September Pet Insight

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Special Report

Pet Supplies Plus

Pet Supplies Plus was founded in Redford, MI by Harry Shallop and Jack Berry in 1988. Pet Supplies Plus has become the third largest specialty pet food retailer in the US with more than 700 locations in 41 states. Pet Supplies Plus has seen rapid growth since 2018 from 450 locations to the 700 the company has today. The company purchased 40 Pet Valu locations in 2020, which expanded the company’s reach into untapped markets. Alongside this, Pet Supplies Plus also acquired Wag N’ Wash providing the company with a new format to serve a different customer base. Additionally, the company has expanded on its independent store conversion program, which has not only been mutually beneficial for Pet Supplies Plus and the smaller retailers who join under the company’s banners but has given smaller retailers buying power and access to marketing tools to help them compete against larger, formidable retailers.

The first franchise location opened in 1989, and as the company has been known for rapid and successful growth, Pet Supplies Plus opened its 100th location just six years later. Alongside its prosperous evolution, Pet Supplies Plus has intentionally placed and opened all its locations throughout the years to preserve convenience and support for the communities it serves.

In 2018, Irving Place Capital announced the sale of Pet Supplies Plus to Sentinel Capital Partners, which acquired the company that same year. This acquisition allowed the company to reach new heights and expand into new markets. Through the years, Pet Supplies Plus has also acquired several banners and pet specialty retailers which has added to its leadership team and strong community presence. In 2021, Pet Supplies Plus agreed to be acquired by Franchise Group for approximately $700 million.

At the end of 2020, Pet Supplies Plus revealed it would be reopening 40 Pet Valu locations in seven states. At the time, Pet Valu announced it would be ceasing all US operations of its 358

stores, and 40 locations would be converted into Pet Supplies Plus locations.

"I would like to extend gratitude to the Pet Valu team, who have been nothing but professional and supportive throughout this entire process," Nick Russo, Senior Vice President of Franchising and Store Operations for Pet Supplies Plus said at the time. "This exemplifies the type of culture Pet Valu has developed, and we are excited to offer many Pet Valu associates a new home with us."

"We chose locations where we knew Pet Supplies Plus will make the biggest positive impact, especially for pet parents who need a community retailer to depend on for their pet needs," explained CEO Chris Rowland. "We're honored to provide these neighborhoods with a large assortment of quality pet products and services with knowledgeable team members ready to help make pet ownership easier."

In 2022, Pet Supplies Plus acquired Wag N’ Wash, a pet specialty retailer of natural pet food with self-wash and grooming services. Wag N’ Wash had 15 locations that, according to media reports, would continue to operate as separate businesses.

"The acquisition presents mutual benefits for franchisees, neighbors and guests of both brands," said Rowland. "Pet Supplies Plus neighbors will see no change and will continue to receive the same neighborly service and access to all the same products for all types of pets. Wag N' Wash guests will continue to enjoy this fun and passionate brand’s specialty offering, but now will have access to an even greater assortment of products."

Wag N' Wash and Pet Supplies Plus announced a deal to open 115 sites around the end of 2022. The arrangement was anticipated to involve a split between new franchises drawn to its streamlined retail model and steady development, as well as current owners who understood the franchise's value in the face of economic downturns. The companies also celebrated the signing of the first contract for a multi-unit dual

brand that would span two Pet Supplies Plus locations and one Wag N' Wash location.

"As pet spending continues to rise, franchise candidates are seeking to invest with our strong growth brands featuring the lowest royalty fees within the pet industry, a transparent Item 19 of the franchise disclosure document, and best-in-class corporate support," said Rowland. "We have a unique offering of two distinguished brands and investors are taking note of the benefits both bring to an expanding portfolio."

Following suit with converting various brands into Pet Supplies Plus locations, 20 Loyal Companion locations were acquired by the company in 2023. According to media reports, eight of the converted stores are corporate stores, and 12 are owned by Loyal Companion’s first franchisee group: Caitlin Greene, Ryan Greene and Ray Vigneault. The franchisees are expected to grow their portfolio by eight Pet Supplies Plus stores and four Wag N’ Wash stores.

As Pet Supplies Plus has been adding Wag N’ Wash locations into its store count, the companies announced 41 signed agreements for 71 total stores across both brands. According to media reports, the companies are expected to continue on this increasing trajectory for another record-breaking year.

“We’ve hit an impressive development stride this year, having already opened 40 Pet Supplies and Wag N’ Wash stores,” Russo with Pet Supplies Plus said. “Our goal is to finish the year with a total of 60 new Pet Supplies Plus stores and 10 Wag N’ Wash locations. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished year-to-date and am confident we’ll continue to be standout brands within the franchising and pet industries.”

Pet Supplies Plus has continued to grow and evolve through the years through its acquisitions and conversions. Each step forward has helped the company maintain a strong presence in the industry while helping other companies grow and move forward under the company's combined banners.

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Market Focus

Indianapolis

Indianapolis takes a no nonsense and pragmatic approach to pet ownership, a sensible example many cities would benefit from following. Elected officials and community organizations are painting a realistic picture of what pet ownership can potentially look like so pet owners understand the financial and time restraints of properly caring for a pet. While pet ownership is rewarding and fun, community leaders are balancing the weight of the decision by calculating pet owners' anticipated costs to avoid them being unable to pay for healthcare pets require. Community resources are on hand to aid pet owners with the veterinarian costs and outfit pet owners with supplies. At the end of the day, pets are well cared for, fed, safe and receiving necessary medical and nutritional attention rather than the alternatives of being neglected or surrendered. Officials have implemented rules and regulations capping how many pets per household so that pets are adequately cared for. While it may seem harsh, Indianapolis is a place where pets’ quality of life is a top priority, and leaders are helping pet owners make clear and informed decisions which ultimately protect the animals.

Retailer Overview

The overall Indianapolis market has 62 pet specialty store locations represented by 19 companies. From a neighborhood perspective, the market is made up of Indianapolis which is home to 19 pet stores, the community of Fishers which has eight, Carmel with seven, Noblesville with four and Greenwood with two brick-and-mortar stores.

In order of store count, PetSmart (11 stores), Pet Supplies Plus (nine stores) and Petco (eight stores) represent nearly half, or 45 percent, of the market share. On their heels are multi-store retailers, notably Speck’s Pet Supply, Hollywood Feed and Uncle Bill’s Pet Center which make up 39 percent of the market. Single store retailers like Petland make up the remaining 16 percent of the market.

A Retailer’s Perspective

“We love our community and patrons with their fur babies coming to see us,” said Paws Stop Owner Eric Bulmahn.

“Being a specialty pet supply store with a specialization in proper nutrition, we can have a positive impact on the lives of the pets and their owners. Our store is a unique destination where customers come in and catch up with each other—just like the old days when people sat and talked at the local feed store.”

Pet specialty retailers are victims of their success in a sense. By building a thriving pet market, they have attracted larger players to the area, which poses steep competition amongst retailers taking up a smaller footprint. “Since Indianapolis is such a good market with many suppliers within a few hours, it is the ideal place to operate,” Bulmahn explained. “Since the market is so good, there are many national chains that operate here as well as the local hardware stores jumping into this space. The new Tractor Supply store allocates about 20 percent of their store to pet related products. It is a rapidly growing trend.”

Since 1989, Paws Stop has been thriving in Indianapolis, reflecting the community’s expectation to have a wide variety of options and, "by staying ahead of the curve and understanding what our customers are looking for,” Bulmahn said.

Another notable reason is from setting a high bar for store associates to become knowledgeable on the solutions available to pet owners and hiring staff members who create an inviting and hospitable place for pet owners. “Since our focus is on specialty pet food, our entire staff goes through a rigorous training regimen with many courses online and in the store to understand the proper nutrition. But the main reason we've been able to be successful in this space is our passion for improving pets’ lives and really getting to know our customers. Our staff is incredible which is another huge key to success. It's great when pet parents start bringing out the pictures and sharing their lives with our staff. Many have shopped with us for more than 20 years, so we've seen their fur babies grow up. We also get to know the families as they grow as well. Another reason for our success is our pet food selection. We carry more than 45 brands of dog food and cat food in

dry, freeze-dried and raw, which is really taking off. Our feed store for the barnyard is very strong as well—anything from pigeon grit to goats to chickens and small animals too.”

Pet Community Resources

Indianapolis has several animal advocates who are intent on promoting responsible pet ownership and supporting well-meaning and well-intentioned pet owners who need assistance. As of early May, Indianapolis animal shelters were at capacity. IndyHumane has witnessed a rising number of residents surrendering their pets because they can’t afford them. Pet owners are telling them the rising costs of vet care are making it difficult to properly and responsibly care for their pets. In May, IndyHumane announced it was launching a pet resource center to aid pet owners who can’t keep up with vet care and pet supplies.

The resource center offers services to lend a hand to struggling pet owners and to ensure that at the end of the day, pets are receiving the nutrition and veterinary care they require. Services include free pet food through IndyHumane’s Downtown Pantry; free vaccines, preventatives and other needed medical care; financial aid for rental security deposits; free supplies, crates and fencing; and pet training resources.

Pet Ownership by the Numbers

Many well-intentioned pet owners are blind-sided by the costs of owning a pet. From necessities to nice-to-have, fun splurges the financial responsibility adds up. On top of that, veterinary costs can cripple pet owners. Before making the commitment of properly caring for a pet, it’s imperative for people to assess if they can afford a pet or another one for their household.

Indiana-based cat owners can spend $1,536 and dog owners $1,523 in the first year according to the findings of a study by Pettable. This is less than the national average but still a sizable chunk of change. On a national level, cat owners can expect to pay $1,726 in the first year, with some paying up to $2,820 and dog owners can budget for $1,750, with some residents paying up to $3,000.

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SuperZoo Takeaways

Attendance levels were high at this year’s SuperZoo, which translated into lively conversations and productive meetings for exhibitors and attendees. Despite the venue's potential distractions, retailers were attentive and focused; traits exhibitors picked up on and appreciated. Returning exhibitors and retailers continue to calibrate their approach to the show and know preparation for a show of this magnitude is a key element to ensure the tradeshow experience that is efficient, productive and worthwhile.

This year’s SuperZoo presented Starmark Pet Products the opportunity to spotlight specific mentally stimulating pet toys and to reconnect with retail partners. “Our overall SuperZoo experience was a good one that kept us busy talking throughout the show to a variety of attendees,” explained Marketing Director Emily Benson. “We were excited to catch up with partners not seen since last year’s show and demonstrate our new puzzle toy offerings.”

SuperZoo exceeded Northwest Naturals' expectations. “We often feel like we never know what the turnout is going to be,” said Director of Sales and Marketing, Amy Snell. “This year was exceptional for us. We had a continuous flow through our booth from beginning to end, even on the last day.”

“Overall, we were extremely happy with SuperZoo,” said Basel Nassar, Boss Nation Brands Founder and CEO. “When exhibitor attendance is up, participation is up, and we saw both this year. Not only was attendance up, but the interaction rate was high. Retailers and distributors were generally interested in learning more about innovation and hot segment items.”

“As a young company, we considered this one of the most important shows to date!” Nassar added. “Having launched Boss Dog/Boss Cat in 2019, it’s been a long wait to get back to tradeshow participation and interacting directly with our industry colleagues. Usually, we are happy to have simply paid for the show. However, this time, we took our company to a new level—quite exciting!”

“We had strong traffic all day long, each day, with lots of existing customers coming back to see what's new and also many, many new customers buying

SodaPup for the first time," said Founder Adam Baker.

“After the success of our showcase at SuperZoo, we are elated to witness the remarkable success of the GoodBoneTreat Maker post-launch," said Carmen Slaven, Sales and Marketing Director of Conairpropet. "The reception and feedback from industry professionals and pet owners alike have been nothing short of amazing. The pet care industry is continually evolving, and this collaboration allows us to offer a unique solution that combines culinary innovation with pet well-being. The positive consumer response reaffirms the value of our partnership and the quality of the product. This product is a testament to the collaborative spirit between Conairpropet and Cuisinart."

