2025 Vanguard Awards

Each year, Pet Insight recognizes leaders in various categories across the industry. These trailblazers are providing category leadership, innovation and partnership that retailers can leverage at scale. They are pushing forward trustworthy solutions in their categories, backing up their innovations with more research than ever. 

One notable example is Pure and Natural Pet, which entered the shampoos category in response to a growing demand among pet owners for grooming products that are genuinely organic, pure, harmless and effective. By prioritizing transparency and trust and catering to health-conscious pet parents who seek reliable and safe grooming solutions for their pets, Pure and Natural Pet has carved its rank as a trustworthy alternative to shampoos from previous generations.

“When we launched into the shampoos category, we saw a growing demand from pet parents who were looking for truly natural, safe and effective grooming products—but were often left with limited or misleading options,” said President Brian Taus. “Many shampoos in the market contained synthetic ingredients, harsh chemicals or fragrances that were not only unnecessary but potentially harmful to pets. We believed there was a clear gap for a brand that could offer USDA certified organic, USA-made and veterinarian-recommended grooming solutions grounded in transparency and trust.”

Another example of leadership and adding value to the industry is Franpos, which entered the POS Systems category with a clear vision: to build a connected platform tailored specifically for the pet industry. “While generic POS solutions existed, they lacked the depth and integration needed by pet retailers, groomers and boarders,” said Founder and CEO Subodh Gupta. “Our goal was to go beyond transaction processing—to streamline operations, personalize customer engagement and support growth in a vertical we knew was evolving fast.”

Regardless of what is happening around them, Franpos is undeterred from its purpose: supporting and advocating for pet businesses. “No matter the challenge—economic shifts, supply chain disruptions or evolving consumer behavior—our mission stays the same: to empower pet businesses so they can better serve pets and pet parents,” Gupta said. “We continue to invest in innovation, like AI-based inventory forecasting and Franpos Capital, so stores can operate efficiently and focus on care. By staying agile, listening to our customers and leading with purpose, we ensure our technology always supports healthier, happier lives for pets and the people who love them.”

During a time when suppliers are mired in challenges out of their control—supply chain interruptions, rising costs to conduct business and trying to meet pet owners where they are financially—it’s important for manufacturers to pause and reflect on their team’s achievements. 

“One major milestone we’re proud of is the expanded distribution of our grooming line into independent pet retailers nationwide, along with growing recognition for our sustainability efforts,” Taus said. “We’ve also seen increased interest from professional groomers who are recommending our products for pets with sensitive skin or allergies. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that what we’re creating is making a meaningful difference—helping pets feel better and giving pet parents peace of mind. That’s why we do what we do.”

This past year, Franpos launched FindMyPet, a first-of-its-kind pet recovery solution integrated directly into our platform, Gupta said. “It empowers pet parents to locate their lost pets through scannable tags while driving customer engagement for retailers,” he elaborated. “We also successfully onboarded several key pet retail chains in both the US and Canada, reinforcing our position as the category leader and expanding our footprint across North America.”

Pet Insight congratulates this year’s Vanguard Award recipients.