Attending SUPERZOO 2025? – It is a great Opportunity! But….You Need a Plan!

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SUPERZOO is stronger than ever. With 1230+ exhibitors, over 20,000 expected attendees and 1000+ new products in the New Product Showcase, plus many more on the show floor, SUPERZOO 2025 is literally packed with opportunities. To help attendees in working this huge show there are targeted floor sections to better focus their time on the show floor. One thing is unchanged. There is a huge array of exhibitors in every product category.

Consider these 2025 SUPERZOO facts:

  • 1225 exhibitors as of 7/26, with 22 uncommitted booths to be filled from a large waiting list
  • 7 “Targeted” Floor Sections: Natural & Health; Specialty & Lifestyle; Groomers; Live Animals; Emerging Brands; Farm & Feed; International
  • 318,000+ sq ft of exhibitor booths; Plus, a 32,000 sq ft New Products Showcase
  • SuperZoo Education: Seminars on Retail and Grooming – 100 hours; 53 sessions…plus show floor talks/demos
  • Over 5 miles of aisles – just to walk the exhibit floor.

Whew! This show is huge. The show floor is open for 22 hours so…Let’s “Do the Math!”

 If you don’t attend any seminars, visit the New Product Showcase, stop to chat with anyone in the aisles or for food, a drink or to go to the bathroom and maintain a walking speed of 2.5 mph…

You can spend… 59 SECONDS …with each exhibitor…You definitely need a plan!

With a higher concentration of Pet retailer attendees and a commitment to groomers, there are subtle differences between SUPERZOO and GPE.  However, like GPE, SUPERZOO has attendees from every major retail channel and attracts a multitude of exhibitors and attendees from around the globe.

Despite the variety of offerings to fill an attendee’s time, SUPERZOO is still primarily about Pet Products. New Products are critical to maintaining and growing any business so you must take the time to visit the new product area. Knowledge is power so you should also sign up for any relevant classes. Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know that matters most. This makes networking with other industry professionals a priority.

Every business can improve in terms of products. If you are a retailer, what sections of your store are not doing as well as you hoped and need a “facelift” or conversely, what areas are growing and need products to fill additional space? Category managers for distributors and retail chains may only be interested in targeted visits to exhibitors relevant to their “categories”. Representatives may be looking for new manufacturers…in specific product categories. Manufacturers could be looking to find distributors to handle their products or just looking to “check out” the competition. In regard to products, there is always something to see…for everyone! Plus, there are over 600 Exhibitors at SZ 25 that weren’t at GPE 25.

SUPERZOO is a great place to review products but Business Services, everything from Private label to POS, have also become increasingly important. In fact, 2 out of every 9 exhibitors offers some type of Business Service. Attendees can now “Leave no stone unturned” in their quest for business success. SUPERZOO is about gathering information and making decisions to improve your business – whether they are made on the spot or put on your “must do” list. Your only real limitation is time. How do you make the most effective use of your time on the show floor? Here’s a suggestion.

Use the Super Search Exhibitor Visit Planner to make SUPERZOO easier and more productive. I initially designed it in 2014 and have updated the data and produced a new version for every GPE and SUPERZOO since then…including SZ 2025.

The “update” is not just exhibitor lists but also to the product category offerings for every exhibitor. I reviewed every exhibitor profile on the show site, but I also visited over 1200 websites and conducted separate internet searches to “validate” their product offerings. It is not 100% accurate, but it is close.

What does the Super Search do?…It searches for and produces a list of Exhibitors by product categories.

  • From the simplest – “give me a list that I can look at on my phone or tablet in either Booth # order or alphabetically”
  • To the most complex…”can do a simultaneous search for multiple specific product categories, allowing you to personally narrow down the initial results and see the “final” alphabetically or by booth number. The SUPERZOO Super Search Exhibitor Visit Planner does both…and more…and does it quickly!

Take a look at the Updated Quick Start Guide. You will see that it looks complex but is really quite simple.

SUPERZOO 2025 Super Search Exhibitor Visit Planner – Quick Start Guide

First: When you download the Excel file, Remember to Enable Editing & Macros!

The SZ 2025 Super Search Exhibitor visit planner is designed to make your time on the show floor more efficient and more productive. With the Super Search you can conduct up to 5 separate and distinct product category searches simultaneously with consolidated results produced in booth # order to facilitate your “journey”. There are detailed instructions for reference and to help you understand the nuances of the tool. However, it is really very simple so let’s get started. Here is the Dashboard where you set up your searches. ↓

On the dashboard, the first things to note are the numerous category columns. There are 7 separate floor sections, 11 different Exhibitor or Animal Types and 33 Dog and/or Cat Product categories. You can search exhibitors for any combination of these.

