Special Report: Leadership in Hardlines

The hardlines segment is full of opportunity. Manufacturers are eager to tell their brand story and connect with pet owners while gaining a deeper understanding of their priorities and spending habits. Functional and dependable products are driving growth, and companies are building trust by offering safe, durable options.

Flexi North America’s greatest opportunity—and its biggest challenge—is finding the most effective ways to promote the flexi brand and share its story with pet owners. Company leaders are eager to tackle this head-on and build a strong foundation for the company’s next phase of growth.

“There is quite a bit happening for us right now. We’re finalizing our product development and innovation launches for 2027, and I’m particularly excited about the momentum we’re building in the US market,” shared Marc Brocato, Senior Sales & Marketing Executive for flexi North America. “We’re working closely with our retail partners to strengthen flexi both in-store and online. At the same time, we’re finalizing our 2027 marketing strategy with our new agency. That’s important for us because we have a very strong product and a great history—we created the category—but we can do a much better job of communicating that to the American consumer. And that is probably our biggest opportunity and challenge: how we present the brand, tell our story and connect with today’s pet owners. So for us, Q4 isn’t just about selling more leashes. We’re also laying the groundwork for the next stage of flexi’s growth in North America.”

“There’s a lot to be excited about going into Q4. We’ve added new products, opened new opportunities with retailers and distributors, and we’re continuing to push A&E into more categories,” said Eddy Dubell, Director of Marketing & Design for A&E Cage Company. “For us, the biggest challenge is making sure we can keep up with that growth. Inventory is a big part of it. You can create all the demand in the world, but if you don’t have the product when the customer is ready to buy, it doesn’t matter. We’ve put a lot of focus on forecasting, inventory, and better communication with our partners. I’m also excited to keep showing people that A&E is a lot more than cages. We have a much bigger story to tell now, and I think we’ve only scratched the surface.”

Moderna Sales Executive Rachel Skweres believes that when choosing products within hardlines, consumers’ top priority is determining how a product fits into their space.

“We continue to focus on design-led functional items that fit into the home,” she elaborated. “Offering solutions for each unique home. As people update their space, we want them to think of every inch. For example, if one remodels or paints their bathroom, and the litter box lives in the bathroom, then we want our products to upgrade right along with the updates. After all, it’s a shared space and every pet deserves a luxurious space to match its owners. We continue to position our products to tag along with the newness and freshness when a space within the home gets an upgrade.”

When choosing the right product for their pet, pet parents weigh several factors, including quality, functionality and value, observed Brocato of flexi North America.

“But consumers are also asking a very simple question: Is this the right product for me and my pet?” he expanded. “Ease of use is a big part of that. People want products that are intuitive and reliable and that make everyday life with their pets a little easier. For us, a leash is a perfect example. It’s something you may use every single day, and it needs to perform consistently. You need to feel confident that you’ve chosen the right leash for your dog, your lifestyle and the way the two of you walk together. I also think we as brands have a responsibility to make that choice easier. If consumers can’t quickly understand the differences between models, sizes and features, we haven’t done our job properly. That applies at the shelf just as much as it does online.”

“Quality and value are huge, but I think consumers are also smarter shoppers today,” Dubell with A&E Cage Company offered. “They’re looking at reviews, comparing products, checking dimensions, and asking more questions before they buy. They want to know that they’re buying the right product the first time. And value doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. If you can show someone why a product is better and why it’s worth the money, they’ll spend it. Our job is to make sure we’re giving them enough information to make that decision confidently.”

While consumers consider which product characteristics best suit their pets, retailers evaluate different factors when deciding which hardline brands to partner with.

Moderna’s Skweres said: “If their pet is a part of the family—sometimes even the center of the family—then all of their essentials are incorporated right into the home. And we really want to enhance that element.”

