UK pet trade companies exhibiting at Global Pet Expo have agreed it was a successful show in spite of reduced visitors numbers.
The show, held at the end of February in Florida, USA, was affected by precautions taken at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. However, a group of British companies, organised by trade association PetQuip, successfully made the trip and obtained strong sales leads from markets across the world.
PetQuip’s commercial manager, Charlie Parker, said: “Despite the show being quieter, we had sales leads for member companies from markets as diverse as Turkey, Singapore and Hong Kong and we met key contacts from the US and other markets from the Americas, Dubai, The Netherlands, Slovenia and Denmark.”
Exhibiting companies agreed with him. Carole Bayne, of Law Print and Packaging, said: “It was one of the best Global Pet Expo shows for us as we were able to network with previous contacts and consolidate relationships with new customers in the US and Canada.
“We thought the show didn’t seem as busy as usual – probably because of the coronavirus situation – but the quality of the trade visitors was really good. We always prefer quality over quantity anyway, so we were happy with the turnout and the people we spoke to.”
Martin Hodson, of ChickenGuard, commented: “The overall impression is that it was our best show yet. It was our fourth year exhibiting at the show and we finally managed to get face-to-face constructive meetings with some of the biggest US wholesalers.
“It did appear that attendances were down, and coronavirus will have no doubt had some effect. However, for ChickenGuard we had more visitors than we have done previously, especially on the first two days. It truly is a global event, with leads not just from North America, but also strong contacts for Italy, Denmark and Poland, amongst others.”
Broadreach Nature +, whose owner Anne Wood was interviewed by Global Pet Expo TV during the show, also reported a successful outcome. “We were delighted with the volume of response we received to our new range of products. It was our first time exhibiting and I can’t speak highly enough of PetQuip’s support and knowledge throughout the event, enabling us to have a very smooth and easy transition.”
Another UK newcomer to Global Pet Expo was Pet Remedy, who also appreciated the support and guidance of PetQuip. “We had a good cross-section of pet related businesses visit our stand from wholesalers and distributors, to vet clinics, pet stores, groomers, kennels and catteries,” said managing director Martyn Barklett-Judge. “Online pet store Chewy Pets USA, which has over 13 million customers, showed great interest in our products and has created a four-minute video on Pet Remedy.”
Rockster agreed that the quality of visitors was of the highest quality. Co-founder and managing director Sven Ley said: “All the big buyers confirmed their interest in our brand. As the demand for ultra-premium dog food is constantly rising, we had a lot of large retailers and organic pet food boutiques wanting to know more about our product. We also appreciated the fact that this show functions as a vast get-together where you’re able to strengthen relationships with existing customers and provide a unique opportunity to introduce new products all in one place.”
Carina Evans, of Podium Pet Supplies, said: “The show was good because quality buyers were in attendance. But no doubt it was affected by the coronavirus scare which was a shame. The visitor numbers were a little disappointing but I think it’s still important to be there as it’s such a great place to have meetings with buyers prior to and during the event.”
Several UK exhibitors also took part in the retail tour, which the show organisers held on the eve of Global Pet Expo. As well as seeing how pet products were merchandised at Petco, PetSmart and Pet Supermarket stores, there was a chance to get insights into the market from consultant Dave Bolen.
During the retail tour the British companies also networked with distributors and retailers from Slovenia, Guatemala, Nigeria, China and Malaysia.
