Pet Supplies Plus to expand with corporate, franchised stores

Pet Supplies Plus is looking to open both corporate and franchised stores in new and underserved markets in 2014, according to the company.

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The pet retail chain plans to specifically target fast-growing markets from Florida to Minnesota, including areas in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Texas for franchise development. To prepare for the accelerated growth, executives invested in strengthening infrastructure, expanding the store support center team for both corporate and franchised stores, and introduced a new "neighborhood-centric" prototype. The chain also built a new 760,000-plus square-foot distribution center.
"One of the reasons for the continued heightened demand in the pet products industry is the humanization of pets," said Dave Bolen, president and CEO of Pet Supplies Plus. "We've responded to that trend by conveniently locating our stores in neighborhoods and making our stores friendly for the neighbors who want to bring their pets shopping. We've enhanced our shopping experience, emphasized made-in-the-USA pet consumables, natural and organic petfood and offered in-store pet services that drive traffic and customer loyalty. Now, we're looking to find business-savvy franchise partners who share a passion for pets who want to be an integral part of their community."

Pet supplies manufacturer seeks innovative pet product submissions

Fetch... for pets!, manufacturer of innovative pet supplies, is launching a new division within the company.
The "Fetch... for Innovation" division focuses on finding new inventions by recruiting individuals with unique concepts and products for pets. If you have an innovative pet product or concept, email Innovate@fetch4pets.com or call +1.212.244.2456, ext. 234. 

Pet market worth US$49 billion in 2012, Mintel reports

According to the latest report by Mintel, the pet market is worth more than US$49 billion in 2012, up 15 percent since 2007, despite a turbulent economy. Spending on pet food and pet supplies continues to grow as pet ownership becomes more widespread, with 64 percent of Americans currently owning a pet.
Pet food accounted for the largest share of sales in 2011, 37.8 percent of the pet market, with a retail value of US$18.1 billion. Veterinary services represented the second-largest segment generating more than US$12 billion annually.
“Pets have many needs that are similar to human family members, including food and medical care,” said Bill Patterson, senior market analyst with Mintel. “Therefore, pet supplies and services are often necessities rather than discretionary purchases, which has helped shield this industry from the rocky recessionary environment. The strong bond between owners and pets offers significant marketing opportunities for manufacturers and retail outlets focusing on pet care and supplies.”

Hartz reaches donation goal with shelter nominations

The Hartz Mountain Corp., a US company offering pet supplies and treats, still had US$1 million worth of pet supplies to donate to local animal shelters after pledging to donate a total of US$3 million worth of its pet supplies to animal shelters in the US and Canada.
Within 10 days of asking for nominations of worthy shelters, consumer nominations came in pouring in and, by the time Hartz ships supplies to the nominated shelters, the company will have reached its final goal.
“It seems everyone is in the holiday spirit as we’ve seen a tremendous amount of goodwill from consumers nominating animal shelters from all over the country, and we’d like to thank them for responding so soon and with such enthusiasm” said Bob Shipley, Hartz senior vice president of customer relations development.

Head Over Tails for Pets launches new website

Head Over Tails for Pets’ new website, headovertails.com, says it will easily cut the time spent on shopping for pet supplies in half.
Headovertails.com combines an easy-to-navigate site with a focus on offering products for dogs and cats — including organic petfood, healthy treats, natural supplements for pets, professional grooming tools and durable, long-lasting toys to keep pets vibrant and healthy, according to the company.
“Although there are a lot of big box retailers selling tons of pet supplies, it’s hard for the consumer to find unique specialty items for their pets,” said Rachel Rice, internet marketing manager. “We saw a real opportunity to offer the best and the brightest in the nicest, most easy-to-use format, and we accomplished that with headovertails.com.”