“Retailers expect much more from a brand today than simply delivering a good product,” Brocato with flexi North America said. “They want partners who understand their business, contribute to the category and help create consumer demand. That means bringing product development, consumer insights, merchandising and marketing together. We shouldn’t only be talking to a retailer about how we can sell more of our individual SKUs. We should also be talking about how we can help them grow the category. The other major change is how closely the physical and digital shelves are now connected. Someone may see our product in a store and then research it online, or discover it online and ultimately buy it in a store. That means the story, product information, education and merchandising need to work together wherever the consumer meets the brand.”

“I think retailers want brands to be more involved in the business,” Dubell with A&E Cage Company said. “You can’t just wait for a purchase order to show up anymore. We need to be talking with our customers, looking at what’s selling, bringing them new items, helping with promotions, and figuring out what else we can do to grow the business. That’s something we’re pushing hard at A&E. I don’t want us to just be another vendor on somebody’s list. I want our customers to know we’re paying attention to their business and looking for the next opportunity with them.”

Skweres of Moderna said one misconception about hardlines is that its manufacturers and products are antiquated and obsolete—a notion that needs to be dispelled. 

“We can be new and fresh. We can be trendy,” she affirmed. 

Brocato of flexi North America believes pet owners often underestimate the role leashes play in strengthening the bond between pets and their owners.

“I think one misconception is that hardlines is primarily about function,” Brocato with flexi North America said. “Of course the product has to work—that’s the starting point. But these products are also part of the everyday relationship between pet parents and their four-legged companions.”

He also pointed out how choosing a leash suited to a dog’s activity level can make walks more rewarding for both pets and their owners.

“Take a leash. On the surface, it’s a pretty straightforward product. But think about what it actually does during a walk,” he continued. “It affects how the dog explores, how the owner maintains control and ultimately how they experience that time together. So rather than only asking, ‘What does this product do?’ I think we should also be asking, ‘What does it add to the experience?’ That’s particularly important to us at flexi. How can we enrich a dog’s life through the daily walk? How can we give the dog the freedom to explore while still giving the owner control and confidence? When you start looking at hardlines that way, there is a lot more room for real innovation than simply adding another product to the shelf.” 

“That hardlines are just necessities,” Dubell with A&E Cage Company said of the misconception that needs to be set straight. “Yes, somebody needs a cage, habitat, perch, or certain accessories. But there’s a big difference between selling someone what they need and showing them what’s possible. We must do a better job of selling the whole experience instead of one product at a time. If someone is buying a cage, what else does that bird need? What makes that setup better? What makes the owner’s life easier? There’s a lot of opportunity there that I think the industry still leaves on the table.”

Manufacturers agree that standout leaders will elevate the hardlines sector by keeping their promises and delivering thoughtful innovation. “The companies that lead this category will be the ones that keep innovating for a reason,” Brocato with flexi North America said. “There will always be new products and there will always be price pressure. But if an innovation doesn’t solve a problem or make life better for the pet or its owner, you have to ask what it really adds.”

He continued, “Durability is another big one for me. Consumers are watching what they spend, so we need to give them products that are worth their money over time. That’s something I’m particularly proud of at flexi. We make leashes that last. When properly used, a flexi can stay with you for many years—sometimes perhaps even for a second generation of dogs. I think we should actually talk about that more. But a great product by itself isn’t enough anymore. We have to understand the consumer, work closely with our retail partners and make sure the flexi experience is consistent whether someone finds us on a store shelf or online. For us, the foundation doesn’t change: German engineering, quality and innovation. What does need to change is how well we communicate those strengths and make them relevant to today’s pet owners.”

“It’s going to come down to who actually executes,” Dubell said. “Everybody can talk about new products and growth. Can you keep the product in stock? Can you get it to the customer? Can you support your retailers? Can you react when something isn’t working? Innovation matters, but so do the basics. For us, the goal is pretty simple: keep improving our products, keep expanding our distribution and be more involved in helping our customers grow their business. If they’re growing with A&E, we’re doing our job.”