“We have an amazing future ahead of us”

Wayne Kemp is the Group Managing Director of Casco Pet, a leading manufacturer of animal habitats and veterinary kennelling. He boasts over 30 years of experience in the animal health industry, and is passionate about driving innovation in this space.

You have been working at Casco Pet in the new position of Group Managing Director since April 2024. What have you learnt so far in your new role?

I came to Casco Pet with nearly 30 years’ experience in the pet industry. In the short space of time since starting this role, I’ve learned so much – probably too much to list individually! It’s fair to say it’s been a steep learning curve as I’ve gotten up to speed on how Casco Pet operates, the team and its culture, the end-to-end manufacturing process and the complexities around delivering quality products to our customers across the globe. In saying that, it’s been immensely rewarding as well.

How do you and your team intend to position Casco Pet for the future?

Our journey so far has been incredible. The business is on an impressive trajectory, witnessing rapid growth, and together, we’re focused on taking Casco Pet to the next level. Looking to the future, our approach is threefold. Firstly, it starts with our vision and mission at Casco Pet – to be the global leader in animal wellness, fostering an environment that embraces holistic pet wellness and supports those dedicated to their care. To put it more simply: we love animals and we want the best for them and those who take care of them. In terms of what this looks like, we’ll continue advancing animal housing to provide the appropriate biotopes and to accelerate patient recovery. At the same time, we aim to improve the work-life balance of the people within the industry, a well-known challenge.

Secondly, we remain committed to prioritising our customers’ needs, and will build on our strengths to find new ways to better serve our customers, ensuring continued excellence in both delivery and operations. This includes eliminating any potential pain points throughout the customer journey – something that isn’t always the easiest task but which is the right thing to do, for our customers and our longer-term business strategy. We have some truly amazing people at Casco Pet, and we want to continue to enhance operational excellence in service of the end user.

And lastly, when looking at what lies ahead for the business, there is such opportunity, and so we will be disciplined on where we focus and prioritise our efforts and energy. Being in a business like Casco Pet that’s so forward thinking but not afraid to diversify and push our own internal boundaries, is really exciting. It solidifies my belief that we have an amazing future ahead of us.

One of your responsibilities is to develop new growth areas for the company. Have you already identified such areas?

In addition to what’s been outlined, one area that’s recently been introduced to market is our expansion into veterinary cabinetry and storage solutions, recently showcased at London Vet Show 2024. Our approach is to support practice owners by increasing efficiency and functionality, addressing some of the more nuanced tasks and responsibilities of running a veterinary practice or hospital that staff face on a daily basis. It’s also applicable to specialist pet retailers, and we plan to advance our joinery elements in this realm. We manufacture small animal habitats for many pet retailers, and our curated range of joinery solutions not only allow for better organisation and storage for teams in-store, but also elevate the look and experience of a space, which we know is so important to the overall customer journey.

In your great presentation at the International Pet Conference 2024, you talked about the future of international pet retailing. What do you think it will look like?  

Thank you! There were many great presentations at the International Pet Conference and I was proud to have been invited to take part. The majority of what I spoke about really resonated with the audience and other presenters; for example, some trends aren’t new – they’re just developing and changing faster than others. Coming from the UK, we’re a country of pet lovers – 57 per cent of households own a pet, and 95 per cent of pet owners consider their animals to be a part of the family. Some of the key trends around this – pet humanisation, and the premiumisation of pets – will only continue to evolve and strengthen. I believe there will be some key developments regarding pet technology that will lean towards understanding our pet’s health and wellbeing in much greater detail.

More and more pet specialist retail chains are working on developing into omnichannel retailers. How much does this influence your work as a shopfitter?

We’ve seen a number of retailers developing and investing in their omnichannel experience to better serve and fulfil their customers’ needs. This also allows them to compete with large multinational corporations for market share.

Many of the pet specialist chains are uniquely placed to compete, as they also have large physical footprints where there’s opportunity to invest in the store environment. This includes creating retail theatre with engaging live pet areas, or the inclusion of complementary services like veterinary practices or pet grooming. The types of projects or improvements we implement in stores are influenced by these trends, as specialist retailers continually reassess and refine their customer offerings.

The pet industry is also feeling the effects of the economic downturn in much of Europe and North America. Does this mean that pet retailers are investing less in their stores?

Honestly, it’s completely normal to experience a hiatus of growth after a boom and that’s what we’re seeing now, with the impact in Europe felt deeper than in North America. Pet retailers are working to ensure their omnichannel is optimal, while capitalising on growth in services, too. However, we’ve seen many of our clients continue to open new stores, and remodel existing ones.

What are your and your company’s plans for 2025?

For some time now, we’ve seen Casco Pet growing year-on-year, which we fully expect to continue through 2025, and beyond. We have several new products launching in 2025; having come through the process of patenting, they’re set to deliver game-changing technologies in the animal wellness sector. While I can’t share more details at this stage, I will say – watch this space!