SUPERZOO Takeaways
SUPERZOO brought the pet retail industry together to explore new products, introduce innovations, foster business relationships and plan for the year ahead. Overall participation remained steady compared to the previous year, with an increase in the quality of buyers. More than 80 percent of attendees reported having purchasing authority, underscoring the strength and influence of the on-site buyer audience.
Organized by the World Pet Association (WPA), this year’s SUPERZOO featured the second-largest number of exhibitors in the history of the event and one of the most extensive exhibit footprints. Attendees explored more than 2,000 new products, participated in innovative skills-based grooming experiences, and experienced the launch of petLENS, WPA’s new market intelligence initiative. The show attracted participants from across the US and globally, with 1 in 8 attendees coming from outside the country and registrations representing 70 nations.
“From the moment the doors opened, SUPERZOO 2026 felt focused, active and ready for business,” said Mike Karsting, SVP of WPA. “Retailers came with decisions to make, exhibitors came ready to earn their business and throughout the week you could see real business getting done. Bringing together buyers with real purchasing power, established suppliers, emerging brands and new products creates opportunities that move companies forward and support the future of pet retail.”
Product discovery continued to be a highlight at SUPERZOO, featuring more than 1,200 exhibitors from both established brands and emerging companies showcasing thousands of new products.
“We had a steady flow of both new and familiar visitors to our booth, including some meaningful social media interviews,” said Emily Benson, Marketing Director for Starmark Pet Products. “The dogs who stop in for a free treat or a ball are some of our favorite booth visitors at the shows. They not only demonstrate the products better than we ever could, but they also cure our missing our own dog for a few minutes. The t-shirts we give away that talk about our shelter dog training program are always a big hit, and we saw several being worn on the show floor.”
SUPERZOO provided Jones Natural Chews with an opportunity to strengthen connections with its valued partners. “We can gauge their reactions to new products in person and receive more genuine and thoughtful feedback than through our other channels of communication,” said Britney McKay, Marketing Coordinator for Jones Natural Chews. “We enjoyed meeting and socializing with the industry; there is no email substitute for that.”
“SUPERZOO was an outstanding show for Icelandic+,” said SVP of Sales, Mike Vernon. “The energy was strong, and we had productive conversations with retailers, distributors and industry partners from across the pet community. The most memorable part was seeing the excitement around our expanding assortment and hearing directly from customers who value Icelandic+ for its quality, simplicity and innovation.”
“SUPERZOO was a fantastic show for us—and a special one, since we’re celebrating 40 years of Beefeaters this year,” reflected Juan Reynal, President of Beefeaters Dog & Cat Treats. “The energy on the floor was strong across both dog and cat, and we had genuinely valuable conversations with retail and eCommerce partners. The most memorable moment was walking the new product showcase and meeting top biz partners like WM or Tractor Supply showing interest in our innovative Natural Cheese Bones or recently launched Functional Lickables cat treats!”
“Our team had a good experience; it’s always good to connect with industry peers and have time to have in-person interaction and meetings that can help move your business forward,” commented Levi Clarkson, VP Operations—Americas for Brilliant Salmon Oil. “The most memorable moment for our team is just seeing the consistent reaction when we receive feedback from attendees and brand decision makers about how clean, traceable, and premium our salmon oil is.”
“SUPERZOO continues to be one of the most important weeks of the year for our team,” remarked Mike Bateman, National Sales Director for SmarterPaw, home of the Meowijuana and Doggijuana brands. “It gives us the opportunity to reconnect with longtime retail partners, meet new ones and, just as importantly, get a real-time read on where the pet industry is headed. For us, the most memorable part was the energy surrounding the cat category. We had some incredibly productive conversations, but it was also rewarding to hear from retailers who already know Meowijuana and tell us how well the brand performs in their stores. There is something pretty special about seeing a buyer recognize the brand, walk into the booth and immediately want to see what we have coming next.”
“We had a good time at the show, and as usual, it’s the face time and building relationships with old and new partners that are the highlights,” noted Eric Hertica, Key Accounts Manager, MidWest Homes for Pets.
“We had a really strong show this year,” shared Jessica Morris, Chief Commercial Officer, Phillips Pet Food & Supplies. “We got to spend time with partners we’ve known for decades and meet a lot of new folks too, like retailers opening accounts and vendors wanting to get their brands on our trucks. What I always love, though, are the conversations you don’t plan. You get retailers, vendors, and distributors in the same room and people start swapping ideas about the stuff we’re all wrestling with. You just can’t replicate that over email. And seeing our newly unified sales team all working the floor together? That was the highlight for me.”
