Spectrum Brands Holdings buys Salix Animal Health

Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. has acquired Salix Animal Health LLC , the producer of Healthy-Hide and Digest-eeze rawhide dog treats with annual revenues of about US$100 million. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction.
"Salix will ... diversify our pet segment's position in rawhide dog treats, which is a fast-growing pet sub-category with estimated annual global retail sales of US$2 billion," said Dave Lumley, chief executive officer of Spectrum Brands. The company's global pet business includes IAMS and Eukanuba petfood, Tetra fish food, and Nature's Miracle clean-up products.
Salix's manufacturing plants in Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico and Colombia produce branded and private label rawhide chews made from beef hides, pork, chicken, beef and other proteins. They are sold to mass merchandisers, grocery stores, pet specialty stores and warehouse clubs.
"Salix is an excellent opportunity for us in a number of ways, including the ability to expand our strong Dingo dog treats business with complementary product offerings, enhance our intellectual property and innovation with the Digest-eeze enzyme technology, and provide an improved vertically integrated sourcing model in the Americas," said David Maura, chairman of the board of Spectrum Brands Holdings.

Pouches up, cans down in demand for petfood packaging

According to Food Safety Magazine's latest study, "Pet Food Packaging," demand for metal cans in petfood packaging will continue to decrease as pouches become the more preferred packaging method.

Demand for metal cans in petfood packaging is forecast to rise 2.7% annually to US$650 million in 2018, according to the report. Cans held 29% of the petfood packaging market in 2013. The percentage of overall can demand in petfood packaging will continue to decline, however, due to supplantation by other packaging types, including retort pouches, tubs and cups, and chubs.
Pouch demand in petfood packaging is forecast to rise 8.3% per annum to US$540 million in 2018, the fastest pace of growth among petfood packaging types, says Food Safety Magazine. For small packages of dry food, pouches will continue to supplant bags. For wet food, retort pouches will continue to gain acceptance as an alternative to metal cans, growing in popularity due to peelable lids that are easier to open and allow the consumer to avoid cuts from metal edges, and especially in applications where strength and stiffness are not primary factors.
The study analyzed the US$2 billion US petfood packaging industry. It presents historical demand data for 2003, 2008 and 2013, and forecasts for 2018 and 2023 by application (e.g., dry food, wet food, pet treats, chilled and frozen), animal (e.g., dog food, cat food), type (e.g., bags, metal cans, pouches, folding cartons, plastic bottles and jars, tubs and cups) and material (paperboard, plastic, metal, wovens).  

Research and Markets adds 2013 report on world pet, pet supplies stores industries

Research and Markets now offers the 2013 Worldwide Pet & Pet Supplies Stores Industry-Industry & Market Report. This annual report provides timely pet industry statistics, forecasts and demographics, available for online purchase.
Included are current 2013 and 2014 forecast estimates on industry size (sales, establishments, employment), for the 47 largest countries in the world, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, China and Japan. Also provided are industry definitions, five-year historical trends and estimates on up to 10 sub-industries, including pets, petfood, pet toys, fish food, aquariums and tropical fish. 

PetSmart posts US$82 million in net income for third-quarter 2012

Petfood and supplies retailer PetSmart posted better-than-expected results in its recently released earnings report for third-quarter 2012 and raised its earnings outlook for the rest of the year.
Net income totaled US$82 million in the third quarter of 2012, up from US$56 million in third-quarter 2011. Total sales for the third-quarter 2012 increased 9 percent to US$1.6 billion.
Over the past five years, shares of the company have grown more than 150 percent. Earnings per share for the third quarter of 2012 totaled US$0.75, up 50 percent compared to US$0.50 per share at the same time in 2011. The company raised its earnings-per-share guidance for all of 2012 from the previous range of US$3.30 - $3.40 to US$3.47 - $3.51.
The company also announced that Chip Molloy, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will resign in early 2014 to spend more time with his family. Molloy will continue in his current role until June 2013 and will remain with the company as an advisor until March 2014. 

