Archive for category: Pet Trade Shows

Global Pet Expo 2019 is complete. Once again, it met and exceeded our expectations. In this report we’ll do a brief summary and take a look at some significant product category trends that we saw.

As you all know, the show is so huge that it has become somewhat of an endurance test for the 6500 buyer attendees. Here are the specifics:

• 360,000 Square feet of booth space – Up from 357.700 in 2018 (+0.6%)
• 1173 Separate Exhibitor Booths – Down from 1184 in 2018 (-0.9%)
• 307 sq ft – Avg Booth Size – Up 1.6% from 2018
• 319 1^st Time exhibitors – Up from 301 in 2018 (6.0%)

The 10×20 size booth is still the most popular with 408 exhibitors but this is down 24 from 2018. The 10×20 size finished a strong second with 403, an increase of 14. However, the increase in the average booth size was driven by the group from 400 to 1500 square feet. There were 11 more booths in this range (+3.7%). The show has become so large, with over 5 miles of aisles, that an increased floor presence is becoming more needed to attract attendees. The industry depends on “new” to keep it vibrant and growing. The huge new product showcase and a strong presence of new exhibitors bodes well for the future.

First, let’s look at the exhibitor product offerings by type of animal. The following chart shows the share of total booths that each animal had at GPE 2019.

Dogs and Cats are obviously the royalty of the industry, but “Dogs Rule”. In fact, 5 out of 6 exhibitors are selling Dog products, while only 1 in 20 offers aquatic products. That’s quite a disparity. The chart shows where we are now, but it raises the obvious question, “Where have we come from?”. The following chart shows the change in exhibitor count by animal type from 2014 to 2019. For comparison purposes, it is ranked by percent change in the number of exhibitors. During this period the total GPE exhibitor booth count increased by 15.3%. Any animal type without at least a 15.3% increase in exhibitors lost share.

• Dogs may “rule”, but they had better watch their back. Cat products have by far the biggest growth of any animal type in both numbers and percentage.
• Only Cat, Horse and Dog products are gaining in share of exhibitors. All other animals are losing ground.
• The Fish products group is especially concerning with a 24% drop in the number of booths offering aquatic products.
• While mergers and acquisitions are definitely a factor, the number of exhibitors with products for the smaller “all other” animals is not growing.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the “Pet Royalty” – Dog & Cat Products. They truly are royalty and pervasive across the show floor. In fact, 1022 of the 1173 GPE exhibitors (87%) offered dog and/or cat products. Which product categories have shown the biggest growth in exhibitors since 2014? To answer this question, I ranked the 32 categories on my SuperSearch tool by 3 different criteria:

• Increase in # of exhibitors
• % increase in exhibitors
• Biggest gain in booth share

I combined and averaged the rankings and came up with the 12 biggest gainers in Dog & Cat Product Categories. There were other good performers but the “Dandy Dozen” in the chart below are the most outstanding. They are ranked by the increase in exhibitors offering products in the category.

In terms of these individual categories, the first thing that stands out is the truly amazing performance by the OTC Meds, Supplements and Therapeutic Devices. From 2014 to 2019 this category moved up from #6 to #2 in the total exhibitor count rankings. To put this into even better perspective, the increase of 140 exhibitors is greater than the total exhibitor count for all but 7 of the 32 dog & cat categories. Driven by the increased concern for the health and well being of their pet children and rapidly increasing Veterinary Services prices, this movement to self-medication is perhaps the biggest current trend in the industry. Another “symptom” of this condition has been the deep demographic penetration of the high nutrition, super premium foods. The influence of this category has also spilled over into other categories, like treats, as supplements are often given in treat form as well as certain wipes and dental products.

Other categories can also be bundled together to show a larger overall trend. Pet Parents are also concerned about the “outside” appearance of their pets. There are an increasing number of retail outlets that offer grooming services, but some consumers want to “do it themselves”. This is demonstrated by the strong performance by Grooming Tools, Shampoos and Wipes.

Another bundle deals with waste and cleanup. The 4 categories in this group are Waste Pickup (mainly poop bags), Stain, Odor & Cleaners, Litter Accessories and Training Pads/Diapers.

