The future of the pet product industry

Nowhere has the change in the pet product industry been manifested as clearly as at Interzoo in Nuremberg. The world’s biggest pet product show hosted 1,101 exhibitors from 47 countries, who produced an impressive display that showed just how varied the current range of pet food, grooming and accessory products really is. No-one strolling through the exhibition halls in Nuremberg could fail to be reminded at every turn that pets have long since become their owners’ partners. The exhibition stands featured a wealth of bio products, along with health and wellness products, functional drinks and exclusive accessories in a class of their own.
Admittedly, the colourful world of products on show does not always reflect the realities of owning a pet. By no means every country in Europe is populated with pet owners who feed their cats on diet products, or look after the dental care of their dogs. In Eastern Europe for example, especially Russia, many people keep pets but still feed them mainly on scraps from the dinner table. This will change as the standard of living rises amongst the population, and the trend towards treating pets like human members of the family will extend to Eastern Europe too.
The continuing growth in the number of products marketed for pets is  having an effect on the retail trade. In many countries, the floor space in a small shop is far from adequate even to begin to cover a range that satisfies the basic requirements of the customers. Large-format stores will probably become increasingly common, therefore. Demands on the trade for competent advice are also increasing.
What changes will the future bring for the pet product industry? The editorial team of PET in Europe has been looking at this question in the various articles on the principal product groups featured here. On the basis of assessments supplied by industry insiders in pet product markets across the globe, this special issue tries to provide the answers and also to look at developments and trends to see how the sector will evolve further in the future.
We’ll also be taking an in-depth look in retrospect at Interzoo 2004 and picking out the highlights of this superb show. The record figures notched up for exhibitors and visitors this year in spite of the unfavourable underlying economic situation should at any rate encourage us to be optimistic regarding the ongoing development of our industry.
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Ralf Majer-Abele