SuperZoo 2012 pet product show attendance up 12 percent

SuperZoo 2012, hosted September 11-13, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, saw a record number of participants, with 871 exhibiting companies in 160,000 net square feet of space at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Attendance to the 2012 pet product show increased 12 percent over 2011, with participants coming from 53 countries, says show organizers, World Pet Association.
The New Product Showcase at SuperZoo made it easier for participants to find new products and gave them a chance to vote for the "Best New Products of 2012" in nine categories plus "Best in Show."
Educational sessions were also held, including "Business Reinvention: The New Normal on Main Street & Every Street" and "Beyond Facebook." A featured topic at the conference was "The Destination Business," presented by guest instructor Jon Schallert of the Schallert Group, who shared his 14-step strategy to transform businesses from a "store" to an "experience."
Representatives from pet chew maker, Pet Carousel, and pet food manufacturer, Natural Balance, also made made appearances at the show. Another pet food manufacturer  P&G Pet Care, sponsored a concert by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, with proceeds benefiting the Pets in the Classroom program.
Additionally, Paul Jolly, vice president for Petco Animal Supplies, executive director for the Petco Foundation and co-founder of PAWS LA, was awarded the Jiro Matsui Award from the World Pet Association, honoring lifetime contributions to the pet industry.
SuperZoo 2013 will be held July 23-25, 2013, at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

PetHub to expand services into overseas markets

USA-based PetHub Inc. will expand into the markets of Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa and the Netherlands, Tom Arnold, founder, announced at the World Pet Association’s SuperZoo trade show for pet product retailers.
In August, the company had a successful “soft launch” outside of the US and Canada into other English-speaking countries. The launch includes translated versions of the website, starting with Dutch and German.
“The market is driving which languages we support first,” said Arnold. “Four hundred retail stores in the Netherlands...are now able to provide our Internet services, quickly followed by Swiss and German distributors.”
PetHub Inc. licenses the use of its smartphone-scannable technology and Web services to manufacturers looking to offer pet owners the ability to link a tag to a free Internet profile. Each profile linked to a tag can show emergency contacts, vaccinations, license and rabies tag numbers, microchip codes, animal caretaker details and more. 

Second Interpets hosts 257 pet product exhibitors in Japan

Interpets – International Fair for a Better Life with Pets, held August 23-26 at Makuhari Messe in Japan, welcomed 257 exhibitors from 13 countries and 46,883 visitors, an increase of 20 percent, to this second pet industry show.
The fair aimed to provide ideas to enhance the lifestyle of pet owners and their pets as well as provide a platform for overseas manufacturers and retailers to exhibit new pet products.
In addition to having twice the number of overseas exhibitors as the previous year, the show also saw an increase in the number of participants from other business sectors such as automobile, IT, and interior and design.
Renault Japon Co. Ltd. in collaboration with Lager Corporation introduced a special edition of their “Renault Kangoo,” designed for pets and pet owners. Masato Komatsu, of Renault Japon Co Ltd., said: “To sum up our reason for participation, our goal is to propose a new lifestyle. Pet owner’s lifestyles tend to be confined indoors, which can be a challenge when you have animals that are very active like dogs. To change that, we created a special model so pet owners could enjoy outdoor trips and comfortable experience with their pets. This car model has solved the problems that pet owners often face during car trips and at the same time maintained its stylishness as we are a French car manufacturer."
The third edition of Interpets will be held August 22-25, 2013, at Makuhari Messe Hall 7 and 8.

Pet Industry Spring Trade Show postponed to 2014

The Pet Industry Spring Trade Show will be postponed from 2013 to 2014 and will switch to a biennial format from then on.
Colette Fairchild, the show’s director from H.H. Backer, cited general market factors and a lack of support from key distributors and manufacturers for a 2013 East Coast US show. 

Halo survey: pet owners to buy higher quality petfood in 2012

Pet food manufacturer Halo, Purely for Pets polled 1,045 pet owners in its "Pet Parents' New Year's Resolution Survey," which found that 69.4% of pet owners plan to purchase a higher quality pet food in 2012.
Pet owners (45.9%) surveyed also pledged to help their pets lose weight in 2012. Of pet owners pledging to help pets lose weight, 68.7% will do so by providing more exercise, 44.8% by feeding a higher-quality pet food, 35.1% by feeding less food, 34% by giving fewer treats to pets, 33% by giving more nutritious treats, and 10.9% by developing a pet weight-loss program with a veterinarian. Other findings in the pet owner survey include that nearly 95% of pet owners plan to help animals in need in 2012 and 86.8% of pet owners plan to groom their pet more regularly. The survey was conducted between December 21-23, 2011.

Eukanuba opens dog, cat event center in Ohio, USA

Eukanuba, a P&G PetCare pet food brand, opened a canine and feline event venue in Wilmington, Ohio, USA, at the Roberts Centre.