Let’s take a specific example running 3 simultaneous searches for several Dog/Cat categories:

  • Toys
  • Treats
  • Catnip & Litter (Must sell both)

Now referring to the Dashboard, let’s take it by the numbers:

  • This column is where you activate each search. Type in a “Y” (Cells C3>C7 will auto-capitalize) This search “line” becomes active.(cell turns green) In our example we are running 3 searches, so we have 3 “Y”s.
  • Now we enter a 1 in the correct column for each search line. Search Line 1: Toys; Search Line 2: Treats.
  • In Search Line 3 we want exhibitors that sell both Catnip and Litter, so we put a 1 in both of these columns.
  • Now we just “click” the Execute Search Button. The searches are done simultaneously, and the results combined into a single list in alphabetical order.
  • If you would like to view the list in Booth # order, just click the Booth # Sort.
  • You can switch the list back to an alpha view by clicking the Alpha Sort Button.
  • To Clear all your search categories and start a new search, click the Clear Criteria Button. Then click Execute (#4) again and you will be back to the full list

Note: Any Search Line with a Y and no 1’s in any column will always deliver the entire list regardless of what is selected in other lines. Change the Y back to an N in unused search lines. Now a sample of the results:

Company A – Has Toys Only; Company B has Dog Treats Only and is also a “Startup”; Company C is on the list for Treats and also has Catnip, but no Litter. This is not unusual as Catnip is often a Treat; Company D has Treats & Toys. Company E has both Catnip and Litter and in fact, actually has it all!

Note: The Super Search highlights your search categories, so you know “why you are there”. However, it also shows all categories that are available. Some might “pique” your interest while you are visiting the booth.

You can review the exhibitors alphabetically then put the list in Booth # order to make it easier to “work”. The Super Search also allows you to “cut down” the list during your review. (Pg 2; Point #11 – “U Pick ‘em” in Detailed Instructions) But First, I suggest that you “play” with the Super Search to get a “feel” for the tool, and then review the Detailed Instructions. With your “play” experience, the detailed instructions will become a “quick read” and a valuable reference. You’ll soon be “up to speed” on the full capabilities of Super Search.

Good Luck and Good “Hunting” at SZ 2025.

Use the links below to download The 7/28 Super Search (Be Sure to Enable editing/macros/content), the Quick Start Guide and the Detailed Instructions. Then GET STARTED!  

Download Quick Start Guide

(To save the PDF to your computer Right Click the download link and select “Save Link As…”)

Download Detailed Instructions

(To save the PDF to your computer Right Click the download link and select “Save Link As…”)

Download SZ 25 Super Search Final

(For the Excel file to work on your computer, be sure to enable macros/editing/content if asked.)

Note: The SZ 25 Super Search will be regularly updated with exhibitor changes. Look for the date in the file name to ensure that you are using the latest version.

There were some exhibitor changes since our 8/2 publication. There are no open booths, so this should be the “Final” version. The specifics of the changes since 8/2 are:

  • 4 Exhibitors dropped out:
    • #3000 American Kennel Club
    • #4373 Charlotte’s Web
    • #10966 PAWTASTICGRAM
    • #1616 Pupwell
  • An Exhibitor was added to an existing booth (Orange highlight)
    • #1315 is now Evolution Dog Wash/Groomer’s Choice (Groomer’s Choice was added)
  • 4 New Exhibitors were added (Green highlight)
    • #9274 EB General Bottle/Creative
    • #3001 Groom Curriculum
    • #9174 EB The Vet’s Dog
    • #3000 World Alliance of Grooming Associations (WAGA)

Note: The changes from 7/26 to 8/2 are still highlighted – light blue for new exhibitors and beige for moves and name changes.

Petflation 2025 – June Update: Slows to +2.1% vs Last Year

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The monthly Consumer Price Index peaked back in June 2022 at 9.1% then began to slow until it turned up in Jul/Aug 2023. Prices fell in Oct>Dec 23, then turned up Jan>Oct 24 but fell -0.1% in Nov. However, they have now risen for 7 straight months, including a 0.3% lift in June to a new record high. The CPI vs 24 also increased to +2.7% from +2.4% in May. Grocery prices rose 0.2% from May and YOY inflation grew from 2.2% to 2.4%. Even minor price changes can affect consumer pet spending, especially in the discretionary pet segments, so we will continue to publish monthly reports to track petflation as it evolves in the market.

