Last month, we traveled to the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to attend SuperZoo 2017. The national show for pet retailers. We went to see what was trending in the pet industry and to seek out pet-centric travel related products. We were delighted to find some well-made, well-executed products designed to keep pets safe during our travels. Soon, we will report at greater length about some of the items that were heads and tails above the others.
We are happy to report that organic, grain-free, all-natural products continue to gain popularity with food manufacturers and consumers. We were inspired by the number of exhibitors who were women-owned and family-owned start-ups in this category. Folks who were crafting homemade treats and accessories and grooming products in their homes and out of their garages. With a lot of hard work and a bit of luck, may they end up as accomplished as Lucy Postins, founder of The Honest Kitchen. Lucy started her business in her kitchen in 2002 and shipped her wholesome products out of her garage before blossoming into the thriving business they are today. One of the highlights of SuperZoo was having an opportunity to chat with Lucy one-on-one. We look forward to sharing a more in-depth look at Lucy’s journey into the pet retail industry.
In addition to Honest Kitchen, we chatted with representatives from many major food manufactures, including family-owned Fromm’s out of Wisconsin, another one of the products featured in our short video. Most of the pet retailers were buying products for the upcoming holiday season (Thanksgiving/Christmas), so it was fun to get sneak peek into what will be hitting the shelves this fall/winter. Finally, we learned a lot by attending the grooming seminars and contests and a handful of the educational seminars. If you work in the pet retail business or if you’re considering a career in this multibillion dollar industry, mark your calendars for next year when SuperZoo moves their show to June to accommodate more industry insiders and guests. Hope to see you there! GO TRAVEL DOG!