Cat products overall have had tremendous growth. They earned a share of the Toy category, but they are the biggest driver in Furniture and of course, Litter Accessories.

There is still room for some fun as Toys have had a big increase and of course many Doggie Dental Products are in the form of chew toys. Another fun category is Treats. Most Treats are not medications, they are primarily rewards. The Treat Category has remained firmly in the Number 1 spot for most exhibitors since 2014. In fact, they are 118 exhibitors ahead of second place, Meds & Supplements.

There is one other category that we should note, but it is not strictly in the product categories. It is a specific type of Exhibitor – Business Services. These exhibitors are not in the business of providing branded products for resale. They provide things like POS Services, Store Design and Fixturing, Grooming Equipment and Supplies for professionals and Private Label products. In today’s incredibly competitive world, retailers of all sizes are looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their business, offer 1 stop shopping, which includes pet services to broaden their consumer appeal and private label products that can differentiate them from the competition. There were 8 exhibitors in this classification at GPE 2014. In 2019 there were 71. That’s an increase of 63 (+778%). That’s a pretty strong trend.

As I look back at the winners listed in this report, I see 2 truly major trends since 2014 – The Wellness Products Trend which is illustrated by the growth of OTC Medications, Supplements and Therapeutic Devices and the amazing growth in the number of exhibitors offering Business Services. The spectacular performance by these 2 groups reflects both the needs and wants of consumers and the business needs of the attendees.

The premiere event of the U.S. pet industry gets under way on March 20^th. This is the 61^st show in a tradition that began in 1958. Both the show and the industry have grown spectacularly since then. In 1960 spending in the pet industry totaled $1.1B. In 2017 it was $77.1B, with $50B in Pet Products alone. Even accounting for inflation, pet spending has grown 80% faster than H/H income and twice as fast as H/H spending. The GPE began as the APPMA with 17 exhibitors in 30 booths. It now is approaching 1200 exhibitors who occupy over 355,000 square feet of booths plus a 30,000 square foot new product showcase.

However, like everything else, the industry’s growth was and is an evolutionary process. Perhaps, the most significant change was in our attitude towards our pets. Over the years they went from being pets to companion animals then to our pet children as pet parenting became the norm. Recently, this has gone a step further as we have personified and humanized our pets. We now project our needs to those of our pets.

The industry has also evolved as we saw the rise of pet chains and superstores and an explosion of “pet space” in mass market retailers which provided the room for the ever-growing product wants and needs of pet parents. The number of outlets selling pet supplies went from 86,000 in 1992 to over 200,000 today…plus the internet, which essentially has no limit on space. Where was GPE during this time? It was right there providing an efficient method for manufacturers to showcase their products and for attendees to view them and make informed choices to help them satisfy the growing demands of their customers…and build their businesses.

The growth has not been without traumatic events. In recent years we experienced the melamine recall which forever changed the consumers’ view of pet food. Of course, we can’t forget the great recession. The economic impact of this event focused the consumer on value (price + quality) in their buying decisions and they began to research before they buy. In 2017 the industry experienced a bit of a well disguised trauma. There was deflation in Pet products. Consumers recognized the value and spent $7.4B more on pet food and supplies. However, value comes with a price and the price was paid by manufacturers, distributors and retailers. We are now experiencing perhaps the most competitive market in history.

Some of the results of this competition are reflected in small changes at GPE. There have been a number of mergers and acquisitions and it is even tougher for new companies to get started. This has resulted in a slight drop in the actual number of exhibitor booths. However, the average booth size is up 5%. Every product that you’re looking for and plenty that you’ve never seen are at GPE, just merged into bigger spaces. Let’s take a look at what awaits you in Orlando:

First, some 2019 GPE “booth” facts: (Note: These numbers reflect committed booths as of 2/18/19 – more to come)

• 1134 booths – down 26 from the same time last year, but exhibitors are still opting in. Better late than never.
• 355,000+ sq ft of exhibit booth space (Not counting the 30,000 sq ft new product area)
• For the first time 20 x 10 is the most popular size – 394 (34.7%), reflecting the need for more space.
• Booths are also larger than 2017 – the “average” booth is over 315 sq ft, up 5% from 300 in 2018.
• Size matters – Booths 300 to 800 sq ft (27%) occupy 42% of the space. Those over 1000 sq ft (5%) cover 26%.

