SUPERZOO Preview: Treats

Exhibitors in the treat segment are preparing to showcase their latest products as well as reconnect face-to-face with partners and industry leaders. These leaders remain loyal to SUPERZOO as the tradeshow provides unmatched opportunities to further solidify relationships with key players as well as forge new ones. The treats category has shown significant growth due to leading manufacturers dedication and commitment to offering pets and their parents limited ingredient treats with less fillers that cater to pets individual needs and preferences.

“Lord Jameson has been a proud supporter and exhibitor at SUPERZOO for five years,” said Lord Jameson Founder Sarah Goldberger. “SUPERZOO is truly the premier pet show worldwide, bringing together the most innovative brands, products, experts, retailers, buyers and industry leaders. Our sales and marketing teams work throughout the year to prepare best-in-class product presentations, displays, booth experiences and compelling product offerings to execute on the show floor.”

“2025 will mark our 11th year showcasing Charlee Bear at SUPERZOO,” said Rob Cadenhead, General Manager, Gott Pet Products, parent company of Charlee Bear. This show remains a cornerstone event for us because it offers unparalleled access to key retailers, distributors and industry influencers all in one dynamic environment. The show provides a unique platform to showcase our latest innovations while gathering invaluable feedback that helps shape our future product development. Each year, we prepare by carefully strategizing our booth design to be both visually captivating and inviting while refining our messaging to clearly communicate the quality and benefits of our products. This thoughtful planning helps us make the most of every conversation and create lasting connections that support long-term growth.”

“The Bear & The Rat has been exhibiting at SUPERZOO since 2014! There’s always a great deal of prep we do so that we can focus on being present at the show with all of the great retailers who carry us or may just be discovering us,” said Founder Meg Hanceford Meyer. “Every year, we make it a ‘pawty’ at our booth. Our brand is fun and celebratory, and we try to make a booth that brings that spirit to life.”

“Redbarn has been exhibiting at SUPERZOO since 1996. We have returned every year for the opportunity to engage with our customers and drive connections within the industry. As we strive to continue to lead with innovation, while connecting with our customers at every level of our business, it is important to make sure we are delivering products that will resonate with retailers and customers alike. SUPERZOO provides an excellent opportunity to connect with customers that are purchasing our products, as well as those that are not currently carrying our products – understanding any gaps in our product offerings, and how we can continue to lead with innovation that is important to people,” said Rashell Cooper, VP Brand, Redbarn Pet Products.

“Loving Pets has been participating in SUPERZOO since the company’s inception,” said Eric Abbey, Owner of Loving Pets. “SUPERZOO remains a worthwhile investment, providing our whole team with the incredible opportunity to engage with both current and future customers. We love face time with those we’ve known for 20+ years, as well as meeting new industry partners too.”

“We have been exhibiting at every show since I joined Phelps as CEO and President seven years ago,” said Rick Ruffolo, President of Phelps Pet Products. We have found that SUPERZOO definitely is worth the investment as it is a great opportunity to host discussions with our existing customers, meet new customer prospects and get direct input and feedback to our latest innovations. Each year, we use SUPERZOO as a platform to launch our new products and new consumer insights to the industry. That isn’t simply hyperbole. Looking back, some of our first-to-market innovations included: 100 percent Plant-Based ‘meatless’ jerky; Upcycled Certified dog treats; USDA Certified Organic recipes; Air-Dried food and toppers, our sustainability initiatives including accreditation by the Pet Sustainability Coalition and re-Purpose Global and the launch of our award-winning Disney Table Scraps, Glad Wags and Christmas Bark lines.”

“We’ve been exhibiting at the show for six years and attending for eight SUPERZOO continues to draw the largest grouping of pet retailers year after year – making it a worthwhile investment for us in numerous ways including quality conversations, an engaged audience to debut new product innovation to and a consistently positive experience across the board for building our business and relationships in the industry,” said Melissia Van Vactor, VP of Sales and Marketing with Winnie Lou—The Canine Company.

This year, Lord Jameson is showcasing several new products, including a new snack pack grab-and-go concept featuring its organic, low-calorie and super-clean Love Puffs.

“With convenience and value at the forefront of both retailers’ and pet parents’ minds, our new snack packs fill a genuine void in the market for healthy, clean, low-calorie and incredibly delicious snacking options,” elaborated Goldberger. “Additionally, anyone who knows Lord Jameson knows that we love to celebrate, so we innovated our holiday line, launching three new products, each designed to create a compelling holiday sales offering. This includes a new $2.99 stocking stuffer that has been incredibly well-received worldwide. You will continue to see Lord Jameson’s commitment to clean, non-processed, non-artificial color products with 100 percent organic ingredients in all our new products.”

“Attendees can expect a vibrant and welcoming booth that brings the Charlee Bear brand to life. It will feature our colorful, standout packaging, eye-catching displays and plenty of samples so four-legged guests can discover firsthand what makes our treats so irresistible,” said Cadenhead. “This year, we’re especially excited to showcase our new Necessities dog food toppers, which have already been generating a lot of buzz. Whether visitors are discovering us for the first time or reconnecting with the brand, they’ll leave with a clear sense of our commitment to quality, innovation and fun.”

“Hydration is always something we’re working to educate more consumers on. We’ve been buying goat’s milk for 12 or more years. But we’ve never liked the format of it. It’s why we developed single-serve Mighty Toppers, which are compostable pods that the consumer can easily thaw and serve or use frozen as a pupsicle. It’s an innovative product that’s been great fun to grow,” said Hanceford Meyer.