“SuperZoo was a great time for Mammoth Pet Products to visit with new and existing customers,” said Owner Charles Byrne. “SuperZoo was an excellent opportunity to present Mammoth’s new items namely Flossy Chew Peanut Butter Rope and Double Tug Rope. Retailers and pet parent consumers were excited to learn about how Mammoth products are great for engagement and enrichment. Engaging and enriching products continue to be a popular trend. Mammoth looks forward to continuing to bring products to market that fill the needs of retailer and pet parents.”

"We felt this year’s event was very well attended and certainly on the rebound from the year or two immediately following Covid," said Paragon Pet President Joe Zuccarello. "The audience was receptive and curious to learn about new products and solutions they can leverage to help them grow their businesses. It is every exhibitor’s goal to meet as many people as possible and to discuss ways their products can contribute to the potential customer’s success. This year, Paragon’s booth visits were numerous, and we witnesses an importance retailers are placing on growing their services offerings to result in driving foot traffic, frequency, loyalty and greater basket value."

“We want retailers to come away from SuperZoo excited about our new products and with the knowledge we are still innovating products designed to mentally challenge and benefit dogs,”

Benson with Starmark Pet said.

While meeting with retailers, Northwest Naturals focused on what makes the company stand out, notably, "the price, convenience and value of our products," Snell said. "Our products are made in a certified active human facility with USDA inspectors on site for every production run."

Boss Nation Brands would advise retailers to take a moment to better understand the ‘Why Boss Dog or Boss Cat story?’ “It’s one thing to claim probiotics, and another to utilize correct strains, along with sufficient dosing,” Nassar said. “When you understand the ‘why,’ you’ll understand why Boss Nation Brand is your lifestyle solution for the pets in your home.”

SodaPup imparted upon retailers the company’s efforts to take a trend that is already established on other continents and helping it to flourish across North America. “The enrichment trend is more firmly entrenched in other parts of the world like Australia and Western Europe but it is coming to the US very quickly thanks to social media which facilitates the spread of new ideas,” Baker explained. “Many retailers are still not carrying lick mats in their stores but now understand that they need to add these products quickly. Most realize when they come in our booth that SodaPup has differentiated itself with a broad assortment of enrichment products with unique designs as well as different levels of difficulty. The primary reason for all the activity in our booth at the show was our slow feeder bowls and our lick mats, including five new designs just for this show. At SodaPup, we treat lick mats like a graphic T-shirt business. Although most of us don't need another T-shirt, we can't resist buying another if we like the design! If we keep introducing compelling designs, consumers will collect them.”

"We witnessed many changes in the logos long-time industry participants were wearing and the presence of consolidation or acquisition master brands represented," Zuccarello said. "Having been in the industry for more than 38 years, I recognize and appreciate continuous effort and attention to relationships which continue to be key for companies who thrive in our great industry."

SuperZoo Takeaways

Health and Wellness

The health and wellness category has reached new heights as pet owners are striving to take care of health problems before they arise as well as maintaining pets’ well-being to ensure a long and happy life. SuperZoo health and wellness exhibitors reflected on their success at the show and the latest trends and consumer preferences.

“With our in-booth ‘Fresh ‘n Clean Scent Lab,’ our formulation chemist educated and informed retailers and booth visitors about the science and safety behind our Fresh ‘n Clean fragrance and its longevity,” said Andrea Henderson, VP of Marketing at Pet-Ag. “He also walked through how most of the fragrance built in our grooming products is done so using bottom and middle notes to decrease fragrance volatility. The nine additional multi-functional benefits built into our newest Bene-Bac 9 supplement promotes digestive balance in dogs 12 weeks and older.”

“The traffic level and engagement with the show attendees was what we had planned for and expected. We were busy at our booth from the beginning to the end of the show. We had a great location within the exhibit hall, and our hanging logo sign was visible from key vantage points,” Henderson said.

“Our Sponsored Meter Board that included directional signage was placed in a great location on the main aisle, so that served us well from a traffic flow perspective,” she continued. “Our product entry in the New Product Showcase should have been placed within the ‘dog’ category, however it was placed in a nondescript area with products for various animal species and various categories, so it wasn’t what we had planned for.”

Henderson imparted what was trending at the show this year within the health and wellness category: functional supplements, hemp and CBD products and pet toys. “We were well staffed and had preset meetings with key customers and prospective customers within our booth space,” she said. “Due to our staffing level, team members were able to walk the show floor, review the entries in the New Product Showcase, as well as experience what

other exhibitors were doing and how they were interacting and driving traffic to their booths.”

"WPA reported a 10 percent attendance increase over the 2022 show, and we felt it!" said Yvethe Tyszka, VP of Marketing of Zesty Paws and Solid Gold. "It was a great show. Attending SuperZoo this year gave us the opportunity to showcase our new product innovations in a tangible and to share one on one with attendees the science behind our products. By welcoming retailers, customers, and consumers, we were able to gain invaluable feedback and direct insights into preferences, wants and needs in the world of pet."

"With Zesty Paws entering into the cellular health category, which is a highly emotional consumer segment, we gave visitors to our booth a first look at our Healthy Aging NAD+ Precursor and it was great to see firsthand their excitement and interest in real time," she added. "The show was buzzing with conversation and innovation, and it was a great opportunity for our Pet Nutrition Care brands."

"After meeting with Zesty Paws and Solid Gold, my hope is that retailers remember the evident commitment of our brands to deliver premium and highly innovative pet products," Tyszka continued. "Our upcoming product launches—Zesty Paws Healthy Aging NAD+ Precursor and Solid Gold Nutrientboost toppers—not only address the unique needs of pets of all ages, but also provide pet parents with even more ways to support their pet’s overall health and happiness."

Yummy Combs is teaching pet owners that regular and effective oral hygiene is a good place to start when it comes to healing pets from the inside out. “We continue to message about our revolutionary shape that makes the difference. Yummy Combs' innovation is at a high level,” said CEO Joe Roetheli. “The dental care and safety are state-of-the-art, and Yummy Combs are packed with great nutrition and taste. Yummy Combs are the only patented treat that can floss 360 degrees around teeth to the gum line with up to 256 scrubbing surfaces to clean teeth of tartar. Yummy Combs

earned the coveted Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Seal of Acceptance in 2022 along with being featured on cable TV’s program World’s Greatest! . . . (dog treat). Yummy Combs sales grew and are now taking even bigger steps. The US Patent Office has issued eight patents that pertain to Yummy Combs with two more patents pending. We continue to identify needs and find innovative solutions. We have reason to believe that Yummy Combs are the best treat on the market. We are confident that Yummy Combs delivers the best dental and oral care, the best pet treat nutrition and the most advanced safety against gulping, choking and blockages plus great taste. This adds up to nourishing optimal wellness that translates into complementary wellness. We should complete a new study on dental efficacy; if this is validated it will be a first in the pet treat category.”

Beth Sommers, President and CMO for Pure and Natural Pet addressed the importance of SuperZoo and what the company was able to accomplish at this year’s show.

"SuperZoo is an important show for us for numerous reasons. We have terrific meetings and negotiations that help cement relationships with new and existing vendors. We always like to introduce a couple of new items that are usually requested at Global, earlier in the year. We recently developed an addition to our shampoo line and were proud to introduce our Skunk Off Shampoo at this year’s SuperZoo,” she said. “Like all of our products, Skunk Off Shampoo uses ingredients such as zinc, jojoba oil and spearmint essential oil to neutralize the biological compounds known as 'thiol's' which make skunk spray so dangerously pungent. Sometimes referred to as 'nature’s nerve gas,' skunk spray can cause serious health risks such as nausea, vomiting and even severe anemia if your pet is left untreated, which is why it is especially critical not to compound the problem by using a product containing harsh chemical ingredients. Skunk Off Shampoo is a safe and effective solution, relieving not only the severe discomfort of skunk odors, but the associated health risks as well.”

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SuperZoo Takeaways

Litter

As the pet industry has continued to be described as community-oriented, it’s no surprise that the SuperZoo tradeshow has grown to become one of the largest gathering points for retailers and manufacturers. Leaders in the litter category boasted about the positive atmosphere and the full crowd at the show this year. While trends and innovations were showcased throughout the tradeshow, tried-and-true products were also in focus as these leading companies have found strength in reliability.

“There was a lot of excitement in our booth this year around innovations in our clean protein nutrition lineup,” said Mat Brost, Dr. Elsey’s Marketing Director. “We have a collection of complete balanced all-meat pouches that are great for on-the-go cat parents. We’re also launching a collection of high-protein, single-ingredient freeze-dried treats this fall. I expect these to hit the market in October.”

Tradeshows like SuperZoo provide an unmatched in-person platform for manufacturers to highlight products and meet with partners. “It’s always amazing to interact with customers and industry partners in person,” Brost said. “It seems like what can take months to accomplish via digital meetings and e-mails is achievable in person over a 30-minute meeting at the event."

“This year we launched patent pending Glo litter that offers an irresistible ultraviolet cue to cats to use the litter box and were blown away by the response from retailers,” said Ken Wilks, VP Sales and Marketing with Boxiecat. “This year’s SuperZoo was probably the best show of my entire career. My only regret is that it had to end!”

“SuperZoo was great! The show seemed full, and the crowd was energetic. It seemed like even more companies were supporting new sustainable litters. It's always neat to see how creative new players in the market are,” said Next Gen International Corp. Marketing Director Janice Yamamoto. “Shows like SuperZoo are always great for connecting with new faces. Even though we've been around for almost 20 years, we meet people every year at SuperZoo who have never seen our litters.”

“The show met our expectations and seemed larger this year,” said Shannon Supanich, Marketing Director for Pioneer Pet Products, which showcased products in dual categories. “The traffic was good at the show Wednesday and Thursday. A few current customers were either limited in attendance or not in attendance. We had good conversations with many potential clients and are hopeful they turn into business opportunities and connections. What was interesting was the number of potential B2B connections that were made with other exhibitors. The shows are always a fun way to connect with other pet industry people.”

“SuperZoo participation level was excellent by both vendors and industry buyers and guests,” said Trent Bergen, National Sales Manager with Ultra Pet. “Our expectations were met with the quality and quanity of strategic buyers and executives we met with during the show—all showing strong interest in Ultra Pet’s innovative Litter Pearls Probiotic Litter and Litter Additive.”

Boxiecat found innovation was the key to their success at SuperZoo as the company has unlocked a new way to encourage cats to use their litter box. “I received the impression talking with stores owners and managers that premium cat litter as a category is at a tipping point,” Wilks said. “It’s always been a little ironic that most customers buying premium cat food in pet stores buy their litter in a grocery store. It feels as if retailers are primed and ready to capture this business that is literally walking out of their stores. Boxie stands ready to help retail stores show customers that premium litter can improve their lives. We have a lot of tools to help stores take their fair share of the litter industry away; this includes even offering free bags to their customers that are buying grocery litters to help show the premium performance difference.”

Next Gen dedicated part of its booth to its new Timber Fresh formula as the company has been focused on including sustainable litter products in its product portfolio. “Our Timber Fresh formula is a texture that mixes a small amount of bentonite into the formula so clay kit-

ties can transition to an eco-friendlier option," Yamamoto explained.

“Sustainable litter doesn't mean you have to sacrifice function! Next Gen Fresh litters are lightweight, clumping, flushable and control odor naturally!” she added.

"There weren’t as many trends or innovations as had been displayed at previous shows,” Brost said. “The plant and paper-based litters are still prevalent, but it appeared the excitement around those blends had leveled out. pH-measuring litters remained an interest of mine, and plenty of brands continue to evolve this concept, but I didn’t see anything new or that have been trending the past couple of years, and many customers are returning to what they know works—clumping clay and crystal varieties. We’ll be introducing our new products on social media, and customers can always sign up for our newsletters and check our website to catch up on anything they may have missed.”

“The primary theme we’re trying to promote is that Dr. Elsey started this business to enhance the lives of cats and their owners,” he continued. “We don’t use any ingredients in our litter or food that we don’t consider the best option for cats. All our products are veterinarian-formulated and are created to meet or exceed expectations. If a customer feels we fall short of their expectations, we’ll gladly send a refund and/or replacement. Cat and customer satisfaction truly is our top priority.”

“Several interesting trends showed up at SuperZoo,” Bergen said. “One of the more unexpected ones was a willingness of packaging companies looking to make 100 percent recyclable packaging including new forms of paper packaging—primarily focused toward treats and lower weight products. Anyone that visited the Ultra Pet booth at SuperZoo surely left knowing that Ultra Pet is the leader in crystal litter and continues to be the primary driver in litter innovation. Our most recent being Litter Pearls Probiotic Litter and Litter Additive, an exclusive blend of probiotics that organically eliminate odors in the litter box.”

New

Natural Attractions™ Cat Litter

For years, pet parents have used black lights to discover where their furry family members may have accidentally eliminated waste in the home. After several years of research and testing, Boxie® Innovation Lab confirmed cats respond to these visual cues without the aid of black lights.

Patent Pending Glo™ cat litter offers an ultraviolet visual stimulant for cats to eliminate waste in the litter box for the first time. When combined with an Outdoor Attractant™ and Boxie’s trademark Paw Feel Attractant™, your cat will know better than ever that Glo™ is the only place to go.

SuperZoo Takeaways

Premium Foods

Premium foods have become a staple with many pet owners as they continue to look for the highest quality of nutrition for their pets, keeping in mind their food preferences and dietary restrictions. Leaders in the category have devoted their time to growing and evolving their product lines within the premium food space and are dedicated to building on their experiences at this year's SuperZoo.

“2023 has been a remarkable year for new product innovations at Petcurean, and we were excited to launch our latest offering, Go! Solutions Boosters for cats and dogs, at SuperZoo,” said Theresa Lantz, Companion Animal Nutritionist, Petcurean. “Go! Solutions Boosters provide a complete and balanced meal alternative for cats, while serving as a topper to enhance the palatability of dry food for dogs. Functional toppers are a growing category and offer pet parents the ability to add variety and moisture to their pet’s bowl. Available in eight different delicious flavors for both cats and dogs, these recipes expand on our successful solutions-based offerings by providing tailored solutions for a variety of different dietary considerations based on the individual needs of pets.”

“We featured some of our new functional lines that have been incredibly successful—Functional Granola Bars for Dogs, Functional Soft Chew Supplements for Dogs and Cats and Functional Crunchy Cat treats to name a few. Ultimately, we want retailers to rely on Nulo as a brand partner with a diverse portfolio that offers compelling, premium nutrition for dogs and cats allowing them to live healthier, happier lives,” explained Jennifer Gibbs, Nulo Pet Food's Chief Sales Officer.

“Our innovation focus at SuperZoo this year was introducing new treats to the marketplace; we launched new Jerky Strips and a new training treat line called Be Good Bites. As always our new items deliver on great nutrition as well as being kind to the planet; the reaction and feedback was incredibly positive. We are excited to deliver our Open Farm Promise to more products, and to more pet parents,” said Mark Sapir, CMO at Open Farm.

“In addition, SuperZoo gave us the opportunity to showcase several new recipes that we launched earlier this year: Go! Solutions Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Insect Recipe for Dogs, which features a novel, sustainable black soldier fly larvae protein, and Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Large Breed Puppy and Adult Salmon Recipes with Grains for Dogs,” said Lantz. “Plus, our refreshed Summit collection for dogs and cats, which returned to the Canadian market with a revamped look and feel, and recently debuted in the US. We’ve expanded the Summit product line to include more flavor options that are guaranteed to be a hit with even the pickiest of pet palates.”

“SuperZoo is an excellent time to connect with others in the industry and showcase Petcurean’s latest developments and innovations,” Lantz continued. “In addition to gaining lots of insights on industry-leading trends, SuperZoo also provides us with an excellent opportunity to connect with retailers and consumers about all things related to pets.”

“Pet food companies focused on delivering great nutrition that is thoughtful and kind to our planet continue to resonate with retailers and pet parents. We are encouraged to see more and more pet manufacturers lean into this space and hope to continue to lead and be a catalyst to make more positive change,” Sapir said. “We are as excited as ever to partner with neighborhood pet; we are focused on building a special brand together, delivering on our Open Farm Promise and driving new pet parents into the channel. We are confident our existing retail partners are seeing our brand work and hopeful to meet new retailers and be a part of building this resilient channel together.”

Petcurean noticed the uptick in category trends and innovations that continue to drive the growth of the premium foods category.

“Functional foods, treats and supplements continue to be a dominant trend in the premium foods category, and that was very present at SuperZoo,” Lantz said. “Pet parents are increasingly interested in choosing recipes with

functional benefits, which support animals’ overall wellbeing. It’s an area that we’re passionate about exploring and our latest product offering—Go! Solutions Boosters—is testament to this. Go! Solutions Boosters are functional single-serve, single-solution wet food boosters for cats and dogs that address a range of common pet health concerns.”

Nulo Pet Food’s booth offered attendees a chance to take a glimpse of the company’s new product lines.

“SuperZoo exceeded our expectations this year as it was a very busy, successful selling show. We established many new partnerships and shared time with valued existing partners who are expanding space and providing new Nulo categories for pet parents at retail.”

The company’s official launch of its latest Boosters for cats and dogs provided its booth with steady traffic, and Petcurean was able to see the positive response to the new product.

“With new products, in-booth seminars and more, there was a lot of excitement at the Petcurean booth this year,” Lantz continued. "In particular, SuperZoo marked the official debut of our all-new Go! Solutions Boosters for cats and dogs—functional single-serve, single-solution wet food boosters in an easy-to-tear pouch. This gave us an excellent platform to introduce this product to new retailers and to also showcase the many other exciting and innovative products we’ve launched this year, including Go! Solutions Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Insect Recipe for Dogs and Go! Solutions

Skin + Coat Care Large Breed Puppy and Adult Salmon Recipes with Grains for Dogs. These recipes are designed to support a variety of different dietary needs based on the individual needs of pets while meeting consumer demand, and it’s great to receive such a positive response."

“As an industry leader, this requires a deep commitment to innovation and that approach is central to everything we do at Petcurean," she added. "We are always working to create high-quality, nutrient-rich food for cats and dogs to help them live happy and healthy lives."

SuperZoo Takeaways

Rawhide Alternatives

Variety in the sense of flavors and how pet owners can dispense chews and treats to their pets were top of mind during this year’s SuperZoo. After spending years apart, exhibitors and retailers shared a newfound appreciation for reuniting and spending one-on-one time exchanging ideas and sharing feedback. As pet owners seek out alternatives to rawhide treats and chews, manufacturers continue to step up to the plate with solutions that allow for pets to be spoiled and rewarded while giving pet owners’ reassurance of their pets’ safety.

“This year was again another success for Earth Animal at SuperZoo,” said Brett Zingle, Head of Strategic Growth. “We spent a lot of time ensuring our booth design and messaging, product presentation, and team support was where our products and innovation needed it to be. We begin preparing early as we know how unique SuperZoo is for us as an opportunity to be connected with so many supporting partners, and this year again exceeded our expectations.”

“SuperZoo 2023 was a fantastic show,” said Matt Ferch, Director of Marketing, TDDBS. “It is always exciting and inspiring to see the industry come together and share the latest innovation. There’s never been a better time to be a dog or a cat, with such a tremendous array of quality products out there.”

As far as category and overall industry trends, Redbarn Pet Products noticed "a continuing focus on solutions and functional ingredients in pet food and treats,” said Kelly Walters, Brand Leader Pet Foods for Redbarn Pet Products. “As pet parents look to fully support their pets’ health, products continue to surface that target the needs that are important to them—digestive health, immune support, skin and coat health, calming and so many more. The alternative feeding category also continues to grow, with more and more products, brands and companies pushing into this space. As pet parents continue to look for different ways to feed their pets, or different ways to add variety at mealtime, we’ll continue to see expansion in the options manufacturers offer to help

support these needs.”

"The attendance was amazing—it is wonderful to have so many industry professionals all gathered together," said Jones Natural Chews President Laura Jones. "It was exciting to view the new products and see where the industry is headed next."

“For Earth Animal, SuperZoo was an opportunity to for us to show retailers the innovation we’ve been working on for both Food and Chews,” Zingle said. “Our Wisdom Air-Dried has officially launched, and the innovation that we’ve built in to both the product as well as the sustainable sourcing was an exciting message for us to deliver. Within No-Hides, our Strips line has also officially launched, allowing us to deliver the same high quality and simple ingredients in a unique way for customers to bring more enjoyment to dogs!”

“We continue to focus on innovation and unique value propositions for our customers in this category,” Zingle continued. “In many ways for us our goal is to avoid the trends. We remain focused on delivering the original rawhide alternative in unique and differentiated ways, and the reception at SuperZoo to our Strips as well as our new flavor collections was extremely strong and encouraging to hear that we’re continuing to innovate in the ways customers are hoping for.”

"Sustainability remains a buzzy topic," Jones said. "The standout observation we made was that the humanization of pets is not slowing down. Pet parents have so many options of keeping their pets safe and healthy and integrating them into their home life."

Following SuperZoo, TDBBS expects its innovation to leave a lasting impression on retailers who visited the booth. “Barkworthies Smoked is a something pet specialty retailers should be looking at,” Ferch said. “Whereas most ‘smoked’ treats and chews get there through the addition of an artificial flavor, our new line of Smoked chews is naturally smoked, low and slow, in small batches, in a smokehouse, in Richmond, VA, using hickory wood. Nothing artificial. It’s a remarkable line of natural chews with unsurpassed aroma and flavor.”

“The most important focus we’d like retailers to take away from our booth is our commitment to quality, safe, premium dog food and treats, as well as the independent pet store community,” Walters with Redbarn said. “We continue to bring innovation to the marketplace that helps drive sales in the independent channel and really solves the problems pet parents are facing. With Superzoo 2023, we launched Redbarn air-dried Gut Health recipes, a line of premium Air Dried dog food that’s targeted to support dogs’ microbiome health. With a proprietary postbiotic inclusion, this product can deliver improved gut health in dogs, which has a host of benefits for the overall health of the pet. Additionally, we launched our new Redbarn Stews, which provide an excellent option for a full feed, or can serve as a mixer or topper to provide variety at mealtime. With a tasty pumpkin gravy in each recipe, these stews also serve to support digestive health. At Redbarn, our focus remains on the independent pet channel, serving the retailers we’ve been partnered with for more than 25 years and providing innovative, safe, efficacious products for pets and their pet parents.”

"After visiting our booth, I would hope that retailers are ready to ‘chews’ some new items for their chew bars. Sorry for the dad joke, but we really love hearing about all the amazing different ways that store owners display our products," Jones said. "So many creative stores start seeing newer items and they instantly begin discussing where they could fit in a particular display. The show serves as visual inspiration, so I would also think that retailers would want to start taking action on revamping their merchandising plans."

For those individuals who didn’t make it to the Earth Animal booth, "our sales team will have all of the latest on what’s new from Earth Animal,” Zingle said. “Our distribution partners also play a very key role in awareness around everything exciting we’re working on! We have catalogs for each product line that were updated for SuperZoo, and would love the opportunity to update anyone interested on where we’re going.”

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SuperZoo Takeaways

Treats

Exhibitors in the treats category planned to introduce a variety of protein sources including rabbit as an alternative to traditional options. The introduction comes as a means to keep the treats category lively and to incentivize pet owners to explore ingredients. Some exhibitors were eager to discuss their company’s decision to expand into complementary categories, namely dog food. A noteworthy dialogue between retailers and exhibitors focused on pet owners’ efforts to feed their pets nutrient-dense ingredients that are prepared in a way that preserves the ingredients’ nutritional value. Pet owners rely on retailers who are willing to guide them towards these options and manufacturers who offer these features but can also ensure the pet’s safety.

