Global Pet Expo Takeaways: Roundtable Discussion

The recently wrapped Global Pet Expo offered a vibrant, positive, and energetic atmosphere for both exhibitors and attendees. Companies across the industry were focused and engaged in meaningful discussions to elevate industry standards. In the litter and grooming categories, exhibitors emphasized that natural ingredients offer effective, impactful, and practical solutions. Notable innovations included solutions that help pet owners monitor their pets’ well-being and ensure proper hydration. Overall, this year’s Global showcased a dedicated chain of companies that are determined to enhance pets’ quality of life and well-being.

“We wanted retailers to leave with a clear sense of Coastal’s ongoing investment in their success and the confidence that we have solutions for a wide range of needs under one roof,” said Coastal Pet Products President Kim Stout. “From a grooming perspective, we were excited to showcase the strength and breadth of our grooming portfolio, including trusted brands like Safari, Lil Pals, and PetKORE, which support all coat types and grooming routines with easy add-on essentials like shears and shampoos. Recent additions to the Safari lineup—like the shammy towel and grooming scissors and shears—underscore Coastal’s commitment to quality grooming solutions for both home groomers and professional groomers while giving retailers an assortment that effectively serves both audiences.”

“Overall, the booth made it easy to see how our assortment works together, whether retailers are expanding existing sets, building smaller, high-performing orders, or exploring new categories,” Stout reflected. “The strong response to new product extensions—including Rosewood’s Naturals for small pets, Macho Dog collars for large breeds, and the PetKORE Clover Ball for equine—reinforced that Coastal continues to evolve alongside our retail partners, offering variety, flexibility, and thoughtful innovation backed by dependable supply.”

“The biggest takeaway for retailers is that the standard for pet supplements is rapidly evolving—and Native Pet is leading that shift,” said Anya Grunewald, Director of Retail Partnerships at Native Pet. “Today’s pet parents are holding pet products to the same standards as their own nutrition. They’re looking for real, whole-food ingredients and clean labels they can trust. While this movement has already taken hold in food and treats, Native Pet continues to set the pace in bringing that same level of transparency and quality to supplements.”

“Our products are made with whole-food ingredients and never include additives, artificial flavors, or unnecessary starches,” Grunewald continued. “Best-sellers like The Daily and Omega Oil reflect this commitment, with one—or even zero—inactive ingredients. That simplicity and transparency are increasingly important as pet parents scrutinize labels for validation. At Global, we were especially excited to showcase how we’re continuing to raise the bar for clean, effective supplementation rooted in real nutrition.”

Just as important as spotting and recognizing catchy trends, exhibitors noticed the upbeat atmosphere and the focused and disciplined mindset that filled the showroom. 

“Rather than one standout product trend, what caught our attention most was the positive, forward-looking mindset across the show,” Stout said. “Despite broader industry challenges, there was strong optimism and energy rooted in conversations around partnership, service, and reliability. Retailers are placing increasing value on ease of doing business, inventory confidence, and long-term relationships.”

She continued, “Those discussions played directly to Coastal’s strengths, especially our broad assortment, dependable supply, and ability to support retailers across multiple categories and price points. The event reinforced that while innovation matters, trust, consistency, and partnership are just as critical to retailers’ success moving forward.”

“One of the most notable trends at this year’s show was the continued convergence of human and pet wellness,” observed Grunewald with Native Pet. “We’re seeing a strong focus on priorities that have long existed in the human space—gut health, hydration, and whole-food nutrition—now becoming central in pet care. There’s also clear momentum behind fresh and functional formats, as well as more targeted, condition-specific solutions.”

“The biggest thing we wanted retailers to walk away with is that Jolly Pets is built to drive real results at shelf—not just look good in packaging,” said Marketing Director Louisa Marvin. “Everything we showcased in dog toys centered around durability and enrichment; products that dogs actually stay engaged with, and owners come back to buy again. That’s always been core to who we are, but we’ve continued to evolve the line to better support how pet parents are thinking today …  more interactive play, more purpose behind the product. At the end of the day, we want retailers to feel confident that when they bring Jolly Pets in, they’re bringing in a line that turns, builds loyalty, and solves real problems for their customers.” 

“One of the biggest wins was our interactive ‘puzzle corner,’ where we placed our Kanoodle Dog Edition puzzle front and center,” said Rachel Markowitz, Brand Manager of Brightkins. “It naturally drew people into the booth and sparked curiosity from both new and existing customers. Building on that, we loved having influencers, media, and their dogs stop by to actually try the puzzles. Seeing pets engage with the products in real time not only generated organic social coverage, but also helped attendees better understand how our enrichment products work. It even gave existing customers and longtime partners a chance to discover new items in our lineup that they haven’t picked up yet, while introducing new audiences to the brand in a really authentic, engaging way”

Marvin observed, “One of the biggest things that stood out this year at Global was how much the conversation has shifted toward enrichment and mental stimulation, not just physical play. Pet parents are really thinking more intentionally about how they’re engaging with their dogs. We also saw a lot of momentum around products that do more than one thing. Whether that’s combining play with calming, training, or overall wellness. Overall, the energy of the show felt really strong. Even with some of the pressures in the market, there’s still a lot of innovation happening, and brands are clearly focused on standing out in more meaningful ways and not just competing on price, but on quality, purpose, and storytelling.” 