Petflation was +4.1% in Dec 21 while the overall CPI was +7.0%. The gap narrowed as Petflation accelerated and reached 96.7% of the national rate in June 22. National inflation has slowed considerably since then, but Petflation generally increased until June 23. It passed the CPI in July 22 but fell below it from Apr>Jul 24. It exceeded the CPI in August, fell below in Sep>Oct, rose above in Nov, then fell below in Dec>Jun 25. As we drill into the data, all reports will include:

  • A rolling 24 month tracking of the CPI for all pet segments and the national CPI. The base number will be pre-pandemic December 2019 in this and future reports, which will facilitate comparisons.
  • Monthly comparisons of 25 vs 24 which will include Pet Segments and relevant Human spending categories. Plus
    1. CPI change from the previous month.
    2. Inflation changes for recent years (23>24, 22>23, 21>22, 20>21, 19>20, 18>19)
    3. Total Inflation for the current month in 2025 vs 2019 and vs 2021 to see the full inflation surge.
    4. Average annual Year Over Year inflation rate from 2019 to 2025
  • YTD comparisons
    1. YTD numbers for the monthly comparisons #2>4 above

In our first graph we will track the monthly change in prices for the 24 months from June 23 to June 25. We will use December 2019 as a base number so we can track the progress from pre-pandemic times through an eventual recovery. This chart is designed to give you a visual image of the flow of pricing. You can see the similarities and differences in segment patterns and compare them to the overall U.S. CPI. The year-end numbers from 12 and 24 months earlier are included. We also included and highlighted (pink) the cumulative price peak for each segment. In June, Pet prices were up 0.2% from May. All but Supplies were up – Food (+0.8%); Vet (+0.01%); Services (+0.9%); Supplies (-0.8%)

In June 23, the CPI was +18.7% and Pet was +21.8%. The Services segments inflated after mid-20, while Product inflation stayed low until late 21. In 22, Food prices grew but the others had mixed patterns until July 22, when all rose. In Aug>Oct Petflation took off. In Nov>Dec, Services & Food inflated while Vet & Supplies prices stabilized. In Jan>Apr 23, prices grew every month for all segments except for 1 Supplies dip. In May Product prices grew while Services slowed. In Jun/Jul this reversed. In Aug all but Services fell. In Sep/Oct this flipped. In Nov, all but Food & Vet fell. In Dec, Supp. & Vet  drove prices up. In Jan>Mar 24 prices grew. In April, prices in all but Vet fell. In May, all but Food grew. In June, Products drove a lift. In July, all but Services fell. In Aug, Food drove a drop. In Sep, Products fueled a drop. Services drove a lift in Oct. In Nov, all were up. Prices dropped in March 25, but all but Food set records in May and/or June.