“Flavor Fullz by Loving Pets is a unique line of dog and cat treats with crunchy outsides and soft inside bursting with flavor," said Eric Abbey, President and Founder of Loving Pets. "Flavor Fullz are made in the USA with domestic and imported ingredients. Available in eight delicious flavors such as, Chicken, Chicken & Catnip, Tuna, Salmon for cats and for dogs, Bacon, Chicken, Cheese and Peanut Butter; there is something to treat every palate.”

“We continue to innovate our human-grade cheese treats, ice cream and whey protein treats. The products we make with our milk are from our herd of A2 Jersey cows, which is easier to digest and tolerate for those with milk sensitives,” said Amy Marcoot, Co-Owner of Marcoot Jersey Creamery which produces Dog-O’s. “We want to continue to create new products that the industry is asking for and addressing their needs!”

“We were overjoyed to see the amount of traffic and overall attendance this year,” said Senior Marketing Manager Jessica Krueger. “It finally feels as if the velocity of industry shows is getting back on track after the pandemic, and it was incredible to get to reconnect and network with so many of our industry colleagues. We would like to extend a massive thank you to the teams who visited us at our booth to catch up and hear about what we have coming up down the pipeline!”

“As a manufacturer, we’re trying to be more innovative with the products that we bring to our customer base to show more value. We did just launch a new chicken and waffle product under our Farmland brand. There was interest in there, and the really unique thing about this product is that there’s not many manufacturers that can replicate this product,” said Hillside Farms Vice President Scott Wu.

Phelps Pet noticed how the tradeshow atmosphere resembled the SuperZoo experience pre-pandemic, hopefully signifying that the pet industry is rebounding and calming down following a handful of tumultuous years. “We found SuperZoo to be very active for the second year in a row as our traffic exceeded pre-pandemic levels,” CEO and President Rick Ruffolo said. “We focused our time mostly on pre-scheduled meetings, but the ‘walk-up’ interest was strong with retailers attracted to our Disney-themed booth featuring our new Disney Table Scraps Upcycled Certified Dog Treats and Cat Treats. We were quite pleased with the customer response and excitement towards our Disney line, as well as with our innovative private label and contract manufacturing offerings.”

Having already established itself as a leading treats manufacturer, Hillside Farms is branching out into air-dried food. "Air-dried dog food is starting to trend upwards," Wu explained. "We are coming out with our own branded airdried dog food in the months to come. It rivals raw dog food and fresh dog food. The benefit of air-dried dog food is that it can be shelf stable, you can put it in your pantry. Air-dried dog food is an alternative for folks that want a nutrient dense dog food but without the preparation of it being fresh or raw."

“We would love retailers to walk away remembering ZIWI as the global leader and innovator in air-dried pet nutrition,” said Krueger. “We would also like retailers to remember we continue to offer wet canned recipes for both dogs and cats, and now newly released 6oz recipes for dogs in chicken, beef and lamb recipes, with 91 percent meat, organs, bones, and New Zealand green

mussels. ZIWI continues to be made and sourced in our home, New Zealand, and we are excited to be investing heavily into our New Zealand kitchens to ensure we can continue to serve pets and their guardians with the utmost quality and speed that we can.”

"Most importantly at these shows what I love about them is the potential area for you to gather with your key retailers and distributors, which is helpful because being able to meet face-to-face at these shows brings tremendous value to your partners as you’re able to explain things easier and show them the new things that are now in the pipeline and what to look forward to next year. I love meeting new retailers too, and meeting with our existing customers and distributors is a tremendous value for us," Wu said. "In regard to maximizing our investment, the proof will be in the pudding, and in due time we will see what transpires over the months and from there we can quantify whether it was a successful show or not."

“After SuperZoo, we are energized and ready for Q4 and a successful start to 2024,” Abbey said. “We always value time to connect with our customers to learn how we can partner with them for success. This year was no different.”

“Being able to meet with customers in the third quarter really helps to get excitement around our brand and get a jump start on our 2024 planning,” Marcoot said.

“Nothing beats getting to do business in person with your industry partners, and being able to catch up, which makes for invaluable connections and expedited conversations that allow us to move faster, together, in the right direction,” Krueger said.

"Being able to meet face-to-face with your key retailers and your distributors helps reinforce a game plan moving forward for the rest of 2023," Wu said. "If both partners can be on the same page and have the same goals and objectives and support each other in execution, that not only cultivates a long term relationship, but also shows that we’re supporting our customers and they’re supporting us. That ultimately is the recipe for success."

2023 Women in Pet

“Take the time to choose the right partners for your business. Do your due diligence and get to know those people on a personal level before bringing them into the team on a day-to-day basis. Problematic investors and/ or partnerships can not only disrupt running a successful business, they can destroy it. It’s incredibly important to make sure your values, business goals and life philosophies are as aligned as possible. Date before you marry.” —

Lindsey Campbell, Co-Founder and VP of Business Development, TEEF

2023 Women in Pet

“The veterinary industry needs the expertise of women in order to advance, and while we’ve seen signs of attrition among women leaders in other industries, I am overall optimistic about our ability to hire, promote and learn from women in this industry to continue growth. The percentage of women running Fortune 500 companies has doubled in the past five years, and as all industries see more disruption at the hands of innovation, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more companies hire outside of their traditional recruiting pools as they look to fill roles that innovate vs. iterate, which is exactly our aim here at Chewy. This kind of focus has put us on lists like Forbes’ Best Employers for Women and continues to drive our efforts.”

— Mita Malhotra, President, Chewy Health

“I once had a leader with a very big title, in a very big company that took the time to write the most lengthy and involved annual review documents I’ve ever received. They were full of feedback both positive and constructive, and they truly showed me how much she cared about my development. We would discuss her feedback and feedback of others that she sought out on my behalf, and we would action my own development plan together. It had to be incredibly time consuming for her, but it made me a better leader. It showed me how much she cares. As a result, I try very hard to prioritize one-on-one conversations and development for my team so they know they are a priority to me. I learned that from one of the best.”

— Julie Maday, CEO, Independent Pet Partners

Acommonthread running through the career stories of female leaders in the pet industry is their search for meaningful ways to make a difference in the world has led them to an industry that is equipped to help them fulfill both their altruistic and professional goals. Many are working to improve the lives of animals, support their human companions or make way for a cleaner more sustainable way to do business. These women acknowledge that they don’t come to their successes alone, crediting mentors for guiding their careers forward and now looking for opportunities to support those coming up behind them. Mentorship is a vital component of helping the next generation of women find their footing in the industry, but sometimes the opportunities to network and connect with others in similar roles—or at least the communication about such opportunities—are few and far between. These women agree that though the pet industry has made strides in better representation of women in leadership roles, most board rooms are still clearly male-dominated; the onus to change, however, is not only on those who do the hiring but also on the women themselves to show up and continue to take up space in decision-making roles and capacities. After all, women as caregivers largely make the purchasing decisions for their families, and it makes business sense to include more female perspectives and thinking in every facet of the industry.

The Managers

From the outside, achieving a leadership role within established organizations, whether a manufacturer, a retailer or a trade group, might seem inscrutable and even daunting, but these women are demonstrating that with tenacity, a desire to learn and a solid work ethic, they can grab a seat at the table and help steer the direction of their respective organizations.

Diane Tiberio is currently VP, Marketing and Communications for the American Pet Products Association (APPA), which also produces the annual Global Pet Expo trade show. “For more than 20 years, I worked for one of the most prominent trade show organizers and r Cont'd on Pg. 22

Leading Women in Pet

r From Pg. 20

held various marketing positions in trade events across many industries. My brand management role included developing strategy and content, campaign planning, analytics and digital platform implementations,” she said. “I joined the APPA in 2019 when the organization realigned its marketing efforts across APPA, Global Pet Expo and its consumer-facing initiative, Pets Add Life (PAL). APPA's goal was to bring someone who could unify the association's marketing efforts and build a central marketing team to serve all the association's needs, including member prospecting, renewal and related services.”

At the other industry trade show, Jessica Guzman is VP of Marketing for the World Pet Association (WPA), which produces the annual SuperZoo event. “I started working in public relations in the entertainment industry,” she said. “It had its exciting moments, but something was missing for me. That’s what led me to the pet industry—nothing compares to hosting the community of pet professionals across WPA events and supporting industry associations through our Good Works program.”

In line with her current role as SVP of Sales for ZIWI, Heather Hickey started her career in pet retail. “I spent seven years as a manager in an independent pet store,” she recalled. “The store owner also owned a manufacturing facility, and we had our own line of food and treats. That experience introduced me to the retail side of pet, as well as manufacturing and distribution. My college education focused on risk management, business and finance. I was able to utilize what I learned in school to successfully manage 22 employees and run the store efficiently and profitably. Near the end of 2004 I was recruited by a new, up-and-coming pet food manufacturer, Nature’s Variety (now Instinct) for an outside sales position. In early 2006, I was promoted to a regional manager role, where I managed the Canadian business along with the Central US brick and mortar accounts. After Instinct, I accepted a role as National Sales Director for Nature’s Logic, and six years ago I joined ZIWI where I am the Senior Vice President of Sales.”

So much of what I’m proud of surrounds the work of my teams and the people I have worked with. I get so much joy watching my teams and teammates be successful and learn new things. Seeing them take on new roles and challenges and even get promoted is such an amazing feeling—a great leader mentors others and celebrates their wins.

Anna Bell, SVP of Marketing, Pet Segment for Central Garden & Pet, ensured she had her academic credentials secured but kept her options open as she embarked on her professional career. “My career path began in corporate global finance and then transitioned to consumer marketing after I completed my MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business in both finance and marketing,” she said. “I looked for roles where I can combine my passion for behavioral economics and human psychology, and so I pursued roles that provided me with an opportunity to work on brands that consumers were passionate about and had ambitious growth objectives. Growing up, I was always bringing home stray animals or offering to ‘babysit’ my friends’ pets. So, when I got my first apartment, I made sure it was pet-friendly and adopted a dog right away, and they have been part of my growing family ever since. The opportunity to finally work in the pet industry with a leader like Central was impossible to pass up!”

At Central, we’ve been focused on creating sustainable, organic growth through our brands and businesses over the past few years. One of the projects that came from that focus I’m particularly proud of is our reptile business. We leveraged a cross-functional team and identified an opportunity to engage younger consumers with our reptile supplies brand, Zilla, in a unique and category-disruptive way.

Stacey Osborn, currently President of Champion Petfoods, also found a path to the pet industry through marketing. “After spending my early career in accounting and consulting, I moved into marketing—first at Macy’s West and then Adidas before joining the world of pet marketing where I’ve been focused for more than a decade,” she said. “When I joined Banfield Pet Hospital in 2010, I discovered my passion for the pet industry. Following four years with Banfield, I joined the incredible Royal Canin team and had the distinct pleasure of working across the business globally. I spent time in many different roles and locations including St. Louis, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. I am excited to continue my journey in this fantastic industry with Champion Petfoods.”

Many come to pet having previously worked in adjacent industries while for others, their current leadership roles represent one of their first forays into the industry. Dianna Bailer, who is currently Chief Marketing Officer for EarthWise Pet, is one of those individuals. “My career path has zig-zagged through

r Cont'd on Pg. 24

Anna Bell, SVP Marketing, Pet Segment, Central Garden & Pet

Stacia Andersen, Chief Customer Officer, PetSmart

AND THE REST OF THE RECOGNIZED WOMEN FOR BEING HONORED AS

Leading Women in Pet

Bailer, Chief Marketing Officer, EarthWise Pet

In my short time with EarthWise Pet, I've helped design or redesign all of our private label products, start the launch of our biggest products yet, head the visual design of our newest store concept, GROOMBAR and created numerous support tools for our franchisees. I am dedicated to people learning about EarthWise Pet and our earned place as the nutrition authority for our pets.

several industries, possibly making my résumé a scary read for prospective employers,” she said. “But, whether it was the entertainment, hospitality, automotive or digital marketing fields, each step provided me with unique skills. While working with a company specializing in franchise development and digital marketing, I connected with the executive team at EarthWise Pet. Since I've always had a passion for animals and originally planned to work in animal rescue, this was a dream come true. Although I realized I couldn't handle the emotional toll of daily rescue work, EarthWise Pet gave me the opportunity to contribute to pets' better lives in a more positive way. When the opportunity came up to work with them directly, I jumped.”

