Current News
Buyers Flock to Backer’s Christmas Show
Retailers came out in full force for H.H. Backer’s 45th Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show and Educational Conference, held Oct. 14-16 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont (Chicago), Ill. A total of 8,963 registered buyers from 2,410 firms attended the show year, up 2 percent from 8,794 buyers of 2,571 firms at the 2011 show... 
Backer Celebrates Grooming Style
Forty-three groomers styled a record 103 dogs in the 12th Annual Celebration of Style competition, held Oct. 14-16 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont (Chicago) Ill...
Jack’s Pets, a full-line chain of pet stores headquartered in Beavercreek, Ohio, has made several companywide changes this year: It changed its name from Jack’s Aquarium and Pets, expanded its pet food offerings and discontinued the sale of puppies and kittens...
Rolf C. Hagen, founder and chairman of his namesake company, died at home on Oct. 22, with his wife and grandson at his side...
EPA Gets Feedback on Spot-ons
Suggestions to ban spot-on products that can kill cats, allow only veterinarians to dispense or recommend spot-on pesticides, and provide more warnings and directions on labels were among the most common submissions the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received after its March 2010 request for comments on how to best increase spot-on safety...
14th Pet Sale Ban Adopted
The Irvine, Calif., City Council in October adopted an ordinance which bans retail pet shops from selling dogs and cats. It also bans rodeos, circuses and other animal exhibitions...
Pet-related vendors benefited from a layout change at Europe’s largest annual exhibition for the garden, pet and leisure industries: The Petindex section—dedicated to pet products—this year was flanked by garden and leisure booths, a move that helped promote crossover traffic, according to organizers...
The increasingly diverse composition of pet professionals in Canada continues to make itself evident at the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council Canada’s four annual events, according to Susan Dankert, communications coordinator for the Ottawa, Ontario-based trade association...
Pets Suffer Identity Crisis
Eighty percent of pet owners believe it’s very or extremely important for pets to wear identification tags—but only 33 percent make sure their pets actually wear ID tags all the time, according to a new study by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York). ..
Nestle Installs Solar System
The Nestle Purina PetCare Co. (St. Louis) is hoping to turn Arizona’s abundant sunshine into a renewable supply of energy for its Flagstaff pet food manufacturing facility...
Experts Question Consumer Confidence
A decline in consumer confidence is often interpreted, with absolute certainty, as a sign that economic activity will drop. But a new report asks whether the consumer confidence index is still the most accurate predictor of real-world purchasing decisions...
Retailers trying to utilize Facebook to promote their businesses run into a conundrum: Retail brands tend to post during traditional work hours, but users are more likely to become engaged with those types of messages on weeknights and weekends, according to a new report by Buddy Media (New York)...
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