“A powerful mix”

In an interview with PET worldwide last year, you promised a few surprises for this year’s Interzoo. What will be the focal point of your stand?
The focal point of our stand will be new dog and cat products and the partnerships that Hagen will introduce into the European market. Something new for our company.
What new products will your company present at the fair?
In aquatics we will present a larger Edge aquarium with specific lighting for different aquatic environments, powered by a unique water change filter. We will also introduce new controllable LED linear lighting with improved efficiency and performance, all controlled through a new multi-unit WIFI platform. In the reptile segment we have two habitats, one of which is based on actual expedition data and feedback. A world first! We will also show a line of cat furniture that on the one hand is premium and innovative and the other hand price-competitive. New bird habitats that are fresh and simple but also offer a patented consumer benefit. We also have additions to the popular Catit Senses programme.
We are most excited about launching Smart Bones, the patented US-developed dog treat. Hagen is the exclusive European distributor and our EU team has worked hand in hand with PetMatrix, the developer of Smart Bones, to study consumer preferences in Europe in order to support a major marketing campaign. We will also present for the first time in Europe the fastest growing dog toy in America, Nerf Dog, for which we also act as exclusive distributor and value-added partner to the Nerf brand holder Gramercy Pet.
According to the Interzoo organising body WZF, the proportion of products for dogs and cats presented at Interzoo will rise to 65 per cent this year. This equates to an increase of roughly 20 per cent compared with the last Interzoo. What is your assessment of this figure?
We are aligned with this fact! Remember our company has for decades focused on the speciality category, specifically aquatic, reptile and water gardening. It is not that we have resisted the trend but had not yet found the right mix of product within dog and cat. We are now embracing it wholeheartedly with a hybrid model: internal development focused on cat and value-added partner brand distribution in dog. We think this is a powerful mix.
Are these figures reflected in your company’s portfolio of new products?
Absolutely! This will be reflected by the Hagen booth experience as well, where our strengths in aquatic and reptile…