We have moved really important pieces of our product line forward; we’ve added to our product line. We’ve improved our technology and we’ve improved the support of our franchise system. Those are just huge accomplishments in a fairly short period of time here at Pet Wants.

Julie Maday, CEO of Independent Pet Partners (IPP), was also drawn to pet first as a consumer, having previously held roles with Expedia and Best Buy. Though she was able to find useful meaning and purpose in those positions, the opportunity to lead decisions for the company she’d long supported as a pet owner was too good to pass up. “I was very happy with life at Best Buy, I had been there for 11 years,” she said. “It’s a company I did and still do love and think very highly of. I got a call from a recruiter, as often happens in this world; in all honesty, I thought I was taking the call for a friend, and when I heard they were looking for a CFO in specialty retail in Minneapolis, I thought, ‘Hey, I might know somebody. When I found out it was the parent company of Chuck and Don’s I got lost in the moment honestly. I’ve been a shopper at Chuck and Don’s for 20-plus years of pet ownership. I had spent, even prior to being an employee, I don’t know how many hours in these stores; it has always felt like an environment that I loved and thrived in. It’s almost like being in a dog park, I know these are my people. As soon as I found out this was the opportunity, I found myself diving headfirst into it. Next thing I knew, I was giving notice, leaving my big safe public company world that I had always known and entered into the world of private equity and learning the Chuck r Cont'd on Pg. 26

To still be here in this space and be one of the leading brands and putting out the absolute best products that we possibly can, I’m proud of that. We built a facility in the last year and that was a monumental endeavor for us to do and to have surrounded myself with a team that I’m proud of. We’ve got a great team and that ultimately is going to give our consumers and their pets the absolute best products that we can put out.

I’m proud that I’ve created a product that is really resonating with both consumers and retailers and that within a short, very short span of time, we're now in more than 4,000 retail locations across America.

Kat Donatello, Founder, Austin and Kat

Dianna

Katherine Ellison, Founder and CEO, Bright Planet Pet

DeNita Carani, President, Pet Wants

Leading Women in Pet

and Don’s and at the time Kriser’s, Natural Pawz and Loyal Companion story.”

Amie Hansen has held the role of Chief Marketing Officer for Nulo Pet Food for about three months. Her career has guided her across continents, through a number of consumer brands spanning various industries, from footwear and apparel to beauty, jewelry, eyewear and even luggage. More recently she came across an opportunity to work in a mission-driven startup. “We made a very interesting bag; our mission was essentially to eradicate single use plastic bags, and we made a reusable shopping bag system that was made with fiber that was made from wood, so it was compostable. When I did that work I really enjoyed the mission driven aspect of it. It was something that I personally was very passionate about, and so when I was looking for my next opportunity I really wanted to continue down the path of my personal passion so that ultimately is what led me to Nulo. The Nulo opportunity came my way, and I had been looking at a lot of different opportunities, and this one was just perfect for me. I’m passionate about my dogs. I’m a huge dog lover. I rescue dogs. I foster dogs. I’ve done that my whole life and the mission of Nulo just really resonated with me so the opportunity was just a perfect fit.”

The Retailers

A knack for building up brands and problem solving, coupled with a strong desire to support pet parents as they care for their beloved pets, have driven these women in their careers helping to guide initiatives for notable pet retailers and distributors across the country.

Stacia Andersen is Chief Customer Officer for PetSmart. “I am responsible for customer experience, which includes marketing, customer loyalty and communications; digital strategy and omnichannel experience; and merchandising, including brand partnerships, PetSmart’s proprietary brands, product development and store experience,” she said. “Simply put, as Chief Customer Officer, it’s my responsibility to ensure that PetSmart puts the customer at the center of everything it does.”

The road to PetSmart for Andersen

started in retail. “I have had a long career in the retail industry and truly love this space,” she said. “I started my career at Target as an intern [but eventually] held various leadership roles including senior vice president of merchandising for several different divisions including apparel, accessories and baby and home and seasonal. From there I went on to be the brand president of Abercrombie & Fitch, transforming all aspects of the Abercrombie & Fitch and Abercrombie Kids brands; and then joined the team here at PetSmart four years ago, evolving into my current role of chief customer officer. I have a passion for understanding the wants and needs of customers and building brands around them to thrive. The pet retail space is even more exciting as we have the opportunity to provide products and solutions to help deepen the bond between pet parents and their pets and make the lives of pets better.”

Kaitlyn Shadiow, VP of Merchandising—Pets for Walmart US had a similar start in retail. “I’ve spent many exciting years in retail across several categories, and [I’m] always looking for ways to improve the customer experience. I‘ve spent time supporting stores, e-commerce and the marketplace and have supported the transition to omnichannel retailing, so customers can shop however and whenever they like,” she said. “Most recently, I led Walmart’s patio & garden business which had a broad mix of categories and industries and that was one the first areas to experience inflation with the heavy mix of durables and imported products. In January of this year, I moved to the pets category. I’m so excited to work in pets because the category and industry is grounded in so much innovation and passion. Pets are members of the family, and every day my team is focused on helping pet parents save money and live better, which is particularly important in inflationary times. We don’t believe pet parents should have to compromise when it comes to their pets.”

Elizabeth Kunzelman, Petland, VP of Legislative and Public Affairs, worked in journalism at the start of her career. “I graduated from Ohio University in 1991 with a degree in journalism/communications,” she said. “I worked as a

lifestyles and business editor for the local newspaper and then switched to PR and marketing work for an orchestra and then a private university. I grew up in the pet industry as my father [Ed Kunzelman] started Petland in 1967. I worked on and off during summers and worked briefly there out of college. In 2007, a communications position opened up at Petland, and I started my career in the pet industry.”

Kunzelman was appointed to her current role in 2022 at a time when Petland came under the media spotlight for fighting a number of city ordinances banning the sales of live pets in retail settings. Embracing her family roots in pet retail, Kunzelman said of working in the pet industry: “There is so much opportunity. The importance of the human animal bond is undeniable and being a part of making a family's lives better with a pet is very rewarding. It’s exciting to see the growth of products designed to enrich pets’ lives, from food to bedding to nutrition to toys. But, there are also a lot of threats to the industry from the animal rights activists who are trying to curb the ability of families to purchase pets. There are a lot of great people working to protect the rights for all of us to have pets. It’s not just puppies—it’s kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, reptiles and fish. The idea that children could someday not experience the joy of a first pet is unacceptable. Pets teach children love, responsibility and appreciation for all creatures. They provide emotional support, physical support and unconditional love to people of all ages, and it’s critical that we protect our ability to have them.”

The act of caring for others has driven DeNita Carani throughout her career. As Brand President for Pet Wants, she said, “I honestly believe that I have gotten to serve the three populations that hold the keys to my heart in my career. In the beginning of my career I was serving the elderly and disabled in the medical device space; and then in the middle I was serving children and their parents in the in-home childcare space; and now I’m serving pets and pet parents in the pet space. So, it has been a full career of serving populations that are just r Cont'd on Pg. 28

Leading Women in Pet

really important to me.”

I have proven this to be true: you do not need years of school or a degree to be successful. I knew from a young age that I just really loved dogs and I turned my love of dogs into a multimillion dollar business. Just because you're not book smart does not mean you can't be successful. I'm really proud of the fact that I haven't strayed from what I set out to do: make pets’ lives better.

“I cannot remember a time in my life when I didn’t have at least one dog,” she continued. “I’m a big believer in adopting from shelters or rescue organizations and the vast majority of my dogs have come from that. And all of them through the years have had various health issues and knowing that there are opportunities to address various things with nutrition, just like we do as humans, was so appealing to me, and knowing that the brand is all about health and wellness, that was very, very appealing.”

The mode in which Carani could put into action her desire to support and nurture others was often found in franchising, which has made her role at Pet Wants an ideal fit. “Having been a franchisee and knowing what that’s like on a day-to-day basis to own your own business but not be alone in that endeavor, now being on the other side of it, the best part of my day is my conversations with franchisees. Franchising, in my view and my experience, creates a path to business ownership for people who wouldn’t necessarily go out and start out completely on their own. It allows them to own their own business but have the support of people who’ve already done it and been successful at it and have a support team of the franchisor to help them, and so I just love watching people have a dream and be able to make that dream a reality.”

The proudest thing I’ve done is the startup I worked with. I’ve worked with a lot of different brands and I’ve had a lot of different successes growing businesses, achieving results, hiring teams, lots of those things, but that experience in the startup was a very different success for me. We brought something to market that I was proud of. It was doing something purely good.

I'm most proud of SuperZoo. Working with my colleagues to create a show each year that targets the needs of the retail industry and creates a collaborative environment that serves as the foundation for the industry’s future has been incredibly rewarding. I am proud of our longstanding history of serving this community and look forward to providing even more opportunities with WPA in the years ahead.

Networking is always an important facet of growing a business, and for Kelly Pye, Director of Customer Experience and National Accounts for Pet Food Experts, it was how she came to her current role from her first career as a florist. “I ended up in the pet industry entirely by accident,” she said. “During my early 20s, I worked as a florist, designing for weddings and events. I loved how creative working with flowers allowed me to be, but I knew it wasn’t something I could do forever. One day, when I picked up my Bichon Frise, Rosie, from my local groomer after a haircut, the owner asked if I was interested in the general manager position for the groomer/retail store. I said yes—I was r Cont'd on Pg. 30

I am most proud of the relationships I have with my partners in the industry. Those partnerships include retailers, distributors, other manufacturers, suppliers and those who work in the regulatory side of pet. I love the pet industry and the people who work hard to ensure it continues to thrive!

Nancy Guinn, President, Dog Krazy

Amie Hansen, Chief Marketing Officer, Nulo

Jessica Guzman, VP of Marketing, WPA

Heather Hickey, SVP of Sales, ZIWI

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Leading Women in Pet

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ready for change. During my time in that role, I fell in love with the industry and developed a relationship with my preferred distributor, Pet Food Experts (PFX). I joined the PFX team in 2011, managing New England and New York-based accounts on the Inside Sales team. Since then, my role has expanded and evolved to manage key accounts, supervise inside sales, and eventually transform our customer experience. I’ve been so lucky to grow with PFX during the past 12 years.”

Nancy Guinn, President of Dog Krazy, meanwhile, started her successful career track with just a love for dogs and $8,000. “I was working in the dental field for 15 years and started school to become a dog trainer,” she said. “A week before graduating I stopped at our local pet store to pick up treats and as I pulled up, [the owner] put ‘store closing’ in the window. I had $8,000 and thought I was rich and signed a lease to reopen in the exact location a pet supply had been for 10 years. I knew nothing about business, but I really love dogs and through trial and error, a lot of tears and endless days, I made it work. I met my husband three months after I opened, and he has a head for numbers so through my passion and his knowledge of business, we grew. I don't think there is a person out there that loves animals as much as I do. I have met many that have come close but still not the same. I love meeting dogs, cats, goats, etc., and I can't imagine doing anything else with my life.”

Like Guinn, Mita Malhotra, President of Chewy Health, came to the pet industry from an unrelated field—in this case, it was civil engineering. “While I loved the analytical and creative side of the work, I found that path was not multidimensional enough for me,” she said. “For instance, I was a site engineer supporting construction but was very curious about contracts, bids, budgets and the general business side of the work. That was not something that ‘pertained to my job’ and the implication was to accept a unidimensional career that was solely focused on one function. At that point I decided to shift careers and cultures and joined Dell computers as an operations manager. I thrived in

that environment; it supported curiosity, high bar execution and delivering results. That inquisitive mindset helped me continue seeking various roles that built upon each other and ultimately became a successful business management career that eventually led me to Chewy. I was initially approached by Chewy to launch Pharmacy, and after carefully evaluating the risk of taking on something entirely new against the excitement of building something from the ground up, I joined Chewy in 2018. There is an incredible amount of runway when it comes to pet health, and I was excited about the role that Chewy could play in this space.”