  • U.S. CPI – The inflation rate was below 2% through 2020. It turned up in January 21 and continued to grow until flattening out in Jul>Dec 22. Prices rose Jan>Sep 23, fell Oct>Dec, rose Jan>Oct 24, fell Nov, then rose Dec>Jun 25 to a record high but 26.7% of the increase since Dec 19 happened from Jan>Jun 22 – 9.1% of the time.
  • Pet Food – Prices were at the Dec 19 level from Apr 20>Sep 21. Then they grew & peaked May 23. Jun>Aug ↓, Sep>Nov↑, Dec>Feb↓, Mar↑, Apr>May↓, June↑, Jul>Oct↓, Nov↑, Dec↓, Jan>Feb↑, Mar>May↓, Jun↑. 99% of the increase was in 22/23.
  • Pet Supplies – Supplies prices were high in Dec 19 due to tariffs. They had a deflated rollercoaster ride until mid-21 when they returned to Dec 19 prices & essentially stayed there until 22. They turned up in Jan and hit a record high. They plateaued Feb>May, grew in June, flattened in July, then turned up in Aug>Oct to a new record. Prices stabilized in Nov>Dec but grew in Jan>Feb 23. They fell in Mar, but the rollercoaster continued with Dec>Feb 24↑, Mar/Apr↓, May/Jun↑, July↓, Aug↑, Sep/Oct↓ & Nov/Dec↑, Jan>Feb 25↓, Mar>May↑(record), June↓.
  • Pet Services– Inflation is usually 2+%. Perhaps due to closures, prices increased at a lower rate in 2020. In 2021 consumer demand increased but with fewer outlets. Inflation grew in 21 with the biggest lift in Jan>Apr. Inflation was strong in 22 but prices got on a rollercoaster in Mar>Jun. They turned up Jul>Apr 23 but prices fell in May. Jun>Aug↑, Sep>Dec↓, Jan>Mar 24↑, Apr↓, May↑, June↓, Jul>Nov↑, Dec>Mar 25↓, Apr>Jun↑, a new record!
  • Veterinary – Inflation has been consistent. Prices turned up in Mar 20 and grew through 21. A surge began in Dec 21 which put them above the overall CPI. In May 22 prices fell and stabilized in June causing them to fall below the CPI. However, prices rose again and despite some dips they have stayed above the CPI since July 22. In 23>25 prices grew Jan>May 23, leveled Jun/Jul, fell Aug, grew Sep>Dec, fell Jan 24, grew Feb>May, fell Jun>Jul, grew Aug>Jun 25.
  • Total Pet – Petflation is a sum of the segments. In Dec 21 the price surge began. In Mar>Jun 22 the segments had ups & downs, but Petflation grew from Jul>Nov. It slowed in Dec, grew Jan>May 23 (record), fell Jun>Aug, grew Sep/Oct, then fell in Nov. In December prices turned up and grew through Mar 24 to a record high. Prices fell in April, rose May>Jun, fell Jul>Sep, rose Oct>Nov, fell in Dec, rose Jan>Feb 25, fell Mar, then set records in Apr>Jun.

Next, we’ll turn our attention to the Year Over Year inflation rate change for June and compare it to last month, last year and to previous years. We will also show total inflation from 21>25 & 19>25. Petflation slowed from 2.2% to 2.1% and it is even further below the National inflation rate (now by -22.2%). The chart will allow you to compare the inflation rates of 24>25 to 23>24 and other years but also see how much of the total inflation since 2019 came from the current pricing surge. We’ve included some human categories to put the pet numbers into perspective.

Overall, prices were up 0.3% from May and were +2.7% vs June 24, up from +2.4% last month. Grocery inflation grew to 2.4% from 2.2%. Only 1 had a price decrease from last month. This is up from 0 in May but down from 2 in April. There were also 2 drops in Oct/Nov but 3 in Aug/Sep/Dec/Mar and 5 back in July 24. The national YOY monthly CPI rate of 2.7% is up from 2.4%, but 10% below the 23>24 & 22>23 rates and 70% less than 21>22. The 24>25 rate is above 23>24 for 3 – Groceries, Medical Services & Total Pet. In our 2021>2025 measurement you also can see that over 75% of the cumulative inflation since 2019 has occurred in 4 segments, all Pet – all but Services (close at 74.5%). Except for Pet & Vet Services, where prices have surged, Service Segments have generally had higher inflation rates so there was a smaller pricing lift in the recent surge. Pet Products have a very different pattern. The 21>25 inflation surge actually provided 104% of their overall inflation since 2019. This happened because Pet Products prices in 2021 were starting to recover from a deflationary period. Services expenditures account for 63.8% of the National CPI so they are very influential. Their current CPI is +3.8% while the CPI for Commodities is 0.6%. This shows that Services are driving almost all of the current 2.7% inflation. There is an even greater disparity in Pet, but products have a bigger share of $. Petflation is 2.1%. The combined CPI for the Service Segments is 5.6%, while the Pet Products CPI is -0.5%.