“One of the most exciting trends was the continued growth of mental enrichment across the category,” Markowitz said. “More brands are leaning into interactive, brain-boosting toys, which reinforces just how important this space has become for pet wellness. We also saw other well-known human toy brands further expand into the pet space (like Nerf’s dog toys and LEGO-inspired concepts) alongside highly engaging, experience-driven booths that encouraged interactive play between pets and their owners. Up-and-coming products like indoor lure-and-chase courses further highlighted the growing shift toward instinct-driven, participatory play.  A major opportunity we’re keeping an eye on is enrichment for cats. There was clear interest and momentum there, and it’s an area we see as full of potential not just for Brightkins, but for the industry as a whole.”

Within the niche categories, exhibitors are empowering consumers to become accountable by providing innovative solutions that ensure pets stay safe, secure, and easily trackable.

“The most important message we wanted retailers to walk away with is that MyFamily USA continues to lead the ID Tag category through innovation, exclusivity, and personalization,” said Ricardo Nottola, COO USA for MyFamily USA. “We already offer more than 800 designs in our catalog, but this year we were especially excited to showcase the expansion of our Licensed Collection. Other than the NFL and NHL, we introduced our new MLB collection, along with new Disney additions such as Minnie. At the same time, we also expanded into more lifestyle-driven and human-inspired designs with our new Zodiac and Letter collections. Overall, the message is simple: we keep growing our assortment to give retailers unique, high-quality, and exclusive products that help them stand out and give pet parents more ways to express their personality through their pets’ ID tags.”

“Similar to what we see with humans—we want retailers (and pet owners) to understand the importance ‘hydration’ plays in the overall health and well-being of dogs,” said Rick Ruffolo, President and CEO of Phelps Pet Products. “Too many humans and dogs are ‘under-hydrated’ every day, and the medical community (doctors, vets, nutritionists) continue to learn more about how critical hydration is to nearly every metabolic activity happening in our bodies. Our new H2GO! Hydration Gel in the Phelps Wellness Collection addresses this need head-on using hydrocolloids to deliver hydration at the cellular level 4X more efficiently than water. It is the perfect addition to the water dogs get from their bowls. It is convenient, tastes great (beef flavor), and really packs a punch (each tube is equal to a cup of water). It is great for everyday use and also is portable for car rides, daily walks, playing in the park or backyard, or when going on a hiking or beach adventure!”

The continued surge in feline-focused products not only caught the MyFamily USA team’s attention but is also influencing future product development and where to focus. “I was surprised to see how much the cat product segment continues to grow, clearly showing a strong trend in the market,” remarked Nottola. “Because of that, new cat-focused products will be coming soon to MyFamily USA as well. In the Start-Up area, I could really feel the energy and passion that those companies were putting into their new projects. Some of them had very interesting concepts, and I wish them the best for the future.”

The Phelps team was impressed by the retailers who arrived at the show motivated and prepared to conduct business. “The key dynamic we saw was ‘Buyers are ready to buy’—meaning, after a few years of playing it a bit more conservatively, retail buyers came to the show knowing how critical ‘innovation’ is to growing their business and the category as a whole, and that means saying ‘yes’ to newness,” Ruffolo said. 

“Our goal was for retailers to see that A&E Cage Company continues to lead in containment and habitat solutions while expanding into new categories that help grow their business,” said Director of Marketing & Design Eddy Dubell. “This year we introduced our Pampurred Paws cat furniture line and new cat scratcher assortment, along with fresh assortments for bird, small animal, and reptile. We focused on retail-ready programs that make merchandising easier, improve floor presentation, and give stores new ways to refresh their habitat and enrichment sections.”

“NVM Pet’s core message to retailers was clear: we bring trusted, household-name national brands to the pet bed category, all manufactured here in the USA,” said President Phil Souza. “At the booth, we showcased our licensed brands, including Beautyrest, Serta, and Jeep, alongside our proprietary offerings. What generated the most excitement was the quality story behind the products. Today’s pet owner expects the same level of comfort and craftsmanship for their pets that they expect for themselves, and that is exactly what we deliver. Consumers are shopping more intentionally than ever, so offering a brand they already know and trust in a product made to the highest quality standards in America creates a compelling retail proposition. The response from buyers on the show floor reinforced that message.”

“Global felt very positive this year with strong retailer engagement across the show floor,” Dubell with A&E Cage Company said. “We saw continued demand for retail-ready containment programs and growing interest in expanding beyond traditional bird and small animal categories into reptile and cat. Across the show, innovation in enrichment products and items that strengthen the bond between people and their pets continues to drive excitement in the specialty market.”

The takeaway from Global is clear: innovation alone isn’t enough—brands must combine transparency, functionality, and purpose to deliver real value for pets, pet parents, and retailers.