Malhotra explained, “When I started at Chewy, my role was to launch and grow Chewy Pharmacy, but as we built it, we realized this was just the tip of the iceberg. In the journey of pet parenthood, there is an entire continuum of care that needed to be modernized via technology. Today, Chewy is delivering a wide array of products and services that are designed to meet the unique needs of pet parents and veterinarians. We are the only ones connecting the care, commerce and convenience flywheel and removing friction at key touchpoints— such as insurance claims, prescription approvals, stocking and selling medication and off-hours care.”

The Entrepreneurs

The act of starting a business from scratch might feel intimidating to some, but these women—whether led by a need to create and share their innovations or a desire to fill a need in this industry they love—have built successful teams to support their passions and left naysayers in the dust.

Sherry Huber is Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Treat Planet. “Seeking an opportunity to own a company, my business partner, Doug Martin and I looked to find an industry where we could impact lives with the products we produced and allow us to use our diverse business skills to bring a unique approach to the customer-vendor relationship,” she said. “We knew right away that the pet industry would allow us to achieve these goals. Every day, I am inspired by the people and the passion in this industry. It ranges from the pet parents, to the retailers, to the distributors,

to the vendors and manufacturers, all sharing a common goal of ensuring we are creating the best products possible to enrich and extend the lives of the pets that are part of our families and mean so much to our health and well-being.”

Huber has met her fair share of obstacles, sometimes based solely on her being a woman business owner. “I don’t believe in defining people by the variables they were born with or a category in which they are classified,” she said. “I believe in evaluating people by who they truly show us to be through the interactions we have with them. I am frequently faced with people who dismiss me as a woman, a leader, or even the co-owner of my own company. I don’t get offended too often or allow these opinions to distract me. Instead, I continue to work hard, pay attention to what is important and showcase my strength as a leader and a business owner through the immense success of my company.”

This has been Bright Planet Pet Founder and CEO Katherine Ellison’s experience as well. She earned a marketing degree from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and started her career working in qualitative market research, primarily for CPG companies. The economic downturn of 2008 prompted her to pivot, refocusing on her love of pets. “I started working at veterinary clinics, and I worked at clinics for about five years until I transitioned into a sales role in the pet industry selling primarily private label. So most of my career in the industry has been sales and account management of private label ranging from hard goods to many different types of consumables until 2020. The Covid recession of 2020 happened and I got laid off from my job again. That’s when I started my business. My career has really been about—and I’ve been a pet owner my whole life—a merging of my passion and my business expertise.”

Following her passion may be the drive, but Ellison’s success can be directly attributed to her resolute belief in her own abilities.

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Leading Women in Pet

Avoiding complacency and continually innovating is something we pride ourselves on at Treat Planet. We are successful because of the people we surround ourselves with. We believe in forming relationships with our customers and suppliers that is beyond just a buy/sell relationship. We cherish the connections we have with fellow colleagues. Our incredible staff also makes our success possible.

ed my abilities, my skills and my drive. All that does is really just fuel me to work harder because I know if I put my mind to something, I know inside of me that I can definitely achieve my goals. So, I don’t think much about how people view me or perceive me. I just focus on doing the best that I can. I think both that I’m a woman and I’m younger and I’ve had conversations with investors— potential investors where I left the conversation feeling like the conversation wouldn’t have been negative if I was a male entrepreneur. But that just drives me to just build my business and show everyone what I can do.”

Meanwhile, a dedication to family prompted Amy Marcoot, Co-Owner and CEO of Marcoot Jersey Creamery, makers of the Dog-O’s brand of dog treats, to steer the family farm into the pet industry. “My career path was most certainly not what I expected it to be,” she said. “I have a degree in counseling and worked in that field when in 2007 my parents said they wanted to sell our family's farm. My family, the Marcoots, have had Jersey cows for seven generations. I, along with my sister, came back to the farm in 2009 and built an on-farm creamery. In 2010, we began making cheese for restaurants, grocery stores, etc. We saw that our dog loved cheese, customers started coming to the creamery to buy cheese and whey for their dogs, and then we decided to make a shelf stable 100 percent cheese treat and in 2018 Dog-O's Cheese Chompers were born. Since 2018, Dog-O's continues to expand its line of Made in the USA cheese treats and ice creams which are protein, healthy fats and nutrients.”

Elizabeth Kunzelman, VP Legislative and Public Affairs, Petland

I am most proud of my advocacy work and being able to tell my story, talk to legislators and start working proactively to pass reasonable legislation with sensible regulations to keep stores in business and to keep access to pets open for all.

Marcoot said she’s enjoyed the journey into making products for pets. “This industry has some of the kindest, most fun people that I have ever experienced. We all love our dogs and want to give them good things. It really has been the highlight of the last 13 years in owning my own business to work with other pet loving people,” she said.

A love of dogs is what has anchored Kat Donatello, Founder of Austin and Kat, as she transitioned from her first business endeavor—the fitness events

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I am most proud of what the team has done. We have navigated a very difficult restructuring having to leave behind many friends and family; however we have banded together and are now better positioned than we have ever been to serve our pet parents. We do this with trust in each other and by having each other’s backs. I can think of no greater accomplishment than a happy team ready to show up for our customer each and every day.

It is both humbling and inspiring to reflect on how pet health really began at Chewy and to celebrate how far it has come. As our team has grown, so has the sophistication and depth of our services. These milestones have marked important moments in our journey to become the comprehensive healthcare ecosystem that Chewy Health is today. I look back with pride and forward with excitement about what’s to come in the years ahead.

Sherry Huber, Founder and COO, Treat Planet

Julie Maday, CEO, IPP

Mita Malhotra, President, Chewy Health

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Leading Women in Pet

industry—into pet wellness. “I was an event management and race owner, so I owned triathlon events in the state of Maine,” she said. “Which ironically there’s a lot of similarities between the pet space and the people in sport space in that everyone is looking for creating a better version of themselves or creating a better version of their pet. Like, ‘how can I make my pet the healthiest, happiest, pet that I can have,’ and the same was holding true for sport. So it was an easy transition into the space when I got introduced to it. I had been doing that for more than 10 years. I’m now hitting my decade in the pet industry, and it just was a seamless transition from sport into pet and people are amazing. They’re welcoming.”

“We’re getting ready for SuperZoo, and it’s like getting ready for a triathlon event for me,” she said earlier this summer. “I can just see all my old friends again and share what’s been going on in our lives and our businesses for the last year, so the industry itself is very comparable in that it’s very open and welcoming and innovative and sharing a very common good.”

Donatello produced triathlon events until 2016 though she started Austin and Kat in 2014, and she is proud to have sold her event company to another female leader. “The event management company I owned was called the Pumpkin Man, and we produced events in New England and it was kind of a different picture. I was one of very few women involved; mostly it was a very male-dominated industry. Now we’re seeing a lot more women involved in the space and a woman ended up purchasing the company from me, and so it was great to see her continue on to be another leader, that woman be another leader in that space herself.”

As an athlete herself, Donatello often ran with a dog, and it was through trying to find solutions for her running companion who wasn’t doing so well with age that she came across the CBD segment. “I had Brady who was kind of the inspiration for Austin and Kat. He was my older dog, and when he wasn’t doing as well as he should have been at age 12, I was seeking out an alternative

way to help him. Through my husband and his involvement—he also started in sport and ended up in the cannabis space—he introduced me to CBDs; it just was a natural evolution.”

Coming to pet is also a natural path for Jacqueline Prehogan, Founder and CEO of Canada Pooch and Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer for Open Farm, who initially thought her career trajectory would lead her to practicing veterinary medicine or practicing law. “I have always loved animals, and growing up I dreamed of building my career around them,” she said. “Initially I thought this path would be veterinary medicine but ended up attending business school and becoming a CPA. I was a terrible accountant. I can’t think of a worse fit for my personality! Now in my mid-twenties, I decided to attend law school but happened to adopt our first rescue pug, Bella, around the same time. Once I became a mom to Bella, my imagination went crazy with ideas for pet parents like myself, and I started Canada Pooch in 2011 during my first semester of law school. I immediately fell in love with the pet industry and the choice was easy—I dropped out of law school to pursue the business. Once in the industry, my husband Isaac and I had the idea and the passion to start an ethically sourced pet food, which led to the creation of Open Farm in 2014. The rest is history for Canada Pooch and Open Farm!”

If it was a passion for animals that got Prehogan into the industry, it was now an equal obligation to the well-being of pet parents that fuels her path forward. “I love animals, and our customers are deeply committed to their pets,” she said. “Our work is all about the bond between animals and people, which is really joyful. I’m grateful to be a small part of that pet-parent bond and to contribute to keeping pets healthy, happy and thriving. Also, there are so many nice and passionate people working in this industry, and I’ve made many lifelong friends.”

Pet wellness has also guided the career of Green Juju Owner and Founder Kelley Marian. “After college, I thought I would climb the corporate ladder in marketing, but after one Seattle winter of spending all daylight hours at a desk, I knew that wasn’t for me,” she

recalled. “I started a dog walking business to keep my exuberant yellow lab, Bailey, occupied and get myself outside. It was in the middle of a recession and while many questioned me leaving a salaried job to walk dogs, my motto was ‘the dogs will always make me smile,’ which was less than I could say for my computer. Six years in, Bailey got cancer. Everything stopped and my passion moved from playing with dogs to helping my dog. In the years I spent with all of my clients’ dogs, I got an upclose look at how households feed their dogs and deal with medical issues. I noticed how much convenience matters. When I created our ‘Just Greens’ organic greens blend to help support Bailey in her cancer fight, I realized how much an easy plop of fresh food could benefit every dog. It was an easy improvement for most families to make. It was a winwin. Helping dogs—and even more so helping pet parents easily feed healthy whole foods to their dogs—became my new passion.”

Marian doesn’t regret the move away from her computer job and has come to embrace the pet community in which she works. “We’re all passionate about something really fun—pets. Pet people are just a different breed—no pun intended—and they have big, kind hearts, which makes doing business together enjoyable and exciting.”

A bridging of pet and human needs, founded with two women’s complementary skill sets and experiences, is what spurred the development of the oral hygiene TEEF brand. According to Co-Founder and VP of Business Development Lindsey Campbell, the basis for focusing on oral microbiome health came from an experience that President Emily Stein had with her grandmother’s nearly fatal stroke caused by dental disease. “That event led her to invent the microbiome-improving technology in TEEF,” said Campbell. “Not long after her grandmother’s episode, she rescued a 10-year-old Cocker Spaniel that almost died of sepsis due to her severely neglected dental health. We found that there really weren’t any products on the market that were both safe and effective. It was then that we decided to

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Leading Women in Pet

launch the natural, consumable dental technology for both humans and pets. It became less about the easiest route to market and more about following the passion that inspired the invention. My role as a Co-Founder in the company is to help commercialize Emily’s brain. Fortunately, I have a diverse enough background and skill sets that makes it possible for me to help launch and grow the business from ground-up.”

I am really proud that Dog-O's has been so well received in the industry. I am so grateful for our customers and their support of our family farm. We certainly wouldn't be here without them.

Campbell’s background reflected a diverse range of experiences. “I’ve held marketing, business development and product development positions in everything from small startups to Fortune 100 companies,” she said. “I joined our parent company, Primal Therapies, in 2016 to assist with strategy regarding which industries to first commercialize our microbial technology, as it plays in many verticals, including oral health, gut health, dermatology, women’s health and many other industries where bacteria are problematic.”