  • U.S. CPI– Prices are +0.3% from May. The YOY increase is 2.7%, up from 2.4%. It peaked at +9.1% back in June 2022. The targeted inflation rate is <2% so we are 35+% higher than the target. The Apr>Jun lifts follow Feb/Mar drops, 4 straight lifts and 6 consecutive drops from Apr>Sep 24. The current rate is below 23>24 but the 21>25 rate is still +18.7%, 72.2% of the total inflation since 2019. The Inflation surge took off in April 2021, +4.2%, up from 2.6%.
  • Pet Food– Prices are +0.8% vs May and -0.3% vs June 24. YOY deflation slowed from -0.5% in May. However, they are still far below the Food at Home inflation rate of +2.4%. The YOY Pet Food CPI has now deflated in 15 of the last 16 months. The 2021>2025 inflation surge has generated 98.7% of the 23.3% inflation since 2019. Inflation began for Pet Food in June 2021, +0.9%, after 12 straight deflationary months.
  • Food at Home – Prices are +0.2% from May, and the YOY increase rose to 2.4% from 2.2%. This is still radically lower than Jul>Sep 2022 when it exceeded 13%. The 29.7% Inflation for this category since 2019 is 15% more than the national CPI but only in 4th place behind 3 Services expenditures (2 Pet). 72.7% of the inflation since 2019 occurred from 2021>25. This is about the same as the CPI, but we should note that Grocery prices began inflating in 2020>21 then the rate accelerated. It appears that the pandemic supply chain issues in Food which contributed to higher prices started early and foreshadowed problems in other categories and the overall CPI surge.
  • Pets & Supplies– Prices were -0.8% from May and the CPI flipped to -0.1% from 1.7%. They still have the lowest rate vs 2019. Prices were deflated for much of 20>21. As a result, the 2021>25 inflation surge accounted for 124% of the total price increase since 2019. Prices set a record in October 2022 then deflated. 3 lifts pushed them to a record high in Feb 23. Prices fell March, rose Apr/May, fell Jun>Aug, grew Sep/Oct, fell Nov, grew Dec>Feb 24, fell Mar/Apr, rose May/Jun, fell July, rose Aug, fell Sep/Oct, rose Nov/Dec, fell Jan/Feb 25, rose Mar>May. (new record), then fell in June.
  • Veterinary Services– Prices are only +0.01% from May, but their YOY CPI vs 24 grew to +6.1% from +5.6%. They remain #1 in inflation vs 24 and are still the leader since 2019 with +47.0% and since 2021, +35.3%. For Veterinary, high annual inflation is the norm. However, the rate has increased during the current surge, especially since 23. They have the highest rate in 25, and 75% of the cumulative inflation since 2019 occurred from 2021>25.
  • Medical Services – Prices turned sharply up at the start of the pandemic but then inflation slowed and fell to a low rate in 20>21. Prices were up +0.6% from May and inflation vs 24 grew to +3.4% in June from +3.0% in May. Medical Services are not a big part of the current surge as only 58.7% of the 18.9%, 2019>25 increase happened from 21>25.
  • Pet Services – Inflation slowed in 20 but grew in 21. In 24 prices surged Jan>Mar, fell in April, rose in May, fell in June, rose Jul>Nov, fell Dec>Mar 25 to 3.9%, grew to 5.4% in Apr, fell to 4.9% in May, then rose to 5.9% in June. They are #2 in YOY inflation vs 24 and vs 21 & 19. 74.5% of their total 19>25 inflation is from 21>25. In Dec 23, it was 49%.
  • Haircuts/Other Personal Services – Prices are +0.6% from May and +3.8% from June 24. 13 of the last 18 months have been 4.0+%. Inflation has been pretty consistent. 66.8% of the 19>25 inflation happened 21>25.
  • Total Pet– Petflation slowed to 2.1% from 2.2% in May. Services had higher rates while Products deflated. 2.1% is 5.0% more than the 23>24 rate but 22.2% below the U.S. CPI. Plus, 2.1% is 32% below the average June Pet rate since 1997. June prices rose 2% from May, driven by all but Supplies. A May>Jun increase has happened in 70% of the years since 1997 (avg Chge: +0.2%, equal to 2025). The Pet CPI slowed from 2.2% to 2.1%, a 4.5% decrease. A key factor in the small 25 CPI drop was that prices rose 0.3% in May>Jun 24, compared to a 0.2% lift in 25. In 2025, we continue to move towards more normal spending patterns.

Now, let’s look at the YTD numbers.

The 24>25 rate is lower than 23>24 for all but Medical Services, Pet Supplies & Groceries. The 22>23 inflation rate was the highest for all pet categories but Supplies. 21>22 has the highest rate for Pet Supplies, Groceries, Haircuts and the National CPI. The average national inflation in the 6 years since 2019 is 3.9%. Only 3 of the categories are below that rate – Medical Services (2.9%), Pet Supplies (1.9%) and Pet Food (3.6%). It is no surprise that Veterinary Services has the highest average rate (6.6%), but all 4 other categories are +4.3% or higher.