The facility has more than 80,000 square feet of unobstructed space and can be used to host both dog- and cat-related activities, such as canine agility, lure coursing, herding, conformation, tracking, flying disc, dock diving, seminars and symposiums, sporting events, grooming competitions and training seminars. The venue also has a restaurant and hotel on-site.
“Eukanuba Hall at the Roberts Centre is an example of our long-term commitment to the breeder-enthusiast community,” said Mabe Rodriguez, vice president and general manager of P&G PetCare Americas. “Eukanuba is a proud partner of the American Kennel Club and look forward to hosting even more AKC sanctioned events at Eukanuba Hall.”

SuperZoo 2011 draws record number of exhibitors, attendees

SuperZoo, hosted by the World Pet Association, drew 795 exhibiting companies to the September 2011 pet industry trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, a 15% increase over the previous year's show.

Attendance increased by 19% over the previous year, with 12,197 registered attendees. Together exhibitors and attendees represented 4,715 companies, a 26% increase.
During SuperZoo, the “New Product” awards, voted on by buyers, were given out in eight categories.Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. won third place in the Overall Best in Show category and first place in the Small Animals category for its Quiko Edible Treats. In the Bird category, Kaylor of Colorado won for its Quick n Ready and Sunny Yellow foods. Central Garden & Pet Company won third place in the Miscellaneous category for the Kaytee Hummingbird ElectroNectar drink.

Colorado, USA natural pet food maker raises US$3.5 million

Only Natural Pet Store LLC, a Boulder, Colorado, USA natural pet food maker and distributor, raised US$3.5 million, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made on September 16, the Boulder County Business Report said.

Only Natural Pet Store CEO Martin Grosjean declined to comment at that time, saying the company will make a detailed announcement in the next few weeks.

Market research publisher expands pet industry report offerings

Market research publisher IBISWorld expanded its pet industry report offerings to include specific market segment reports, including those on petfood production and dry pet food production.

The company provides reports on nine categories of the pet care industry: dog and pet breeders, dog walking services, dry petfood production, pet accessories stores, petfood production, pet funeral services, pet insurance and pet play rooms.

Japan's aging pets fuel market for elderly pet care products

Japanese pets are living longer than ever before thanks to advancements in pet food and veterinary care, which is fueling a need for elderly pet care. As pets' lifespans increase, a new market in the pet industry is emerging, with products ranging from animal diapers, to walking aids, to research into pet tissue-engineering, according to an AFP report. 
The Japanese have 22 million dogs and cats, according to the latest data from the Japan Pet Food Association, outnumbering children under age 15 in that country by about 30%. Japan's aging human population has been declining since 2007, with nearly one-quarter of the population now age 65 or older, according to the report.
But, many pet owners say they want to take care of their beloved pets until the very end, regardless of age, rather than opt for euthanasia. So to help animals live out their older years in comfort, companies have developed new product lines, including Osaka, Japan-based home builder, Yamahisa Co., which began making elderly pet products five years ago.
"We realized that there is demand for goods to take care of elderly dogs because they are considered members of the family," said Yuko Kushibe, a marketing official at Yamahisa.
To help older, larger pets that may be difficult to move, the company offers a cart, a sling, diapers and a mattress with handles to turn a dog's body and prevent bed sores, as well as hip supports that help a dog stand up and walk. Electronics maker Fujitsu Ltd. teamed up with Japanese veterinarians to provide around-the-clock medical care for pets, and recently began offering trial services at a Tokyo animal clinic.
Researchers at the Jikei University School of Medicine are trying to help solve kidney failure, a problem the researchers say leads to death in nearly 30% of elderly cats, by trying to grow new cat kidneys in pig embryos. Takashi Yokoo, a head of research, said he succeeded in cultivating tiny kidneys in pig embryos by injecting stem cells collected from bone marrow of cats. He said his team implanted the "neo-kidneys" into a fat membrane that hangs from the cat's stomach, where a crucial blood-forming hormone is produced. Yokoo said he is hopeful he will be able to apply the technique to pets within two years, a procedure that he said would cost about 50,000 yen (US$620).

