Adapt Your Pet Business With These 3 Global Pet Expo Takeaways

Pet Boss Nation Blog Adapt, Innovate, & Connect With These 3 Global Pet Expo Takeaways

Global Pet Expo, one of the biggest pet industry trade shows, had RECORD attendance this year, and we can easily see why!

Global Pet Expo is sponsored by the American Pet Products Association and the Pet Industry Distributors Association. The attendees are mostly buyers of pet retail products at wholesale. There are thousands of vendors on the show floor who are manufacturers of pet products, creators of innovative software, or even things as niche as people selling commercial customizable freezers! Not to mention the pet industry specific educational seminars. There is NOTHING you can’t find at Global Pet Expo for your pet business.

This year was a whirlwind as usual, but the best kind of whirlwind. It left us with innovation, trends, insightful discussions, ideas, and inspiration, and we wanted to bring some of that back to share with you!

Here are 3 takeaways from Global Pet Expo 2024 that you can apply in your pet business!

1. Is it interesting from your customer’s POV?

If you’ve been in the pet industry for a long time (like Pet Boss Nation’s CEO, Candace D’Agnolo has), you might feel like you’ve “seen it all.” And maybe you have seen a lot!

But this year, Pet Boss Nation’s Social Media Manager, Amanda Nelson, also attended Global Pet Expo as a first-timer and someone fairly new to the pet industry, and her viewpoint was a very notable one!

As she browsed the New Product Showcase with Candace, Amanda had many ah-ha moments and was excited about products that Candace had seen before in different forms. What was extremely innovative to Amanda was something Candace had seen done before as a seasoned pet industry professional.
But what would your customer think? As someone who is not immersed in the pet industry, would they find this product fun? Interesting? New?

Key Takeaway: Look at new products through the eyes of your customer. Is there something new about the way it’s being presented that would serve them or interest them?

2. Embrace the pet parent evolution!

The humanization of pets is here to stay and a continually growing theme! Products and services in the pet industry aim to cater to the emotional bond between pets and their owners, and if you’re not focusing on this theme, you might be missing out!

Pet parents are truly that…parents. We’re seeing a growing audience of pet parents who want access to all the bells and whistles that allow them to treat their pet like family members, including everything from birthday celebrations to health insurance.

But it’s not just about pampering pets; it’s about understanding their needs and the lifestyles of the pet parents themselves. In episode 124 of the Boss Your Business podcast, Candace and Amanda chat more at length about what consumers seem to be prioritizing, perhaps even more so than cost– convenience.

Today’s consumers are paying attention to price, but they’re also valuing ease of access and use. This shift requires pet businesses to adapt to a landscape where online shopping, home delivery, and personalized services are not just perks but expectations.

Key Takeaway: Are your products and services catering to the humanization of pets? Is it easy to do business with you? What could make it even easier?

3. Help your customers be the pet parents they want to be.

Candace and Amanda attended a keynote presentation by pet industry legend Dave Bolen, former President and CEO of Pet Supplies Plus. If you want to hear a more in-depth recap of his talk, make sure to listen to episode 124 of the Boss Your Business podcast.

But one very notable and important takeaway was that 70 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and have less than $2,000 in a savings account. That number might be shocking, but it’s also real, and that means many of your customers fall into this category.

He brought this up because, as a pet business owner, it’s important to get creative in how you can potentially aid in options to these pet parents for more affordable ways to care for their pets. So even if you see yourself as a high-end boutique retailer or high-end service provider, ask yourself:

Are there more affordable lines of pet products you could bring in?

Are there more affordable or scaled-down pet services you could offer?

This is a transitional period for your customer. As an industry, we need to come together to ensure pet ownership is affordable and accessible so we can all thrive.

Key Takeaway: Are your products and services affordable to your ideal customer? Are there changes you can implement to support today’s consumer?

That’s a WRAP on this year’s Global Pet Expo, and we’re left with so many reflective moments and an invigorated spirit from experiencing another in-person pet industry event! These trends, innovations, and heartfelt discussions reminded us of the importance of viewing our offerings through our customers’ eyes and constantly adapting to meet their evolving needs. Let’s carry this momentum to innovate, adapt, and connect more deeply with the pet parents we serve!

BONUS! Subscribe to the Boss Your Business podcast to listen to part TWO of our Global Pet Expo takeaways going live on 4/14/2024!

Are you attending a pet industry event this year? Whether you’re exploring which one is a fit for you or just want some resources to prepare, give our previous blog posts and podcast episodes a browse: