H.H. Backer Show Showcases Booming Pet Industry
Despite the notion of a prolonged recession, the American Pet Products Association revealed American pet owners will spend nearly $2.9 billion dollar this year on pet-related services. This was clearly evident at the recent H.H. Backer Pet Industry Holiday Show held in Chicago last weekend.
The H.H. Backer Pet Industry Holiday show showcased high-end pet food, beds, toys and clothing for pets. The pet industry continues to thrive," said Don Tomala, managing partner of Matrix Partners. "Despite a troubled economy, the pet industry still continues to invest in research and innovation to bring the very best to store shelves."
Each year, thousands of pet store buyers and pet boutiques converge on the show to select their holiday items and products for dog owners seeking to pamper their pets this holiday season. One of the vendors, Spring Naturals, touted their Lamb and Salmon or Chicken Stew, which are gourmet dog foods.
One of the thinking games available at Backer was Dog Tornado, from The Company of Animals. This game is designed for dogs to remove bones from the container amidst obstacles built in for extra challenge. Another company, Stella and Chewy, showcased bite-sized pieces of meat shaped like a small dome wrapped in foil similar to a chocolate kiss. This vast array of products is targeted at the pet owners spending “outside the box.”
Overall spending in the pet industry (including food, supplies, veterinary care, live animal purchases and other services such as grooming and boarding and pet sitting) grew by 5.4% from $43.2 billion in 2008 to a little over $45.5 billion in 2009, with no declines in any category from 2007.
Further information about American Pet Products Association can be found at http://www.americanpetproducts.org/.
H.H. Backer has a website devoted to their trade shows and industry at http://www.hhbacker.com.
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