Overview: Global Pet Expo presented by American pet products association
This was PRIDE+GROOM’s third anniversary at Global Pet Expo held in Orlando, Florida this past week from March 22-24. Our first time as an exhibitor was online during the Covid pandemic, so 2023 marked our second in person experience and we have to say…our best ever!
Global Pet Expo,presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), is the pet industry's premier event featuring the newest, most innovative pet products on the market today. At Global Pet Expo, presented by presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) there are over 1000 exhibitors and over 1000 new product launches almost every year. PRIDE+GROOM launched its Leave-In conditioner this year knowing Global Pet Expo was the best forum to do so. We had our friends at Pet Supplies Plus help us showcase with this new product with a live demonstration at our booth with Lead Groomer, Kasey King from the St. Petersburg, Florida location.
According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2022 revealed increases in every spend category:
As massive as Global Pet Expo is for mass market buyers and independent retailers, we thought we would take a moment to distill what we saw as some of the biggest trends this year. Namely:
Who Runs the World….Girls! 🎶: Women Owned Pet Companies
It was incredible to be surrounded by an overwhelming amount of female owned businesses exhibiting this year at Global Pet Expo presented by the American Pet Products Association and the Pet Industry Distributors Association. Some of our favorites included California based Fera Pet Organics. It was our friends, and owners, Dr. Michelle Dulake and Emily Hsu’s first time exhibiting at Global Pet Expo. Their supplements are a pet parent favorite across the country. They are committed to sourcing the very best ingredients while combining Eastern and Western therapies for optimal results for dogs and cats. Supplements mark another trend we spotted at the show and Fera is definitely leading the pack.
K9 Granola Factory with their coffee shop themed booth have delicious and innovative local dog treats, made by local people. K9 Granola Factory owner Janie Smyser insists on using nutrient rich ingredients to provide healthy treats for our furry friends. Their dog donuts are so beautiful you would think they are for humans.
Bred in 2002, fabdog® was started by founder and designer, Cassie Cole in her NYC apartment. Committed to bringing an element of human style to the canine world, she curated the finest fabrics and craftsmanship, unprecedented in the pet industry at that time. Fabdog is a veteran of shows like Global Pet Expo, but their booth continuously grows with new cool dog wear and toys.
The Cat’s Out of the Bag: The Growing Cat Industry
Global Pet Expo always features a section called the New Products Showcase where brands can submit new and notable products coming to market. We paid a visit to this area and were pleasantly surprised at the changes we saw. It was like a retail market tour of what is on the horizon in the pet industry.
This year’s cat section notably doubled in size with innovation in food, grooming, toys, at home care and accessories. First place in the Boutique Category in the New Products Showcase went to Wigglin Snake Cat Toy. The New Products Showcase’s Cat Category’s first place winner was Australia’s Lickimat cat riser. The Second place, Made by Nacho, world renowned chef Bobby Flay and his daughter’s cat brand which crafts recipes using premium, no-compromise ingredients with chef-approved flavors worthy of cats. Finally, third place went to Kitty-Med Check by Pet Joa,a revolutionary cat litter supplement that allows cat owners to monitor their cats’ health at home quickly and easily. Urinary tract disease is the most frequent disease among cats, with 50% of all cats experiencing feline lower urinary tract disease. Acute and chronic kidney disease is the second leading cause of sudden cat death.
Congratulations to all the winners! We love seeing the cat category grow. PRIDE+GROOM’s Mane Tame, Swipes, The Balm and Proud Signature scent are perfect and safe for cats. We will be launching a cat specific line in the near future…maybe you will see it at next year’s Global Pet Expo?!
Jiminy Crickets!: New Protein Alternatives for Pets
With an eye towards sustainability and supply chain shortages, innovators and qualified professionals like Yora, Percuro, Open Farm and Catit are sourcing other forms of protein for pet foods that rival farm-raised animal proteins for their nutritional value. We wanted to highlight this growing trend that the general public is taking seriously.
Farm-raised animals and staple crops have long been the go-to sources of protein for pet food formulators. Chicken, beef, lamb, salmon and even turkey, as well as legumes, pulses and soybeans are familiar ingredients and tolerated by most pets. Yak has been an increasingly popular treat ingredient. In fact, Yak9 Chews took home third place in the Boutique category at the New Product Showcaseat Global Pet Expo. Some cats and dogs have allergies and sensitivities, requiring special diets and often alternative sources of quality protein. There are other reasons pet owners may seek out foods that include alternative proteins, including environmental platforms and personal preferences.
There’s also growing interest in insects as an alternative source of protein. There is a growing number of treat manufacturers using crickets as a sustainable source of protein. Some kibbles even include up to 40% insects. Meal Worms are also gaining traction as an alternative source of protein in pet food.
Green is Good: Environmentally Friendly Initiatives in Pet industry
Environmental sensibility and sustainability is not new to the pet industry, but Global Pet Expo definitely showcased a lot of different ways the community is going green, from packaging, sustainable ingredients as we mentioned above, upcycling ingredients like our friends at Shameless Pets.
Shameless founders, James and Alex are leading the movement to prevent food waste by baking delicious pet treats made with high-quality ingredients, including upcycled produce. To date, they have saved over 1 million pounds of food through upcycling and are on track to save 5 million pounds by 2025.
PRIDE+GROOM, is proud of its use of post recycled plastic in all its packaging and items like the reusable Towel and bamboo Bath Brush are just some of the featured items we have introduced to be even more environmentally conscious.
Conclusion
We are so grateful to the incredibly hard working women and men that put together the Global Pet Expo. A shout out to all team members that made this a smooth and successful experience for PRIDE+GROOM. We will see you next year!
WHO IS PRIDE+GROOM?
The very first clean beauty brand…for dogs!
PRIDE+GROOM is a female and minority owned all-natural pet grooming company born and bred in New York City. We designed our coat-specific dog shampoos with a light, fresh signature scent that says goodbye to the overwhelming fragrances currently in the dog grooming market. Our packaging and branding humanizes our pet products making them attractive and user friendly.
We offer wholesale pricing for professional use or resale, discover our producthere
Our company is rooted in our love for dogs and cats, and we’ve put all our energy into creating products that let us care for them, their coats and their skin in a way that is natural, nurturing, and specific. Our formulas are a unique blend of essential oils sourced from around the world. Each ingredient has a purpose. Like Marshmallow Root Oil, in our Non-Shedder, helps detangle and nourish those dogs, like doodles, with hair that grows and is prone to matting.
PRIDE+GROOM is deeply committed to giving back to the community. We developed our ONE FUR ALL conditioning shampoo that we have donated to over 1000 shelters around the country. This amounts to over 50,000 needy rescue dogs getting the PRIDE+GROOM treatment before heading to their forever homes for adoption.
