Family gathering in Tarp

What took place in June at the company’s headquarters in Tarp, just a few kilometres from the Danish border, was far more than just an industry get-together. Suppliers, export partners and retailers from across the globe used the invitation as an opportunity to learn about new products, take a look behind the scenes and exchange ideas with colleagues.

One factor borne in mind by those present was that the last house fair was staged four years ago, prior to the long, pandemic-induced intermission that forced this and so many other events to endure an extended timeout.

It was evident once more that the Trixie team had put a lot of time and effort into developing and expanding the company’s product portfolio. The familiar Nordic charity line, for example, featured additional products at the house fair, such as hip and treat bags along with poo bag dispensers. Sales of products from this line continue to support marine environmental protection projects, such as the collection of ghost nets in the Baltic.

Trixie’s new City Style series addressed the popular “urban” trend, reflected by the contemporary colours combined with clean shapes. These included cubes, spheres, pyramids, barbells and discs in hues of sage, rust, grey and black. Products for dogs and cats with a stylish, laid-back accent were aimed specifically at younger pet owners, while the Soft Rope assortment of leashes and collars manufactured from rope focused on sustainability. Harmonious pastel shades are paired with matt buckles and rings in a gold or anthracite colour to create visually appealing articles. On a much more technically advanced level were the fully automated cat toilets with self-cleaning function and the bike trailers with adjustable suspension or the tailgate that acts as a ramp to make it easier to get dogs in and out of the car.

The ranges for birds and small animals hadn’t been forgotten at Trixie. As demonstrated by the assortment for cage birds, everything plastic has been banned and products have been switched to natural materials, while attractive indoor enclosures were presented for keeping small animals indoors. These are in modular form, allowing for the addition of open pens.

In addition to the display of new products in all ranges, Trixie presented its distribution initiative launched in cooperation with the Ukrainian manufacturer Collar Company, which is combined with a charity campaign. For every product sold from the Puller range of dog sport items, a set donation is made to assisting with mine clearance in Ukraine.

As part of its Trixie Ventures initiative, Trixie is assisting start-ups in the pet sector. Pezz, Kitty-Pits and Fellbox were presented at the house fair as the winners of the 2023 Trixie Ventures Awards.

Trixie is distributing worm and urine tests produced by Pezz for dogs and cats. For Markus Zengerer, who established the start-up in Vienna in 2017, it is a “partnership of equals”. Trixie states that “the collaboration of Trixie and Pezz brings experience of distribution and the market together with pet tech innovation.”

At Kitty-Pits of Frankfurt/Main, Lara and Joshua Becker have developed a range of cat furniture made from high-grade recycled cardboard. This line is now being manufactured and marketed by Trixie, for which it signifies above all a move into speciality retail.

Fellbox has likewise found a route into the specialist retail sphere by cooperating with Trixie. Its surprise packages for dogs are primarily a marketing channel for the manufacturer, which is able in this way to test the acceptance of its new products.

What particularly delighted retailers at the house fair, however, was Trixie’s move on 1 June, in advance of the event, to drop the prices of 750 items, especially of what are termed volume articles. In some cases prices were reduced by over ten per cent. “We can respond in this way to falling shipping rates and pass on to our customers a weighted price reduction of approximately two per cent across the entire range,” said Trixie managing director Volker Haak, underlining the value attached by the company to a fair pricing policy.