I brought a new product to the market — the original Just Greens — an organic greens blend with bone broth. That product created an entire new category in the industry of fresh food toppers. With everything we’ve done as a company, we’ve put our own unique spin on it. We’re known for our innovation and quality, and that I am very proud of.

In the world of public relations and marketing, it is all about the people, and Erin Terjesen, Principal and Owner of Propel Communications credits many people in helping her come to ultimately starting her own company. “I feel so blessed to have had a great career path full of learning, failures and successes and everything in between. [It] all helped me learn and create more opportunities and helped me get to where I am today,” she said. “When I look back, it's the people. I've been so fortunate to have built an amazing village, surrounding myself with great partners, bosses, clients and mentors. After two years working in PR for The Dallas Opera after college, I moved to Phoenix, AZ and got my first job in the pet industry in 2001 as the PR/Marketing Assistant at Happy Dog Toys. I was hired by Neil Werde, a highly recognized pet industry veteran, investor and inventor, and in the startup work environment. In that role early on, I did everything from marketing and graphic design to filling out spreadsheets for Petsmart and Petco to doing trade shows on the road to packing boxes of toys in the 100-degree warehouse, and so much more. It was that experir Cont'd on Pg. 38

While I am proud of many accomplishments, including my leadership at Royal Canin and now the opportunity to lead Champion Petfoods, what brings me the most joy and satisfaction is seeing the success or growth of a team member who I have coached or mentored. We are stronger together and if we all focus on making a positive impact on those we work with, then business success will follow.

I’m most proud of how we’ve raised the bar for ethical standards in the pet industry. Our deep commitment to sustainability, animal welfare and transparency has had a ripple effect and we’ve seen how brands, retailers and consumers are pushing for better. We are committed to continuing in that changemaker role with the goal of accelerating positive change in the pet industry.

Amy Marcoot, Co-Owner and CEO, Marcoot Jersey Creamery

Stacey Osborn, President, Champion Petfoods

Kelley Marian, Owner and Founder, Green Juju

Jacqueline Prehogan, Founder and CEO, Canada Pooch and Open Farm

Leading Women in Pet

ence that gave me insights into what I was most passionate about—working in a great team of great people, innovative products that make life better for pets and people and turning awareness into revenue—and [it] inspired me to start my own company, Propel Communications, in 2008.”

The continued focus on the pet industry was purposeful for Terjesen. “It's an industry like no other,” she said. “When you bring together leaders, inventors, innovators, vets and so many other industry professionals—most of whom are bound by a foundational and unwavering love for pets—magic happens!”

Mentorship

While it might look different for someone navigating an established organization versus a smaller-scale entrepreneur, mentorship continues to be a vital component of helping younger professionals find their footing and strategize their long-term careers. The women in leadership positions in the pet industry credit a wide variety of mentors for guiding them toward their successes. At the same time, they share a common perception that finding the guidance and mentorship opportunities is often a tricky and unpredictable endeavor.

“Mentors is a very passionate area for me,” said Amie Hansen with Nulo. “I actually don’t feel like I have good mentors and I’ve never had good mentors in my career, and I don’t think I’m alone as a female. Not having mentors is a big gap for women and so because of that and over time learning that, it’s something I’m really passionate about. I actively seek out other women to be a mentor to; it’s something I really enjoy doing because I see a lot of women and I look back at myself. I made so many mistakes in my career. So many and I really had absolutely no guidance and I see other women in similar positions, and I want to at least try to help them.”

Hansen qualifies that she did have people in her career she considers mentors, and they’re both men.

“My true mentor is someone who hired me a long time ago and he was the CEO of one of the footwear brands I worked for,” she said. “One thing I took

from him that I respected so much is he drove people really hard, but he worked just as hard and that’s something I’ve taken up; I do the same thing. But what I found in that relationship over time is he gave me a lot of advice but when I look back on it now, wasn’t the right advice for me, particularly because I was a female. He could do things and he could act and operate in certain ways that I couldn’t get away with as a female. What I learned over the years is it is really important for women to have other female mentors because we face things differently. We face obstacles and this is one of those; in business, there are differences in gender and being a female, you have to experience it yourself to really understand it.”

DeNita Carani with Pet Wants also credits a male mentor with helping her shape her own mentoring style.

“We had a senior vice president of sales when I was with Phillips that his entire focus was developing his people, and he really spent time individually with the members of his team and found what made us tick and where we felt like we needed more education or exposure and made those opportunities happen for us,” she said. “And that really has been something that I have tried to do with all the teams that I’ve had since I worked with him. The brand president at my last brand really helped me understand the franchisor side of franchising because I had been a franchisee and he really educated me on what was our responsibility and what was our role in a successful franchise relationship and it was truly impactful on my ability to be where I am today.”

Green Juju Owner Kelley Marian found support with fellow female pet industry entrepreneurs.

“Christy Love, formerly Diggin’ Your Dog, and Kat Donatello, Austin and Kat, have both been wonderful mentors for me,” she said. “They have answered my calls in times of need, generously shared their time and expertise in areas I needed growth. They are both savvy businesswomen and have a wealth of knowledge about all things business. The lesson I would pass along is to do the same that I have been lucky enough to receive—help those who are walking the path I’ve already walked. We’re all

after the same mission to help pets—a rising tide lifts all ships!”

Bright Planet Pet benefited from a more formal mentorship program through Leep Venture Studio, the accelerator program from Mars Petcare and the non-profit Michelson Found Animals, along with the Purina Pet Care innovation prize, according to Founder Katherine Ellison. Bright Planet Pet was part of the 2022 cohort for Leep and one of five winners of the Purina prize.

“My networking and the way I’ve been able to connect with other women in pet has primarily been through my relationship with Leep, the Leep accelerator with Mars and also through our relationship with Purina and the Pet Care Innovation project, PCI Powered by Purina,” she said. “Those are two avenues where I have had the most success and made friends and had the most connections. Those programs are open to a very select group of people, like five companies a year. There’s a huge opportunity for APPA the WPA to have a more formal networking event. It would be really successful; for every female entrepreneur and woman in the pet industry, there would be a lot more attendance to give something that people want to participate in, but no one quite knows how to start.”

For others, their places of work have been able to support professional growth.

Kelly Pye with Pet Food Experts said, “The women in leadership at Pet Food Experts and throughout the industry have been incredible role models throughout my career. It’s been so inspiring to work with so many women-owned vendors and retailers who have emerged in the past several years. My mentor and strongest champion at Pet Food Experts has actually been a man, and I believe it’s important for men in leadership to speak up and genuinely support women in the workplace. Michael Baker, President and CEO at Pet Food Experts, and Jim Alden, EVP, have been exceptional examples of how to truly champion women. I appreciate all they have done to be remarkable role models to the men throughout the industry.”

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Leading Women in Pet

I’m most proud of the opportunity to grow with Pet Food Experts. I have been empowered to make positive changes, try new things, and eventually fully reimagine our customer experience. I appreciate being trusted to be on the front lines of new acquisitions and to work on projects that impact the company and our customers.

Stacia Andersen with PetSmart said, “Mentorship is critical at PetSmart and is an opportunity for us to foster and develop the next generation of female retail leaders. I believe it’s vitally important that women are taking the time to mentor other women and to be honest and vulnerable in those conversations. Open communication about each person’s journey, personal struggles and successes makes all the difference here. I am always sure to make time for others and to be my authentic self and hope that is inspiring for other women out there who have walked similar paths as me or aspire to be in positions that I have held.”

Reflecting on Gender

By the numbers, it does appear men continue to hold the larger share of seats at the leadership table in the industry, but Jessica Guzman with the WPA points out women have been making their influence known for quite a while.

“Few people know this, but it’s a woman who can be credited for the tremendous growth we continue to see in healthier, natural pet foods— Ann Martin,” she said. “Her book, ‘Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food,’ shed light on major quality and ingredient concerns and gave alternative recipes for feeding pets. And in the 1980s, a woman named Janice Dougherty co-founded PetSmart. That’s to say, women have long been involved in the industry and continue to contribute to its growth, from pet shops and products to training and behavioral expertise to animal advocacy.”

I started Propel Communications at a challenging point in my life. Many told me it was not the right time to start my own company, but I followed my brain and my heart and bet on me. Propel is celebrating our 15th anniversary this year, and my word of the celebration was gratitude. I am so honored to be able to serve, to connect, to inspire and to build awareness, engagement and revenue for many pet brands, companies, and services.

I’m enormously proud of the work my team has done, in collaboration with our suppliers, to bring so many new and innovative pet products to market. Many of the products are focused on pet’s health and wellness needs, to help them live better. And the work we’ve done to keep prices low, especially during these inflationary times, is something I will always be proud of.

But it requires consistent action to keep the spotlight on the importance of the female perspective when it comes to pet products and services. Guzman continued, “Like in any other male-dominated industry, leadership can foster an inclusive workplace culture that values diverse perspectives and contributions. They should ensure that women leaders have equal opportunities to participate in decision-making processes and have their ideas heard and valued. And they should look to the growing number of women entrepreneurs entering the inr Cont'd on Pg. 42

I'm most proud of developing and elevating the marketing segment at APPA. I brought the expertise but was given the support by leadership to test new ideas and determine best practices for the association. I am happy with the achievements, from developing more relevant content for APPA members to promoting Global Pet Expo more effectively.

Diane Tiberio, VP Marketing and Communications, APPA

Kaitlyn Shadiow, VP Merchandising—Pets, Walmart US

Erin Terjesen, Founder, Propel Communications

Kelly Pye, Director of Customer Experience and National Accounts, Pet Food Experts

Leading Women in Pet

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dustry to understand the unique challenges they may face and how to offer better support and resources.”

Diane Tiberio with APPA concurs.

“Continuing to bring women to the table and giving them an open seat at the table where they feel their opinions are valued and appreciated is critical,” she said. “For women-owned businesses in the pet industry in particular, we must continue to elevate their representation and ensure we leave seats at the table for them.”

Anna Bell with Central Garden & Pet sees progress.

“We still have an opportunity to increase the leadership of women in our industry. By including more women, and people from multiple backgrounds and ethnicities, in key conversations and decision-making amongst senior leaders, there is a proven positive impact on the overall business results. Women see trends, consumers and opportunities from a different point of view and can provide these insights to their organizations. Regardless of industry, including diverse points of view throughout all levels of an organization creates more successful innovation, higher levels of brand affinity and longer-term potential financial success,” she said.

But this change can’t be forced, said Erin Terjesen with Propel Communications.

“It is earned,” she said. “Women leaders offer very special abilities—intuition, resilience and strength—and with the growth of our industry, we've realized it takes welcoming all to the table. Leadership is a combination of words and actions, and I am so lucky to know so many strong women that have helped pave the way. Now it’s our turn. We must keep earning it day in and day out and lead by example.”

Kaitlyn Shadiow with Walmart points out, “Women are often making the purchase decisions for the household and looking for ways to keep their family healthy, so that’s a particularly important perspective,” she said. “It’s important in any industry to have diverse representation, in order to best reflect and understand the customers we serve and harness a wide variety of ideas.”

While historically, women have been making the lion’s share of household purchasing decisions, Julie Maday with IPP said the male-female dynamics, particularly with Millennial and Gen Z households, are shifting.

“We see in our data that about half of our customers that are shopping in our stores are male, but it’s thinking differently about what is the problem at hand,” she said. “Are we trying to sell for an enrichment need, are we trying to sell for a bonding need? What is it that we’re trying sell for? And having as many points of view as possible in the room is critical. Let’s be clear, there are not a lot of women leaders in pet. So until we get to the point where 50 percent of leadership is female, we are under index. It is noted that my leadership team skews female. It’s not typically noted in the world when a leadership team skews male. It’s still a thing that we are talking about.”

The microaggressions toward women are palpable, said Nancy Guinn with Dog Krazy.

“One thing I have noticed on more than a dozen occasions is when I am introduced as one of the owners of my store to both men and women, more often than not, my husband is the one whose hand they shake and when speaking, it is directed at him. While my husband is amazing at what he does for our business, I am the heart of the business and when you are speaking to both of us, we should be treated equally,” she said.