Will you see any new exhibitors or is it the usual group? The “usual” group is definitely there (773 from 2018) but…

• 361 (32%) of the GPE 2019 Exhibitors did not exhibit at GPE 2018 (1 in every 3 Exhibitors was not at GPE 2018!)

There are Specially Designated “Floor Sections” at GPE. Here is a brief review.

• International – Separate pavilions for 4 countries – China, Taiwan, Great Britain and Brazil, Total: 53 Booths. However, this is only about 18% of the 295 exhibitors from 25 countries outside the U.S. – GPE is truly GLOBAL!
• Natural – 166 Booths: Up 22 (+15%) “Natural” still has a very strong consumer appeal.
• Boutique – 62 Booths: Up 11 (+22%) A bit of a resurgence, but still down slightly from the peak (65) in 2014.
• Aquatic – 49 Booths but 6 are still open. Popularity of this category is trending down.
• 1st Time Exhibitors – 113 Booths: The Section is full but most of the 288+ 1^st Time exhibitors are on the regular show floor. GPE is a “must do” for new companies and New – products and companies are a major focus of GPE.

There are large numbers of exhibitors in the “regular” floor space who would qualify for inclusion in these sections. You need to “work” the whole show to ensure that you get a full view of the product categories of interest to you. I will again be creating a GPE Exhibitor Visit Planner that allows attendees to plan their floor time by targeting the exhibitors with products of interest. The GPE 2019 SuperSearch will be made available on February 26^th and be regularly updated with last minute changes. Now, let’s take a look at the results from this year’s research on exhibitors’ product offerings.

First, we’ll Compare Exhibitor Types – By function: By Animal type (Numbers are based assigned booths as of 2/18/19)

Because of the overall drop in booths, in this chart and others pay particular attention to the change in share. A change of (+/–) 0.5% is significant. In terms of booth count, any increase is significant and take note of any drop of 10% or more.

• Dogs Still Rule – 84% (5 out of every 6 booths) are selling dog products.
• Cats continue to gain – In 2019, Cat Products were offered by 57% of exhibitors. Up from 40% in 2014.
• Fish/Aquatic – This is category had the biggest decrease and is down 34% since 2017.
• Other Animals – A sharp decrease in both booth number and share in all but horses.
• Business Services – From POS systems to private label manufacturing, the continued strong growth reflects the growing business needs of attendees. There were only 8 exhibitors in 2014.
• Distributors – After a big lift, this segment dialed back but is still double the number that exhibited in 2014.
• Gift/Gen Mdse – This category has been slowly declining since peaking at 91 in 2016.

Dogs and Cats are the undisputed royalty of Pet. Because of their huge impact on the industry. I have divided the products designed for them into 32 subcategories. Let’s see how this year’s GPE Top Ten (by booth count) are doing.

While there was shuffling in the rankings, 8 of 10 categories gained share – 5 were up 0.5% or more. Carriers had the biggest gain and made it back to the top 10 after dropping out for 1 year. They replaced shampoos which fell to #12.

• Treats are still #1 and continue to gain share. 1 in 3 booths offers treats. (Many supplements are in treat form.)
• OTC Meds/Supplements/Devices continues to gain ground. In 2014 there were only 113 exhibitors.
• Food has plateaued but Feeding Accessories is falling.
• Toys – It’s not all about health and nutrition. There is still room for fun. Toys moved up to #2 because C&L’s fell.
• Apparel – This category gained in count and in share. It is driven by therapeutic devices like vests, not fashion.
• Collars, Leads & Harnesses – The biggest decrease. They are now below the 2015 level of 247.
• Beds/Mats gained in rank because of the drop in Food Accessories. They are essentially stable.
• Grooming Tools – still holding their ground.

Pet Parents’ concern for the overall health and wellness of their “pet children” is still the current biggest trend.

The last chart details the specifics for all 32 of the Dog/Cat product categories that I defined. Of note: All the data inputs for this report and the SuperSearch tool come from  a review of the GPE online exhibitor product listings AND visits to over 1100 websites. They’re not 100% accurate, but pretty close. Which categories are of interest to your business?