“We will have a new booth set up along with numerous new products to debut in a variety of categories. This year’s focus was on innovation, and we’re thrilled to introduce our new products to attendees,” said Van Vactor.

Goldberger’s dedication to a toxic-free, human-centric approach dovetails into her commitment to health for both her family and pets, emphasizing the importance of natural ingredients and transparency in her products..

“As an organic lifestyle and wellness devotee and a mom of two young children and dogs, I have been committed to creating a toxic-free home and environment for my family and myself for more than 20 years. I carry that same narrative to my brand and our products, following human-centric, organic food trends for inspiration and ideation. If it’s not good enough for my kids, there’s no way I’m feeding it to my dog. You will see this philosophy naturally woven into all of our products and expanding into new channels. Since day one, we have never used a food coloring agent, artificial flavoring agent or a preservative. We pride ourselves on our commitment to the cleanest products, and we aim to help push the treatment category forward with this philosophy, protecting the health and well-being of dogs to the best of our ability. We are committed to helping brands think differently, just as we did, and we would love to see all dog food companies eliminate the use of these harmful ingredients in pet food,” said Goldberger.

“We will continue to introduce the latest and most innovative products in the pet treat and hard goods market. Attendees can look forward to seeing both our flagship offerings and exciting new prototypes. We appreciate receiving feedback, but we also want to help retailers stock must-have items in their stores [such as] best sellers, great value, quality / limited ingredients.  Innovation is important but so are making sure your shelves are stocked with proven solutions with great margins that offer a great upsell to food, as well as treats that keep customers coming back again and again,” said Abbey.

“Today’s pet parents are more ingredient-conscious than ever, seeking treats that deliver transparency, nutritional value and real benefits beyond just taste,” said Cadenhead. “This shift has helped shape Charlee Bear’s presence in the treats category, where we prioritize simple, wholesome ingredients and innovative formats that reflect these evolving expectations. We’ve seen increased demand for functional ingredients—like those that boost digestion, skin and coat health or provide immune support—which has directly influenced our approach to our latest product development. This year, we’re excited to introduce our newest innovation, Charlee Bear Necessities. These functional, freeze-dried toppers are made with real raw meat, poultry or fish, paired with powerhouse ingredients like flaxseed, turmeric, marine microalgae oil, a rich source of EPA and DHA, and cultured yeast to support common canine health concerns. They’re crafted in the USA by a family-owned company with no artificial colors or flavors and freeze-dried to preserve both nutrition and taste. They’re available in Salmon & Whitefish Recipe for Hip & Joint Support, Beef Recipe for Immune Support, Fruit & Veggie Mix with nutrient-rich superfoods, Pork Recipe for Skin & Coat Support and Chicken Recipe for Digestive Support. With Necessities, we’re meeting growing consumer demand for purposeful, ingredient-driven products that bring added value to every bowl while helping push the premium category forward in both function and form.”

“The Bear & The Rat is a small but mighty team that’s been working to make gut health fun since 2010. We have had the pleasure of working with pet stores for more than a decade. We hope that the retailers we currently work with and those we don’t will stop by and talk about how we can collaborate in their stores, whether we’re doing a Pupsicle Pawty, a Pajama Pawty or something specific to their region or store!” said Hanceford Meyer.

“Pet parents are increasingly mirroring human food trends, becoming more selective about ingredient quality, brand values and safety standards. They seek transparent brands that prioritize trusted sourcing, rigorous quality procedures, and holistic product benefits. This shift has transformed the pet food and treats categories, driving demand for clean labels, functional ingredients, and premium formulations,” said Cooper with Redbarn.

“We are the ‘behind-the-scenes’ partner to some of the most compelling retailer exclusive brand/private label programs – as well as many innovative national/global brands, and a big part of our preparation is ensuring these partners are ‘ready-for-prime-time’ at SUPERZOO. You already can find our products in more than 50,000 retail stores throughout the US and Canada, and our partners will continue to expand their businesses by showcasing a diverse range of trend-right and innovative products, again, this year across nearly every segment of the market,” said Ruffolo.

“We continue to lead in the categories of novel proteins, whole food ingredients and sustainable sourcing and manufacturing. Consumers continue to look for companies that put innovation in lock step with responsible sourcing and production. We meet those demands head on,” said Van Vactor. “We’ll be showcasing a variety of new products, giving our customers more options to keep their pets occupied even on the busiest of days!”

During the show, Goldberger anticipates engaging in discussions on legislation and advocacy work by the World Pet Association, in addition to AI and data science – notably how both will be crucial topics for fostering growth, convenience and industry advancement.

“SUPERZOO’s education program is thoughtfully crafted in collaboration with leaders from various sectors of the industry. I am looking forward to thought-provoking conversations and narratives that best support independent pet retailers through our technology, AI, social media, and other technological advances that are shaping the future of the industry. I also look forward to discussions around legislation and the work of the WPA, and its advocacy partners that will help protect the pet industry. I think AI and data science will and should be a big part of the water cooler topics to help drive innovation, convenience and growth,” she said.

The treat category leaders are gearing up for this year’s SUPERZOO to present new and signature products, connect with potential and current partners and discuss industry trends. The annual tradeshow has remain a staple gathering for industry leaders due to its unparalleled opportunities and prospects.