While it can be infuriating, the existing imbalance requires active participation by women, said Heather Hickey with ZIWI.

“As women, it is our responsibility to be involved. There are a lot of great organizations in the pet industry. Through those organizations, we can connect to other leaders, find mentoring opportunities and influence the direction of the pet industry,” she said.

Those with advanced technical skills should also actively stake their claim for a space at the decision-making table.

Mita Malhotra with Chewy said, “Pet health is uniquely positioned to harness the expertise of women leaders, in large part because of the high volume of women practitioners. As an engineer,

it’s personally motivating to work with so many women in STEM and customer-focused roles like the veterinary profession. When I have the privilege of being in the same room as them, whether it's serving on the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition board, or hearing about the latest advancements in pet health technology at events and conferences, I’m inspired by all the ways we are working firsthand to mitigate real challenges like burnout in order to preserve the future of the profession.”

Austin and Kat Founder Kat Donatello further noted that while collectively, women remain in the minority of executive roles, it also depends on the segment of the industry as women in large part dominate decision-making roles as it pertains to sustainability in pet.

“I’m part of the Pet Sustainability Coalition,” she said. “We’ve been accredited members for more than three years, and it’s a very important mission on Austin and Kat’s behalf to drive towards that sustainable business practice, whether it’s through social sustainability or environmental sustainability—that’s really important, and we have opportunities through education and implementation tools and collaborating. Interestingly enough, [of a recent cohort meeting] there were 10 people on that call, and all but one was a woman. I’m not saying that’s that way across the industry, but I find it interesting that many of the sustainability leadership roles in organizations are headed up by women. Is that because we’re nurturers? I don’t know, but I do think that’s interesting how much of us or how many of us are involved in those types of things.”

Women do make the bulk of buying decisions for their households, particularly in healthcare, said Lindsey Campbell with TEEF. “There's a unique perspective because women set conscientious buying trends. I believe the industry's current focus on sustainability, clean ingredients and functional everything can be attributed to the surge in women-owned businesses and their commitment to humanization, which leads to providing healthier products for our pets.”

INTERVIEW

instant success. And we saw at the peak 10 percent of our orders were fulfilled that way during the pandemic. We focused on keeping our team members safe and they in turn stuck with us and kept the stores and DC open. We virtually had no stores close. Our shelves stayed full thanks to some aggressive inventory buys and we gained a lot of new loyal neighbors.

Chris Rowland, CEO, Pet Supplies Plus

Pet Supplies Plus is celebrating its 35th anniversary. How has the company evolved from Harry Shallop and Jack Berry’s original concept?

The original concept was a grocery store for pet, and we’re still largely a consumables business. However we’ve evolved into more of a pet specialty business. Food is our draw, but we have a much more robust assortment of hardgoods, live animals were added, grooming and pet wash were added and we have continued that theme with the addition of the bakery and the boutique, and of course, getting into online, both pickup and delivery. It’s changed quite a bit.

What does Pet Supplies Plus have planned to commemorate this milestone?

We actually have a number of milestones that we try to take a moment to at least appreciate. In addition to 35 years, we will hit our 700th Pet Supplies Plus store this year. We have more than 250 deals done that are in the process of opening. Our very first franchisee has surpassed 65 stores this year—opening more than they ever have. It’s an exciting time, but there’s a lot of things to celebrate, not just how long the company has been around.

What are you most proud of when you look back at Pet Supplies Plus’s response to the pet industry challenges in recent years?

I couldn’t be more proud of how my team came together both in stores and behind the scenes through the pandemic. We planned for the worst and ended up stronger as a business by far. We rolled out Buy Online, Pick Up in Store just before Covid hit and so that was an

Staffing has never been a huge challenge for us as we try to make the stores a fun place to work and believe in promoting from within 90 percent of the time. We amped up on that focus. Culture is huge for us. My store visits are all about culture; it’s not about checking the box or looking for things that are wrong. It’s celebrating successes and saying “hi” to the folks who make things happen.

As for inflation, we tried to absorb what we can on the cost increase side and have rolled out some more private label products to help provide that quality and value our neighbors are looking for. We are holding our own there but it’s been a challenge for sure. Looking at the last five years, how have Pet Supplies Plus’s direction and goals evolved? How did being acquired by private equity firms Sentinel Capital Partners and Franchise Group impact Pet Supplies Plus’s course and where the company is today?

With the private equity takeover, I’m very fortunate. I’m the CEO of a business that has experienced three different equity partners in my tenure; all have been really very hands off and have supported our strategy which has included store growth, back office growth and significant capital expenditures in areas like IT, stores, online and distribution centers. Every private equity partner has been fully supportive of the plan. Other than a new entity owning Pet Supplies Plus, they’ve really all been hands off, which has been nice. Compared to some of my contemporaries, I’ve been lucky. What led Pet Supplies Plus to acquire Wag N’ Wash Natural Pet Food & Grooming last year?

A couple of years ago, I decided the Pet Supplies Plus group had an oppor-

tunity to add a new and different banner to our offerings. Being primarily dog only, it‘s a heavily services-focused business, kind of a cool concept and name and very few stores, frankly. Wag N’ Wash seemed to be a great launching pad for that vision. We bought them. They had no stores near us; they really needed help and support. They had no infrastructure and no leveraging of any kind of buying power. It allows us to access smaller markets, bigger cities and an opportunity through existing Pet Supplies Plus owners looking to capitalize on their existing market. They’re easier to operate than a Pet Supplies Plus without live animals and half the SKU count, significantly less expensive to open and there are literally hundreds of potential markets across the US.

As for Pet Supplies Plus, with more than 250 more deals done that we will open, territory is filling up pretty quickly. We’ve seen existing owners doing deals on Wag to capitalize on markets that they’re currently in but see an opportunity to gain additional market share while maintaining their existing Pet Supplies Plus volume. So it’s really all about store placement and where we are drawing people versus not within a market. Wag gets the benefit of all of our experience and cost benefits, while the increased volume and the store growth helps us on the Pet Supplies Plus side. As we buy more we can continue to leverage that scale. It’s really a win-win for the future Wag and Pet Supplies Plus franchisees as we can determine the most efficient locations within markets to realize the maximum benefit for both banners.

We will continue to operate both brands. It gives us an opportunity to put stores where a Pet Supplies Plus doesn’t make sense. We will continue to support both, we will continue to leverage back resources for both, we will continue to operate separately and we will continue to keep the customer base separate—the operations separate. But for all intents and purposes, when it comes to buying and marketing power, IT, supply chain, all of those will be leveraged for the benefit of both chains. And we have several Pet Supplies Plus franchisees that have decided to open

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Interview: Chris Rowland, Pet Supplies Plus

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under the Wag banner and the Pet Supplies Plus banner.

What is driving Pet Supplies Plus’s push into operating more franchised locations?

When I joined the business more than 12 years ago, I saw an opportunity to change the strategy from corporate to franchise-focused. There’s a million reasons, but having come from one of our larger competitors, we struggled to authentically connect with our neighbors across hundreds of corporate stores. This is a natural for a franchisee in their market that we really leveraged. Our marketing is largely locally focused just like our stores and in an emotionally driven business like pet, that resonates with our neighbors. It also allows us to focus on being great support partners behind the scenes for our franchisees while letting them be the face of our locally owned businesses. It’s really the best model for delivering an exceptional personalized service while leveraging more than $1 billion in costs and process synergies behind the scenes. I love when our franchisees find locally sourced products to supplement our mix. It truly takes that local experience to the next level and that just doesn’t happen in the corporate world. You have real skin in the game. There’s potentially your kid’s college fund on the line and so there’s a real motivating factor to really deliver the best experience you can.

How do you scale a franchisee’s success and progress?

For us, we’ve been fortunate in that we really don’t have failures. 99 percent of our stores are successful, which is unheard of in franchising. A lot of that comes from the beginning at Meet the Team Day; we spend a lot of time getting to know—my whole team gets to meet every candidate, I personally chat with each candidate. The first is finding the right people and the right partnership. Secondly I have my franchise sales team and my operations team reporting to the same person, and the reason for that is I want that relationship to stay for life. You didn’t just buy a store from us, you actually bought a relationship with the operating team.

How does Pet Supplies Plus leverage its franchisees’ local and community experience to become more competitive than online retailers?

Our entire marketing approach is around local and what Chewy and Amazon frankly can’t do. Whether it’s supporting a local dog park, taking part in a local event or capturing our neighbor’s information to provide real-time relevant offers for their pet based shopping history and demographic profile, it’s all about connecting locally. That’s everything that drives us. It’s actually not just the online players that are unable to do what we do, but our national competitors can’t either. So managing 1,500 local events weekly would be a logistical nightmare. It’s how we built our strategy to support our local franchisees. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t control them and stop them from doing local events, so instead we enhance it and we embrace it and encourage it. You won’t see national TV spots for Pet Supplies Plus anytime soon but that doesn’t really have a local feel. We leverage franchisees in other ways as well. Some are real estate developers with their own plazas and they’re looking for a great tenant. Others have different franchise concepts with field teams in place they can leverage to bold and support a new brand like a Pet Supplies Plus or a Wag. There’s multiple ways we can leverage franchisees both in terms of connecting locally but also using some of their connections as individual business men and women in their communities. How has the industry changed within the last 30 years and how has Pet Supplies Plus stayed in step and rolled with these changes?

Food has evolved from IAMS being the dominant specialty player to now many more smaller manufacturers of highend food. We’ve seen different variations come to market with freeze dried, raw, solution based diets and certainly alternate proteins and formulations.

Services have experienced consistent growth which makes sense when you think about how much home services like lawn cutting and window washing have grown. More people are paying for services that they used to perform themselves. Online has changed every-

body—we all knew that. It’s made it difficult for bad operators to exist and frankly, made good operators focus on being better and differentiated. At Pet Supplies Plus, we’ve embraced technology to help support our local strategy and allow our operators more time and efficiency to connect with neighbors and stores. With lower turnover and efficient online training, we are able to educate our team members and arm them with tools to interact in the aisles and help neighbors make informed buying decisions. This helps the neighbor, it helps their pet and it also protects the franchisees from online competitors. We’ve rolled out local delivery, which is profitable for our franchisees, so that’s great. And services have experienced the highest growth of any category at Pet Supplies Plus in the last 10 years. We also brought our supply chain in house which allows us better visibility to the market and another tool to leverage during chaotic times as we experienced during Covid. There’s been so many changes and we have tried to stay in-step, maybe not ahead of it, but certainly a fast follower along the way. We embrace change. We like change, and we know it’s inevitable. We tend to get on it quickly and with a small team that I have we go from concept to execution very, very fast. The pet industry hasn’t changed by itself; the neighbors also changed so we change along with them. When we look back in another decade, what will success have looked like for Pet Supplies Plus?

First and foremost, I hope our franchisees continue to feel valued by the franchisor, they’re still having fun in their stores and they’re making a good living. Those have been driving forces for me as a CEO and I hope that will be part of my legacy. We have an over 99 percent success rate which is unheard of in franchising, and I’d like to see that continue. I have no doubt we will have over 1,500 combined stores— Pet Supplies Plus and Wag—with some being operated by third-generation family members which is pretty cool. Finally I look forward to shopping in my locally owned store that I played a small part in making happen, likely with my dog and potentially with our Chief Bird Officer, who is certainly going to outlive me.

SAVE DATE THE

You came (to North America’s largest pet retail event). You saw (the latest, greatest pet products). You conquered (your business challenges). And we can’t wait for you to keep that momentum going next year! Thank you for helping to make SuperZoo the incredible, fun-filled event that it is. We look forward to seeing you in 2024!

August 14-16, 2024

Education: August 13-14, 2024

Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV

20,000+ Pet professionals participate, including:

3,300+ buying companies 1,100+ exhibitors 10,000 buyers—the most in North America

Largest Industry Show Floor

300,000 square footage