GPE 2019 has it all and more, including enhanced educational offerings and the New Product Showcase. However, to reap the benefits, you need a plan. Exhibitors must showcase the “right” items. Attendees need to strategically analyze their data, determine what they need to improve their business and develop a plan to find the products to fulfill their needs. Then…execute the plan. If they do nothing else at GPE, attendees have 1 minute and 19 seconds to spend with each exhibitor. The GPE 2019 SuperSearch will be released next week. It can help. Try it out and…Good luck in Orlando!

SuperZoo 2018 is only a month away. It is most definitely a great “Opportunity” for attendees and exhibitors and the “surest bet” in Vegas. Like Global Pet Expo, SuperZoo is a “must do” if you want to be a player in the U.S. Pet Market.

There are differences between the two shows. After all, GPE started the U.S. Pet Industry with the first trade show 60 years ago. It is still the largest annual show and has a huge international following with over 200 exhibitors from outside the U.S. On the other hand, SuperZoo traces its roots to a regional trade show for independent pet shops. It too has come a long way since those early days. Although Independents are still a major focus of the show, it has expanded both in size and its reach. With nearly 1200 exhibitors, a special section devoted to the fast growing grooming segment and over 100 international exhibitors, it too has become a “destination” for manufacturers, distributors and key players from all retail channels.

SuperZoo’s growth has not come without challenges. The latest started last year. In an effort to increase their impact on attendees, Exhibitors increased their booth size by 20%. Although the staff was able to acquire more floor space, it was not enough, so the exhibitor count was reduced by over 100. With another large trade group competing for space in the same time frame at the convention center, there was only one logical choice – move to a different date. Because of the impending Holiday season, a later date was not an option so they chose late June, 3 months after GPE.  This caused a little “hand wringing” by some exhibitors and a few decided to pass. However, these were rare exceptions, not the rule. The exhibitor count is again approaching 1200, but with the larger booth size. Exhibitors will occupy 285,000 square feet, up 23,000 sq ft (9%) from 2017. Plus, there is also room for a 23,000 sq ft New Product Showcase and over 7,000 sq ft for new sections showcasing Tech Advancements and Made in the USA products – two “hot” societal trends. Let’s take a closer look. We’ll start with some overview trends then move to the special floor sections.

• Assigned Exhibitors: 1182; Up 95 (8.7%) from 2017
• Booth Sq Ft: 285,000; Up 23,000 (8.8%) from 2017
• 322 SZ 2017 Exhibitors (29.6%) aren’t at SZ 2018
• 426 (36%) are new. They didn’t do SZ 2017
• 511 (43%) SZ 2018 Exhibitors weren’t at GPE 2018
• 307 (26%) are really new – Not at SZ 17 or GPE 18

• You first notice that the count in Special Floor sections fell 6.6% while the overall exhibitor count increased by 8.7%. Smaller booths drove the increase. 97 more booths were 200 sq ft or less. 76 of these were 10×10 or smaller.
• Since I began tracking SuperZoo in 2014, special sections have accounted for nearly 50% of exhibitors, peaking at 52% in 2016. This year’s 38% is even 6 percentage points below last year, when the show ran out of floor space.
• Every special section but 1^st timers has fewer exhibitors than last year. However, remember that over 400 companies weren’t at SuperZoo 2017 so the 74 doesn’t reflect the true count of new exhibitors.
• The Natural Section is still large as this trend continues to be strong in the marketplace. The Grooming segment also continues to be important as this segment is growing and becoming even more competitive.
• Rodeo drive is down 35% from its peak in 2016, perhaps reflecting the increased emphasis on function over fashion.
• Ultimately, the show sets the size of the sections based upon exhibitor feedback. However, we may be reaching a point where exhibitors are less likely to embrace a limited categorization of their appeal.

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

• Almost all segments gained exhibitors but remember, to maintain your share you need an increase of at least 8.7%.
• The most significant decline is in Fish – down to a 5.5% share. This is even more significant when you consider that in 2015 the share of exhibitors offering fish or aquatic products was 8.6%. That’s a 36.0% drop in only 3 years.
• There was a big lift in Equine products which was driven by a big increase in the number of Horse Supplements.
• Gifts/Gen Mdse/Uncategorized had a strong increase but is still down from their peak of 139 exhibitors in 2016.
• We also need to take note of Business Services – up 9 (7.8%) from 2017, but up 79 (+176%) from 2014.
• As always, Dogs and Cats are the royalty but the Cat share of exhibitors has grown from 44% in 2014.

