Spotting Key Trends at the Global Pet Expo
More than a floor, it’s a capsule of what’s on pet customers’ minds and what big waves industry players should consider. Dubbed “Innovation in Motion,” the show opened this week in Orlando.
Come along! See our photo tour that spotted these on-target trends:
Humanization of Pets. Pet parents clearly want products and services nothing short of those for their human family members. Best personified by exhibitor Animals Like Us, a New Zealand raw pet food maker that paired models with twinning dogs (see the Great Dane duo). Other standouts were techie wearables like PetSafe Brands including GPS collar tracking and the pet lines of human beauty care products such as Burt’s Bees’.
Whole Pet Wellness. There was a “Natural Pet” section, but holistic and organic products weren’t confined there. Based on the countless booths offering probiotics to supplements to aromatherapy, pet parents clearly are demanding a stepped-up health and wellness offering for their fur babies. Adaptations of trendy people products such as weighted blankets and calming remedies addressed pet anxiety.
Corporate Social Responsibility. Brand new this year – the first-ever Sustainability section hosted by the Pet Sustainability Coalition! It showcased eight PSC-accredited companies committed to making the world a more eco-friendly place, one paw print at a time. Other displays throughout the show prominently featured messaging about their carbon footprint or upcycling efforts that appeal to conscientious consumers, especially the pet-lovin’ Millennial and Gen Z segments.
So take a look. Searching for patterns among the 1,100+ exhibitors revealed hot trends for pet industry players to benchmark their 2024 strategies. Thanks to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) for making this extravaganza possible.