  • U.S. CPI – The 24>25 rate is 2.6%, down 19% from 23>24, but it is down 47% from 22>23, 68.7% less than 21>22 and 33.3% below the average increase from 2019>2025. However, it’s still 79% more than the average increase from 2018>20. 78% of the 25.9% inflation since 2019 occurred from 2021>25. Inflation is a problem that started recently.
  • Pet Food – Ytd prices are still deflating, -0.5%, the same as May, but up from -1.1% in Jan. That’s a big change from 1.3% in 23>24, 14.2% in 22>23 and even the 1.7% 18>20 average. It’s even below the deflation in 20>21. Pet Food has the highest 22>23 rate but is only #5 in the 21>25 rates. Deflation in the 1st half of 2021 kept YTD prices low then they surged in 22 and especially in 23. 94% of the inflation since 2019 occurred from 2021>25.
  • Food at Home – The inflation rate is up 91% from 23>24 but at 2.1%, it is down 73% from 22>23, 79% from 21>22 and even 5% less than 20>21. However, it is still 8% more than the average rate from 2018>20. It is only in 4th place for the highest inflation since 2019 but still beat the U.S. CPI by 12%. You can see the impact of supply chain issues on the Grocery category as 78% of the inflation since 2019 occurred from 2021>25.
  • Pets & Pet Supplies – A true roller coaster, prices rose Jan>Feb 24, fell Mar>Apr, rose May>Jun, fell July, rose Aug, fell Sep>Oct, rose Nov>Dec, fell Jan>Feb 25, then rose Mar>May. Prices vs 24 flipped from inflation to deflation in June. Supplies still have the lowest inflation since 2019. The biggest YOY lifts since 2019 were in 22 & 23. The 2021 deflation created an unusual situation. Prices are up 11.9% from 2019 but 115% of this lift happened from 21>25. Prices are up 13.7% from their 2021 “bottom”.
  • Veterinary Services – Inflation was high in 2019 and steadily grew until it took off in late 2022. The rate may have peaked in 2023, but it is still going strong in 2025, +6.3%, the highest on the chart. They are also #1 in inflation since 2019 and since 2021. At +6.6%, they have the highest average inflation rate since 2019. It is 1.7 times higher than the National Average but 2.3 times higher than the Inflation average for Medical Services. Strong Inflation is the norm in Veterinary Services.
  • Medical Services – Prices went up significantly at the beginning of the pandemic, but inflation slowed in 2021. In 2025 it is 3.0%, just slightly above the 2.9% 2019>25 average rate. However, it is being measured against 2024 which had the 2nd lowest Ytd June rate since 2019.
  • Pet Services – After falling in late 2023, prices surged in 2024, then fell in 2025 until an Apr>Jun resurgence. The 24>25 inflation rate of 5.0% is 2nd, behind Veterinary on the chart. It is only their 4th highest rate, but it is 1.3 times higher than their 2018>21 average rate. Pet Services is also 2nd in both 19>25 and 21>25 inflation.
  • Haircuts & Personal Services – The services segments, essential & non-essential, were hit hardest by the pandemic. The industry responded by raising prices. 2025 inflation is 4.2%, 22% below its 21 peak, but 31% above the 18>20 average. Consumers are paying over 30% more than in 2019, which usually reduces the purchase frequency.
  • Total Pet – 2025 Petflation is 2.0%, the same as May but 31% less than 23>24. It’s even 10% lower than the 2018>21 avg rate. Plus, it is 23% below the CPI. Petflation is still at its lowest rate since early 2021. This was primarily driven by deflation in Pet Products and lower inflation in Services. However, in Apr>Jun, Pet prices have generally turned up

The Petflation recovery paused in Aug, came back Sep>Oct, paused in Nov, resumed in Dec>Jan, paused in Feb, restarted in Mar, paused in Apr>May, but “sort of” restarted in June. We tend to focus on monthly YOY inflation while ignoring one critical fact. Inflation is cumulative. Pet prices are 24.2% above 2021 and 28.5% higher than 2019. Those are big lifts. In fact, current June Pet prices for both Service segments & Total Pet are the highest in history. Note: Product prices are within 1.1% of their record high. Only Supplies prices (+11.6%) are less than 23.3% higher than 2019. Since price/value is the biggest driver in consumer spending, inflation will affect the Pet Industry. Services will be the least impacted as it is driven by high income CUs. Veterinary will see a reduction in visit frequency. The product segments will see a more complex reaction. Supplies will likely see a reduction in purchase frequency and some Pet Parents may even downgrade their Pet Food. Products will see a strong movement to online purchasing and private label. At SZ 24 and GPE 24 & 25, a huge number of exhibitors actively offered their OEM services. We’ll see the same at SZ 25. Strong, cumulative inflation has a widespread impact, but tarifflation can hit even harder. Supplies would likely be the most impacted by new high tariffs. We’ll see…

 

SUPERZOO 2025 – Super Charge Your Business!