Let’s take a closer look at the “royalty”. Here are the top 10 Dog and/or Cat Categories at SuperZoo 2018.

• You can see that it’s not all “rosy”. Three categories actually have fewer exhibitors and only three kept pace or exceeded the 8.7% increase in exhibitors. The 2018 Top 10 is the same as 2017 but two gained in rank and 2 fell.
• The drops in Collars & Leads and Clothes are perhaps understandable as the industry moves more towards function. However, the decrease in Grooming Tools in conjunction with the increase in shampoos is a bit of a puzzle. Both categories are still strongly represented and this may be the result of competitive pressure in the grooming area.
• Toys are losing share but surprisingly beds are gaining ground and floor space.
• The big news is the seemingly unstoppable momentum of Treats and Meds & Supplements. In many cases their success is tied together as Supplements are often produced in Treat form. They now rank #1 & #2 in terms of exhibitor count, which is up 57% for Treats and 73% for Meds & Supplements from 2014. Amazing!

SuperZoo is growing in exhibitors and size. There are products and services available to fill virtually every need or want of the attendees. It is also staying in tune with what is happening in the overall consumer market which is illustrated by the new Tech and Made in the USA product showcases. 994 exhibitors (84%) focus on Dog/Cat. Let’s take a closer look.

There are 95 more Exhibitors at SuperZoo. Those offering Dog and/or Cat products increased by 86. However, the increase is not “across the board”.

• 16 of 32 (50%) Dog/Cat categories have fewer exhibitors in 2018 than in 2017
• Only 8 of 32 (25%) of the categories increased their share of exhibitor booths

In the Top 10 categories we saw losses by Apparel and Collars & Leads but huge gains in Treats and Medication/Supplements. There are only a few other significant gains in the other Dog/Cat categories:

• Wipes: +12 (29.3%)
• Flea & Tick: +13 (23.2%)
• Stain/Odor/Clean Up: +14 (16.5%)

When you look at the 5 Dog/Cat Categories making big gains, you can see a common thread – the health and wellness of our companion animals. This fits right in with the ongoing trend in Pet Food to more nutritionally focused recipes.

SuperZoo certainly showcases what is “happening” in the Pet Industry and offers a great opportunity for attendees and exhibitors to make a mutually beneficial connection. Once again, it’s the surest bet in Las Vegas!

Finally, the chart below details the specifics for all 32 of the Dog/Cat product categories that I defined for the Super Search Exhibitor Visit Planner.  (Note: The SZ 2018 Super Search will be released on June 5th.)

TAKE A LOOK. I HOPE TO SEE YOU IN VEGAS!

This year’s theme, “All Under One Roof” is not only accurate, it reflects one of the strongest trends in the evolution of the U.S. retail market in the last 40 years – One Stop Shopping. We saw it first in the late 70’s as Grocery stores began to expand in size by radically increasing their GM departments, eventually adding, delis, coffee shops and pharmacies. They became today’s Supermarkets. Discount stores also saw an opportunity. They added a full grocery department and doubled in size to become today’s SuperCenters and Warehouse Clubs – the highest volume retail outlets in history.

What is behind this “one stop shopping movement”? It is the U.S. consumer. 3 factors drive their buying behavior:

• Value (Price + Quality)
• Convenience
• Selection

One Stop Shopping answers all 3 of these consumer needs. You can also see why internet sales have taken off. Driven by the internet, non-store retailers passed the SuperCenter/Club channel in March of 2016. They only trail Supermarkets, but not for long. The internet will become the #1 retail channel in America because it is nearly impossible for a brick ‘n mortar store to beat a well-run “virtual” store in the 3 key areas affecting consumer buying behavior. To compete, traditional store retailers need to offer an online option, a personalized experience and when possible, services which are unavailable through the internet. This is especially true in our industry because Pet Parenting is very personal.

