The sector exudes confidence

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Of course, even the American pet supplies sector, which has been spoilt by success, is currently feeling the indirect consequences of the sub-prime crisis and banks going bust. One well-known pet food manufacturer was represented at the Global Pet Expo by a remarkably small stand, owing to drastic cuts in the marketing budget. And other manufacturers reported a diminishing propensity to buy among pet owners, increasing the pressure on prices and having a negative impact on business. And yet - a major collapse in the US pet supplies market is not on the cards, according to current opinion. This is the view of the American Pet Products Association (APPA) too. "Where most retail sectors are struggling to simply stay afloat, the pet industry is one of the fastest-growing, with a projected 3.6 per cent increase to $ 45.4 billion in 2009," says APPA president Bob Vetere. It seems that Americans are continuing to spend plenty on their pets. High level of international interest To this extent, the mood at the Global Pet Expo was anything but glum. Although exhibitors had expected to see rather more representatives of the American speciality trade on their stands on the Saturday, visitor numbers on the first two days were extremely satisfying. Above all, the international spread of visitors was striking. "I had discussions with my distributors from Australia, Poland, Canada and Israel at the show," the export manager of one accessory manufacturer was pleased to report. In addition to the big speciality chains, representatives of the mass merchandisers that play an important role in the USA were also in attendance at the show. The show organisers APPA and PIDA merited considerable praise, for the organisation of the Global Pet Expo was professional and left nothing to be desired. The Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando is the ideal show venue, with good transport links, a terrific infrastructure and an extremely attractive ambience. The huge exhibition hall, carpeted throughout, was clearly laid out with colour-graded areas for individual fair segments. This configuration, which included separation of the aquatics segment from the other categories, was a useful aid to orientation for the visitors. As the stands tended to be on the small side, in typical US fashion, it wasn't difficult to seek out contacts on them. Over 700 manufacturers exhibited at the Global Pet Expo - more than in the previous year. Current…