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SUPERZOO 2025 is only 4 weeks away. You will see in this advance look that the Pet Industry is even stronger than ever as SUPERZOO 25 reflects the ever-increasing record level of Pet Products & Services sales.

The pandemic fueled the strong growth of Pet Products sales on the internet, which has continued because of value and convenience. However, most of these $ are coming from proven products. Buyers of all kinds, from consumers to chain store executives, prefer to make in person buying decisions on new pet items. That’s what makes in person trade shows so important. You will clearly see this at SUPERZOO 2025 with an incredibly strong influx of new exhibitors.

Currently SUPERZOO 2025 has 1209 exhibitors. That is by far a new record. However, it will go even higher. There are currently 29 uncommitted booths. 19 are in the International and Emerging Brands sections. These groups are often slow to commit. However, there is no doubt that SUPERZOO 25 will have a full house of over 1230 exhibitors. Because the WPA was able to add more booth space, they are able to handle the huge influx of new exhibitors. This added space also allowed some exhibitors to fulfill their desire to have bigger booths. SUPERZOO 25 will be truly “SUPER”!

So how big is the SUPERZOO 25 “full house”? There are 318,000 sq ft of booths, a 32,000 sq ft New Products Showcase, with over 1000 items, and 15,000 sq ft devoted to 38 Show Floor Education and demonstration sessions. There are also 53 educational sessions on grooming or business subjects in separate rooms off of the show floor. Combined, these sessions offer over 120 hours of valuable education. This is a great opportunity for the expected 10,000+ buyers but also a challenge. They need to make a plan to take full advantage of the amazing strength of SUPERZOO 25. Total attendance including Buyers, Exhibitors, Media/Guests is expected to be 20,000+. The show will be crowded.

New is always a focus at Pet Trade shows. That also applies to exhibitors. At SUPERZOO 2025:

  • 447 Exhibitors weren’t at SZ24
  • 633 weren’t at GPE25
  • And 417 didn’t do either show

Plus, over 460 are SUPERZOO 1st Timers and 365 haven’t done any other major pet show, at least from 2019>2025. Those are some strong arguments for attending SUPERZOO 2025. It is definitely a “must do” for all Pet Industry participants. Now, let’s look at some specifics of what you will see there. While a change in the booth count is important, I suggest that you also note the changes in the share of booths. Changes in this measurement will indicate how a particular group or product category is performing relative to other groups. This will help identify key trends in the industry – both positive and negative. This can be very important in corporate decision making.

First, we’ll look at the overall show floor in terms of specialized sections.

  • Because they help guide attendees’ time on the huge show floor, special sections are very important. They exceeded 50% of SUPERZOO booths for the 1st time in 2021. They are up 18% from 2024 and now 62% of all booths.
  • Natural & Health are the unquestioned biggest trends in Pet Products. WPA combined them in 2022. They almost always go together so it makes sense to put them in one section. Natural has been the biggest section for years. They are up 15% in count and now account for 29.8% of all exhibitors.
  • After years of drops, Specialty & Lifestyle (Fashion) gained share, +0.3% – a big turnaround.
  • Live Animals had a 12% lift in booths. This is an important section as non-dog/cat pets started the industry.
  • Feed & Farm was stable in count, largely because poultry products have become part of the mainstream.
  • Grooming is a major focus of SUPERZOO. This section lost ground and dropped from 2nd to 3rd
  • The International Pavilion exploded in growth and reflects the importance of 250+ exhibitors from outside the U.S.
  • The big lift by Emerging Brands shows the importance of new although many new companies choose a special section/open floor to have a bigger booth. In fact, 1st Time SZ exhibitors occupy 38% of booths at the show.

Now let’s look at the Exhibitors by type, including animal.