So how does all of this relate to GPE 2018? It is not just consumers, but buyers at all levels that are strongly impacted by these 3 factors. By putting all the key companies “Under One Roof”, GPE insures that the buyers are likely to be satisfied.

The presence of so many competing companies from around the world insures that they will get a great value. Having them all in one place allows the buyers to easily see the products up close and personal. Finally, where could they find a bigger selection? Ex: There are over 360 exhibitors offering Dog and/or Cat treats. However, “All Under One Roof” isn’t just a benefit for attendees. The exhibitors can see their competition but more importantly, the attendees include buyers from the smallest independent pet stores through the largest retail chains in all channels. The opportunity is there for everyone – and it’s “All Under One Roof” at GPE 2018. Let’s take a look at what awaits you in Orlando.

First, some 2018 GPE “booth” facts: (Note: 2/20/18 – 98% of the booths are assigned or committed)

• 1185 booths – up only 1% from last year but an incredible 16.5% from 2014
• 358,000 sq ft of exhibit booth space (Not counting the 30,000 sq ft new product area) – up 23.6% from 2014.
• 10 x 10 is still the most popular size – with 435, in fact 70% of the booths are 20 x 10 or less.
• But Booths are also slightly larger than 2017 – the “average” booth is over 300 sq ft (30×10)
• Size matters – Booths 300 to 800 sq ft (26%) occupy 41% of the space. Those over 1000 sq ft (4%) cover 25%.

Will you see any new exhibitors or is it the usual group? The “usual” group is definitely there (807 from 2017) but…

• 348 (30%) of the GPE 2018 Exhibitors did not exhibit at GPE 2017 (1 in every 3 Exhibitors was not at GPE 2017!)
  • In fact, 289 (25%) of this year’s GPE exhibitors didn’t exhibit at either GPE 2017 or SZ 2017

There are Specially Designated “Floor Sections” at GPE. Here is a brief review.

• International – Separate pavilions for 4 countries – China, Taiwan, Great Britain and Canada, Total: 84 Booths. However, this is only about 28% of the 299 exhibitors from 28 countries outside the U.S. – GPE is truly GLOBAL!
• Natural – 144 Booths: Down 7 (-5%) but booths are larger as “Natural” still has a very strong consumer appeal.
• Boutique – 51 Booths: Down 1 (2%) The section is “stable”, but down 22% from 2014. Fashion still has a strong appeal but Pet Parents’ priorities have shifted more to function, health and wellness.
• Aquatic – 58 Booths: Up 7 (14%). GPE has a long standing commitment to be the “go to” show for Aquatics.
• 1st Time Exhibitors – 144 Booths: The Section is full but only includes about 40% of the 348+ 1^st Time exhibitors at the show. If you want to get firmly established in the U.S. Pet Industry, you “must” do GPE. Every year, a major focus of Global Pet Expo is on “new”…both in products and in exhibitors.

A word of caution: These are specially targeted sections. However, if you “do the math” you see that there are large numbers of exhibitors in the “regular” floor space who would qualify for inclusion in these sections. You need to “work” the whole show to insure that you get a full view of the product categories of interest to you.

Once again I will be creating a GPE Exhibitor Visit Planner that allows attendees to plan out their floor time by targeting the exhibitors with products that they are interested in seeing. Up to 5 product category searches can be run concurrently and the results are available in alpha or booth# order. The GPE 2018 SuperSearch will be made available on February 27^th. Now, let’s take a look at the results from this year’s research on exhibitors’ product offerings.

First We’ll Compare Exhibitor Types – By function: By Animal type (Numbers are based on assigned booths as of 2/20/18)

• Dogs Still Rule – 84% (5 out of every 6 booths) are selling dog products.
• Cats continue to move up – In 2018, Cat Products were offered by 54% of exhibitors. Up from 40% in 2014.
• Fish/Aquatic – This category took a down turn after 3 years of increases.
• Other Animals – Reptiles came back after a bad 2017. However, the other animals are showing a slow decline.
• Business Services – From POS systems to private label manufacturing, the continued growth reflects the growing business needs of attendees.
• Distributors – A big lift, reflecting GPE’s increasing appeal to independents.
• Gift/Gen Mdse – The drop in this category reflects the increasing priority of health & wellness over boutique.