“Overall, our show was a success; however, traffic did seem slower from an overall show floor point of view,” observed Melissa Van Vactor, VP of Sales & Marketing for Winnie Lou—The Canine Company.
The show offered an excellent opportunity for Advance Pet Products to strengthen relationships with existing customers, connect with new retailers and distributors and showcase its latest products to the industry. “Our overall experience at SUPERZOO was extremely positive,” reflected VP Shel Singh. “One of the most memorable parts for our team was seeing the strong interest and engagement from retailers who were genuinely looking for new, differentiated, and responsibly sourced products to bring into their stores. The conversations and relationships we developed throughout the show were especially valuable and gave us a great deal of confidence moving forward.”
“We had another great show introducing our brand to new retailers, showing newness to current retailers, and simply listening to everything our partners had to share,” said Tall Tails Marketing Director George Barton. “Feedback fuels our innovation and support. In fact, this year, we dedicated an entire New Product Showcase space to give attendees an opportunity to pick up a physical phone and leave us a message. We wanted to learn what is working, what is not working, and ways we can lean in further to support their business.”
“The show was really good for us because we got to see many of our long-time customers, as well as new customers that we have been working with,” said Sodapup Founder Adam Baker. “However, the show traffic overall was lower than previous years. The aisles were not nearly as crowded and many of our long-time customers were simply not at the show. I think a more difficult economic climate led some folks to stay home and ‘mind the store.’ This puts the onus on us to communicate with them in other ways to let them know about new innovations at Sodapup.”
Visitors to the Starmark Pet booth showed particular interest in the new Tuff Toaster and Waffle Chews, both of which were highlighted in the New Product Showcase. Benson with Starmark said, “The Toaster continues our practice of durable, adjustable treat-dispensing toys paired with a refillable, long-lasting and fillable chew.”
“We provide a fun pop of pink on the show floor, but outside of that we truly want the customers’ individual needs to dictate their experience,” McKay with Jones Natural Chews said. “If they need to discuss product, availability or just brainstorm—we want to provide the necessary space for that. It is nice to show the faces behind the brand; our partners can know exactly who is on the other end of their future email. What we tend to hear about most at the show is our holiday offerings—it’s just top of mind at this point in the calendar year.”
Attendees showed strong interest in Icelandic+’s new product formats, innovative cat treats, value-sized offerings and opportunities for exclusive or customized programs. “We wanted attendees to leave with a clear understanding that Icelandic+ offers more than premium fish-based treats; we provide distinctive, responsibly sourced products that help retailers bring new shoppers into the category,” Vernon said.
Reynal remarked, “We want people to leave knowing that premium quality and natural ingredients don’t have to come at a premium price—that’s what ‘affordable premium’ means, and it’s what we’ve delivered for 40 years. It also matters that we’re a direct manufacturer, not just a brand, which lets us bring both quality and value. What attendees asked about most was our cat lickables and our natural dog treats—also there were many conversations about supply reliability: how we manage manufacturing and keep costs stable in a shifting tariff environment.”
The Brilliant Salmon Oil team aimed for attendees to leave with a clear understanding of what sets Brilliant Salmon Oil apart from competitors: a single-ingredient, human-grade salmon oil with full traceability back to its source. Clarkson explained, “Our goal is to showcase our products and how they are both highly functional and exceptionally clean, without preservatives or blended oils with multiple fish species. Most attendees were interested in hearing about our ingredient integrity and sourcing, palatability for pets, and how our brand stacks up against other fish oils.”
“We wanted people to leave our booth understanding that Meowijuana is much more than a catnip brand,” Bateman said. “Catnip is our foundation, but we’re continuing to build around play, interaction and enrichment while keeping the fun personality that has always made Meowijuana stand out on the shelf. We saw a lot of interest in what is new, particularly our expanding toy assortment, including our new wands and interchangeable lures. Retailers were looking for products that are fun and different, but also easy to merchandise, easy for consumers to understand and offered at price points that can actually move volume.”
“We like for attendees to walk away knowing a bit more about MidWest, our people, and our products, and we look for new ways we can partner in the future,” Hertica said. “Attendees asked most about new products and show deals, and they used the opportunity to set meetings with specific individuals.”
“We want retailers to understand that Tall Tails will continue to innovate, to introduce newness, and to support their store associates and customers,” Barton said.
“Mostly we want retailers to know that Phillips means more for their store: more brands, more support, and one partner who can get them everything they need,” Morris explained. “A lot of the questions we got were about what’s changing now that Central Pet Distribution is becoming part of Phillips, and what that means for their assortment, their coverage, their service. The honest answer is more of everything: more brands and SKUs on their shelves, more trucks and routes behind their deliveries, and a bigger team standing behind their service and support.”