  • 4 classifications have more exhibitors, but only Business Services gained share.
  • In terms of Animals, there are still plenty of exhibitors offering products to cover every need for Pet Parents of all animal types. Dogs are still the “Pet Kings”. They lost 2.8% in share but are still found in 4 of every 5 booths.
  • Business Services is again the exhibitor type leader. This segment includes companies that offer services to improve existing businesses and those that help in private label production – ingredients, packaging or finished products. In 2015 there were 65 SUPERZOO exhibitors in this category. In 2024 there were 212. In 2025, there was a huge 24% lift to 267. OEM services is the biggest driver. The recent inflation surge and cumulative high prices have made Private Label products very appealing to consumers. Retailers also usually make more profit.

Let’s take a closer look at the “Pet Royalty”. Here are the top 10 Dog and/or Cat Categories at SUPERZOO 2025.

  • This chart shows the performance by the top Cat & Dog products. In the top 5, only Treats grew in booths but all loss share. #6 > 10 had 3 with increases in count but only 2 – Food & Waste Pickup, gained share.
  • Waste pickup replaced Apparel at #10, the 1st change in the group since 2021. In the other 9, only 1 moved up and 1 down one spot in ranking from 2024.
  • Treats & Meds/Supp secured their place in the top 2 spots and have 106 or more booths than #3.
  • Toys had -4.1% fewer booths and loss -2.1% in share but stayed #3 in rank.
  • Collars/Leads loss -5.3% in booths and -2.2% in share (the biggest) but stayed 4th in rank.
  • Feeding Accessories had a -2.7% loss in booths and a -1.6% loss in share but stayed 5th in ranking.
  • Food is the biggest $ producer and had a lift in both # & share. However, it stayed 6th in rank.
  • Grooming Tools only had 4 more booths and lost -0.5% in share but moved up to #7 from #8.
  • Beds & Mats had 13 fewer booths and lost -2.0% in share. They fell from #7 to #8.
  • Shampoos had no change in booths but a -0.8% share loss. They stayed #9.

SUPERZOO will have a Record Exhibitor count, and the house will be full. In 2025 the average SUPERZOO booth was 271 sq ft, basically 10’x30’. This is down -3.9% from 2024 but it is +36% from 200 sq ft in 2016. New exhibitors trend towards smaller booths. This allowed the WPA to find room for the surge in “new”. New and existing Products and Services are available to fill virtually every need or want of the attendees. Plus, the growing strength of targeted special floor sections, which helps attendees fulfill their primary needs along with a massive amount of educational sessions are 2 prime examples of the WPA’s ongoing efforts to continually improve the show.

997 exhibitors (82.5%) focus on Dog and/or Cat. Let’s take a closer look.

There will be many more Exhibitors at SUPERZOO 2025 than at 2024. Those offering Dog and/or Cat products grew by 51 (+5.4%) but the Dog/Cat share of exhibitors decreased slightly from 84.3% to 82.5%. However, Dogs and Cats remain the unquestioned “royalty” of the industry. Here are some of the changes from SUPERZOO 2024

  • 15 of 33 categories increased their number of exhibitors; 16 had decreases; 2 had no change
  • 4 categories increased their share of total exhibitors; 26 lost share; 3 No Change
  • Ranking changes: 11 up; 10 down; 12 no change

In terms of booth gains & losses, the Top 10 had 4 of the 15 increases. The biggest increase was 15 by the Pet Food category (#6). The Top 10 also had 5 of the 16 category decreases but Carriers/Crates had the biggest drop, -17.

When you look at share gains & losses, the Top 10 had 2 of the 4 gains. The biggest gain was only +0.6% by Stain/Odor/Cleaning. The Top 10 also had 8 of the 26 losses, including the largest, -2.2% by Collars & Leads. 9 other categories had drops over -1%, with 4 of -2%.

The Top 10 only had 2 of the 11 increases in rank & 1 of the 10 drops, but the biggest changes were outside the group.

All Dog & Cat product needs are much more than covered, with a lot of choices in each. We should also note that while the overall “Dog” share was -2.8%, 3 dog “driven” categories – Stain/Odor, Wipes & Waste Pickup all gained in share.

SUPERZOO again showcases what is “happening” in the Pet Industry and offers a great opportunity for Industry participants, both exhibitors and attendees, to drive the growth of their businesses. It still takes effort and commitment from everyone, but SUPERZOO 2025 is the surest bet in Las Vegas!

Finally, the chart below details the specifics for all 33 of the Dog/Cat product categories that I defined for the Super Search Exhibitor Visit Planner.  (Note: The SZ 2025 Super Search will be available at PetBusinessprofessor.com on 7/28.)