Dogs and Cats are the undisputed royalty of Pet. Because of their huge impact on the industry. I have divided the products designed for them into 32 subcategories. Let’s see how this year’s GPE Top Ten (by booth count) are doing.

• Treats are still #1 and expanding their lead. 1 in 3 booths offers treats. (Many supplements are in treat form.)
• OTC Meds/Supplements/Devices continue strong growth. 241 Booths: Up 128 (113%) from 2014.
• Food and Feeding Accessories both flattened out. While still strong, they may have plateaued.
• Toys – It’s not all about health and nutrition. There is still room for fun. Toys maintained the #2 spot.
• Apparel – The growth in this category is being driven, not by fashion but by therapeutic devices like vests.
• Collars, Leads & Harnesses – Gaining a little ground. The numbers are actually buoyed up by wellness products.
• Beds/Mats are still a strong #6, but their growth seems to be on hold.
• Grooming Tools and Shampoos – You see the growing strength of the Grooming Segment as Shampoos knocked Crates and Carriers out of the top 10.

The health benefits of Super Premium Foods brought that category to the forefront of the industry. Pet Parents’ concern for the overall health and wellness of their “pet children” is also behind the current biggest trend. It is helping to drive the growth of 4 top 10 categories – apparel, C&L/Harnesses, treats and Meds/Supp/Devices – and it’s not slowing down.

The last chart details the specifics for all 32 of the Dog/Cat product categories that I defined. Of note: All the data inputs for this report and the SuperSearch tool come from  a review of the GPE online exhibitor product listings AND visits to over 1100 websites. They’re not 100% accurate, but pretty close.

Which categories are of interest to your business?

GPE 2018 does have it “All Under One Roof”, including enhanced educational offerings and of course…the New Product Showcase. However, to reap the benefits, you need a plan. Exhibitors need to effectively showcase the “right” items. Attendees need to strategically analyze their data, determine what they need to improve their business and develop a plan to find the products to fulfill their business needs. Then…execute the plan. This is hard work and if they do nothing else at GPE, attendees have a “whopping” 1 minute and 13 seconds to spend with each exhibitor. The GPE 2018 SuperSearch tool will be released in next week’s post. I believe that it can help. Try it out and…Good luck in Orlando!

SuperZoo 2017 is only a month away. While it is held in Las Vegas, attending or exhibiting at SuperZoo is no gamble. It’s a sure winner. Along with Global Pet Expo, SuperZoo is a “must do” if you want to be a player in the U.S. Pet Market.

As we have noted before, there are slight differences in the two shows. GPE essentially started the U.S. Pet Industry 59 years ago with their first trade show put on with 17 exhibitors and 30 total booths. It still definitely has a larger worldwide following with over 200 exhibitors from outside the U.S. Of course, the “big guys” all attend but so do the “little guys” as it has welcomed a huge number of Independent pet store attendees into the fold.

SuperZoo has grown tremendously from its roots as a regional trade show for independent Pet Stores. Independents are still its largest share of attendees, but it has also broadened its scope with an emphasis on the fast growing grooming services segment. However, make no mistake. All the “big guys” will be there too and its worldwide impact is also growing as over 100 exhibitors are from outside the U.S.

Let’s take a closer look at what you will see at SuperZoo 2017 compared to last year. Before we get started we need to take note of a “behind the scenes” trend that had an impact on the exhibitor count at this year’s show. As we all know, both GPE and SZ are now huge. Apparently, the SuperZoo exhibitors felt that they needed bigger booths to capture the attention of attendees so they upgraded in size…by almost 20%. The SuperZoo staff managed to add 17,000 more square feet of booth space but that was not enough. They needed floor space which simply was not available in the convention center. This resulted in a drop in exhibitor count and a big unfulfilled waiting list. They have remedied this situation for 2018 by moving the show to a different date when additional floor space is available. However, when we look at the various exhibitor categories we should place greater emphasis on changes in share of space rather than just count. This will give us a better read on trends. Let’s start with some overview numbers then a look at floor sections:

