Category Analysis: Dog Toys
Toy suppliers are prioritizing innovation and sustainability this year by exploring new materials and production methods while enhancing connections with pet parents. Other companies are looking to bolster collaborations with pet specialty retailers and how to best apply their feedback to inform company strategies for innovation and growth. There is a common thread of excitement surrounding upcoming innovations and product launches planned for 2025, including seasonal assortments at major trade shows.
The biggest thing I’ve seen for in the last part of ’24 and into ’25 is this movement into private label,” said Sean Slevin, VP of Business Development for Multipet. “Because of the price matching guarantees and all of that, going private label allows retailers to keep their retails where they’re at. Getting into the private label world is a big strategy. We’re continuing to launch more interactive innovation because when you’re home, you want to engage with your pet. You want them to feel that stimulation and to exercise. By interacting and being innovative with that, it helps the dog mentally, it helps you mentally, and it helps stimulate the dog. We also look at white space opportunities all the time. We’re known for having the No. 1 toy in the world, with our Lamb Chop, but we’re continuing to seek out unique and different licenses that may have a home in pet. When it comes to toys, other than a couple of brands, people don’t really care about the brand as much as they care about the quality and the look and the feel and what it’s made of. It’s funny how food is very much brand-driven where with toys, people want quality, they want to pick it up and are really not that worried about which tag is necessarily on there.”
“Another thing we’re focusing on is looking at what other avenues and outlets are there to sell toys in,” he continued. “There are a lot of avenues and outlets that maybe we can do a better job in, so we’re certainly always looking to expand our brand. We do a really good job of keeping our customers unique and different by brainstorming and collaborating with them so not every channel has the same Lamb Chop or the same Loofa. We try to be creative with them so within our brand, there’s uniqueness. While Multipet is in a lot of locations, they still have custom items that you’d have to go to their stores to get, which we think has been a real key to our success.”
Jolly Pets remains invested in exploring new, sustainable materials and production methods that uphold durability and safety standards for pet products. Engaging via social media and community initiatives, the company aims to forge strong brand connections with pet parents. “The outlook for 2025 is exciting for Jolly Pets as we’re expanding our product portfolio, launching new partnerships and focusing on data-driven strategies for growth,” said Marketing Director Louisa Casto. “One major factor shaping our strategy is the increasing focus on sustainability and the growing influence of Millennial and Gen Z pet parents, who are seeking high-quality, innovative and eco-conscious products. To meet this demand, we’re pushing boundaries in product design, leveraging vet-approved insights and investing in marketing efforts that align with their values.”
“PetShop by Fringe Studio’s outlook for 2025 is great,” said Jennifer Kruegel, Director of Product Management—Pet for PetShop by Fringe Studio. “A lot of newness and innovation has been planned for this year, and we’re excited to share it with our customers. Our design and development teams have been hard at work offering new product categories and expanding upon our proven product categories. We will have a pet toy launch at Global Pet Expo in March and a lifestyle launch at SUPERZOO in August. We’ll also have new seasonal assortments offered throughout the year. Although there will be challenges we’ll need to tackle, we’ll strategize and work together to find solutions that can best benefit our customers while maintaining our business.”
West Paw aims to enhance its presence by focusing on team development and product innovation. “2025 for us is about doing a lot of work on our internal team to make sure we have the absolute best people in place to set up West Paw,” said West Paw President Peter Cleary. “This is a year of stabilizing, of making key investments in areas, some key investments with new product. There’s been key investments in our internal team to make sure that people’s experience of our brand is positive and of our team is positive and people are excited about our products. With that, we also have a major goal of making sure the uniqueness of what we have in the world, people are now picking up on the importance of sustainability, and honestly we’ve been there for decades. We want people to understand it and can value that. There’s a value in having been there for the right reason for a long time. We’re refreshing our brand this year and you’ll start to see that on packaging and brand messaging.”
The way forward is by working together. Dog toy manufacturers understand this and are committed to listening to and applying feedback from retailers to their packaging, materials and designs. At a time when sustainability and getting value for their purchases means more than ever to pet owners, manufacturers are fine-tuning their products so that pet owners feel good about their purchases.
