a pet. A well-groomed dog is a happy dog.”

Vasone added that Conair’s long reputation with consumers as a company that produces quality hair care products for humans is going to help Groom-Me and other company pet products. “We have a great reputation with women between the ages of 25 and 55 through our personal care division,” he noted. “These are the same people shopping the pet category at supermarkets. It will help build sales.”

​WellPet Acquires WHIMZEES

WellPet acquired WHIMZEES, a Netherlands-based maker of natural dental chews for dogs.

“We’ve long admired the work of WHIMZEES, its commitment to innovation and passion for bringing only the best, highest-quality natural products to pets globally. And, it’s no secret that our team members’ dogs love them,” says WellPet CEO, Camelle Kent. “This is a major growth opportunity for WellPet, and an exciting one. Natural dental chews today represent a significant and fast-growing segment of the treats market, and WHIMZEES is an established leader in this category. More importantly, we share the same vision and culture, aiming to provide the best, healthiest and most fun dog products to the world in a sustainable, socially-responsible way.”

WHIMZEES joins Wellness, Old Mother Hubbard, Eagle Pack, Holistic Select and Sojos in the list of companies acquired by Tewksbury, Mass.-based WellPet.

“WellPet brings more resources for us internationally, which means more fun for pets,” added WHIMZEES founder and CEO, Wim Pater. “We’re thrilled about our new collaboration and see WellPet helping WHIMZEES grow to serve more pet families and bring more health, happiness and fun to dogs everywhere.” WHIMZEES will continue its operations in the Netherlands.

​21st Century Animal Healthcare Launches Calm Paws

21st Century Animal HealthCare launched Calm Paws, a natural calming support product line. The Calm Paws products include gel patches, collars and disks, and are compatible with Calm Paws e-collars. The products are meant to help post-surgery and stress-related behaviors in dogs and cats.

The products were a response to a collaboration with e-collar manufacturers and a nationwide survey of veterinarians that found better recovery collars are needed, according to Colin Brodie, vice president of marketing at Tempe, Ariz.-based 21st Century Animal HealthCare. 

“We discovered vets desired recovery collar improvements addressing compliance, comfort, fit, ease of drinking and durability,” said Brodie. “Our company launched a collar and calming initiative to study research and design better alternatives for collar selection and calming support for dogs and cats.

“As part of our calming initiative, we did extensive clinical trials to ensure the efficacy of our Calm Paws purified essential oil blend,” he added. “Dog products use a proprietary blend of valerian and lavender oils and cat products use an extract of Nepeta cateria.”

Calm Paws also offers “glow-in-the-dark” calming disks that can be paired with the pet’s regular collar, harness or inflatable collar, as well as essential oil blend collars that use the same blend as the gel patch and disk.

“We know the pet industry wants premium alternatives and a variety of options in collar selection and calming behavior support,” he said.

Hyper Pet Acquires Aussie Naturals, Outback Jack, Wild Eats

Hyper Pet acquired three ABO Gear brands: Aussie Naturals, Outback Jack and Wild Eats. 

“This expansion is great news for Hyper Pet and provides us the opportunity to strengthen our product offerings in the all-natural, eco-friendly and dog treat categories, among others,” said Wichita, Kan.-based Hyper Pet CEO Tim Blurton. “We were very impressed by the innovation behind ABO Gear’s product development and design and know they’ll fit perfectly into our growing range of products that work to strengthen the bond between pets and their owners.”

Julian Morton, founder and entrepreneur behind ABO Gear, will continue with the company, focusing on product development and sales. “This deal was a great match for our complementary brands and will bring significant benefits from Hyper Pet’s infrastructure and strong customer relationships,” said Morton.

“We have admired Julian’s business for some time and are now delighted to bring his brands under the Hyper Pet umbrella,” said Peter Haabestad, managing partner of Guardian Captial Partners, the private equity sponsor backing Hyper Pet.