• Exhibitors: 1079; Down 123 (10.2%) from 2016
• Booths: 1034; Down 130 (11.1%) from 2016
• Booth Sq Ft: 262,000; Up 17,000 (6.9%) from 2016
• 432 SZ 2016 Exhibitors (35.9%) aren’t at SZ 2017
• 309 (28.6%) are new. They didn’t do SZ 2016
• 481 SZ Exhibitors weren’t at GPE 2017

• The key number to remember in this chart and others is -10.2%. Any drop in exhibitor count less than -10.2% and of course, any increase in count will actually result in an increased “share” of SuperZoo Space.
• The drop in number of booths came from booths under 400 sq ft and especially those 10 x 10 or smaller – down 108.
• The Special Sections absorbed the entire loss and more. Last year they were the biggest driver of growth with an additional 140 booths and passed 50% of the floor space for the first time. In 2017 they gave it all back. Smaller companies took the brunt of the “hit” as they typically occupy booths that are 10×10 or less.
• Every special section lost exhibitors. However, the two most impacted were Rodeo Drive and Critter Alley/Aquatic.
• The Natural Section lost 43 exhibitors but still reflected the strength of this segment maintaining almost a 20% share
• Groomers and 1^st timers lost a few booths but actually gained share which also reflects the priorities of the show.

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

• All segments loss exhibitors but most were relatively stable in share considering the overall drop in exhibitors.
• There is one exception, Gifts and General Merchandise. There are 45 fewer exhibitors (-32.4%) resulting in a 2.9% drop in share. This is undoubtedly related to the decrease in Rodeo Drive exhibitors.
• Exhibitors featuring Reptile or Equine Products also decreased but the loss in Share was not severe.
• Dogs and Cats are the Royalty of the Industry and even with reduced numbers; they gained in share – especially cats.

Let’s take a closer look at the “royalty”. Here are the top 10 Dog and/or Cat Categories at SuperZoo 2017.

• You see the strength of Cat and Dog products as 6 of 10 had an increase in exhibitors despite the 10% overall drop.
• Treats are still #1 and growing stronger. They now have 33% more exhibitors than #2, Collars & Leads.
• Collars & Leads showed surprising growth. Much of this was due to special function products rather than fashion.
• Food had the biggest growth which is undoubtedly related to the strong movement to super premium foods.
• Meds/Supplements also remains strong and is pushing Collars & Leads for the #2 Spot.
• Grooming tools is a surprise, but the drop comes 1 year after a spectacular 34% increase so it may just be stabilizing.
• With the show’s emphasis on grooming, Shampoos is not a surprise. They edged out carriers for the #10 spot.

Make no mistake. SuperZoo 2017 is still huge and offers a wide choice of exhibitors across all the Product Categories. Remember just 2 years ago the Exhibitor count was under 1000. The impact from the decrease in small booth exhibitors was born by the Special Floor Sections, especially Rodeo Drive and Critter Alley/Aquarium Terrace. The exhibitor types and product categories actually remained relatively stable in share. The biggest gainers were Dog and Cat Products, especially Food , treats and Meds/Supplements. However, only 5 of 32 Dog and Cat Product Categories lost any share and those losses were minor. The most significant loser in the exhibitor type section was Gifts/General Merchandise.

Finally, there are a few Dog/Cat categories outside the Top 10 with significant movement in Exhibitor count.

• Electronic – Up 34.6%. This long anticipated trend in “electric” products may be taking off and helping to drive:
  • Containment – Up 11.1%
  • Collars – Up 2.5% (Remember, the overall exhibitor count was down 10.2% so up 2.5% is significant)
• Waste Pick up – Up 10.6%; The number of exhibitors in this category is up 35.9% in 2 years.
• Outside Houses/Kennels – This category had a big decrease in exhibitors – Down 26.3%.

The chart below details the specifics for all 32 of the Dog/Cat product categories that I defined for the Super Search Exhibitor Visit Planner.  (Note: The SZ 2017 Super Search will be released in early July.) All the data inputs for this report and the Super Search were derived from reviewing the SuperZoo online exhibitor product listings AND then validated by visits to over 1000 websites and numerous separate internet searches. They’re not 100% accurate, but pretty close.

Changes of special note from 2016 are highlighted. Which categories are of interest to your business?

TAKE A LOOK. I HOPE TO SEE YOU IN VEGAS!