German petfood, pet products market grew in 2010, IVH reports

The German pet market grew slightly in 2010, with total sales of petfood and pet care products rising 0.8% to nearly 3.71 billion euro (US$5.3 billion), according to the Industrial Association of Pet Care Producers, IVH.
The prepared petfood segment also increased 0.8% in 2010, to nearly 2.78 billion euro (US$3.97 billion). The pet accessories segment saw sales growth of 0.7% to 930 million euro (US$1.33 billion).
IVH reported the strongest growth in the market for cat food in 2010, which is Germany's single largest segment in pet care, with a 2.9% increase in sales to 1.44 billion euro (US$2.05 billion). The snacks and cat milk segment achieved the highest gains of 8.3%, to 183 million euro (US$261.5 million). Dry food grew 3.0% to 312 million euros (US$445.9 million) and wet food increased 1.8% to 940 million euro (US$1.34 billion).
The market for dog food remained relatively unchanged, gaining 0.1% to 1.1 billion euro (US$1.57 billion). The snacks segment saw sales of 332 million euro (US$474.49 million), an increase of 3.4%. Both the dry food and wet food categories of dog food saw a decrease in sales for 2010, down 1.1% to 354 million euro (US$505.94 million) and down 1.4% to 416 million euro (US$594.55 million), respectively.
Sales of petfood in the categories of small animals fell 4.5% to 127 million euro (US$181.51 million), birds fell 7% to 53 million euro (US$75.75 million), and fish down 11.6% to 60 million euro(US$85.75 million), according to IVH.

PetSmart reports growth in first quarter 2011 financial earnings

PetSmart reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2011, announcing growth in total pet sales and net income over the first quarter of 2010.
The company reported a net income of US$71 million in the first quarter of 2011, compared to US$56 million in the first quarter of 2010. Total sales for the first quarter of 2011 increased by 6.8% to US$1.5 billion. Comparable store sales, or sales in stores open at least a year, grew by 5%, helped by 2.7% growth in comparable transactions, according to the company. Services sales, which are included in total sales, increased 9% to US$167 million.

Veterinarian blogs about switching dogs to raw pet food diet

Selecting the right pet food is important for maintaining a pet's health and with so many choices, it can be difficult to determine what type of pet food may be best, which is why one veterinarian is blogging about her experience switching her dogs to a raw pet food diet. Dr. Amy Nesselrodt is chronicling her experience in switching her dogs to Answers Pet Food raw diet for one year, monitoring the dogs' health and weight before, during and after the switch.
Nesselrodt says she will be brutally honest in her findings, so that other pet owners may become more educated on feeding their pet a raw food or kibble diet. She says that much controversy exists in the debate over what is really good for dogs and cats to consume, raising questions about the nutritional balance of raw petfood, whether pets are really meant to eat commercially processed cooked foods, whether ingredients like grains and potatoes are actually meant for pets to eat and if raw diets put pets at a greater risk for bacteria consumption.
Nesslerodt's experience and results from her raw pet food challenge can be viewed on her online blog.

Pet product search for Giggy of Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'

Edison Nation, a product developer and social network inventor, is partnering with the Creative Artists Agency to host a pet-related product search for Giggy the Pomeranian, a celebrity pet on Bravo's TV show, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
The "Giggy the Pom" new product search seeks innovative, stylish pet products in categories such as: carriers and travel products; harnesses, leashes and matching accessories; toys; earth-friendly grooming and pet beauty products; and bed and home products. Inventors of chosen pet product ideas will receive a minimum US$2,500 advance payment and a percentage of future product sales, according to Edison Nation.
The "Giggy the Pom" search runs through July 11, with no limit to the number of submissions per person or potential products to be selected. Edison Nation says its standard fee to submit a product idea is US$25, which covers internal screening costs.

New Zealanders love pets like family, survey finds

A recent survey by pet food manufacturer Purina found that people treat their pets like other human family members, and many believe cats and dogs show human-like emotions, according to a New Zealand article.
The survey found that nationally, 72% of New Zealanders believed their pets to have human-like emotions, with 31% saying their pets could communicate feelings better than their partner. New Zealanders also said their pets have helped them in some way, as 26% said their pets helped them to avoid danger and 66% said their pets boosted their self-esteem. The survey also found that 25% of New Zealand pet owners celebrate their pet's birthday.
As a follow-up to the survey, Purina asked pet owners in New Zealand to submit 50 to 100 words to the company on how their cat or dog has "been there for them." The winning submissions will receive a year's supply of petfood for their pet.

Wall Street Transcript releases pet retail report with expert analysis

The Wall Street Transcript released a report on the pet retail sector, with expert commentary as well as an analysis of competition and trends in the pet food and products marketplace. The 14-page "Pets & Vets Report" focuses on pet retailers such as PetMed, PetSmart and Costco and brands such as Hill's Science Diet.
Specific topics covered by the report include "Increased Competition in the Pet Medication Space," by Edward Woo of Wedbush Securities; "Organic Growth Key for Large Pet Retailers" by Joan Storms, also from Wedbush Securities; "Retail Trends for Pet Products" by Daniel Hofkin from William Blair & Co. LLC; and "Specialty Retailers with Diversified Products" by Brian Nagel of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
The "Pets & Vets Report" can be purchased online.