On the Shelf.
Categories, velocity, and merchandising — what's moving on specialty shelves and why.
PATS adds grooming sessions for retailers who don't groom
The show partnered with BIGA to run retailer-focused sessions on selling grooming products with confidence.
2 min read · Jul 29
What Do You Actually Get for Ordering Evanger's at SuperZoo Before You See Q2 Sell-Through?
15% off, plus 10% more if you add new SKUs. The timing creates a decision most buyers would rather defer.
3 min read · Jul 29
The Pets Table Took Fresh Dog Food Off the Cold Chain
The Pets Table's new EasyFresh line sits at room temperature, needs no preservatives, and costs less than frozen fresh.
3 min read · Jul 28
Dr. Tim's Renamed Tri-COX and Took Your Shelf Equity With It
Formula improvements are real. The name change traded shelf equity for a cleaner label.
3 min read · Jul 28
The PATS Award Seal Stopped Predicting the Reorder
The trophy gets you the meeting. These four answers decide whether the product stays on your shelf past the first order.
3 min read · Jul 28
In-Flight Dog Grooming Is a Premium Positioning Test, Not a Travel Story
BARK Air partnered with PRIDE+GROOM for in-flight grooming. The halo will not drive your sales, but it shows where premium is splitting.
3 min read · Jul 28
If There's a Petsense Closing Near You, This Is the Window You Actually Have
Tractor Supply is closing 75 Petsense stores. If one's near you, the customers it trained on specialty assortment are now in play.
3 min read · Jul 28
Petco Is Treating Halloween Like a Tentpole. Your Buy Window Moved.
The big-box chain is treating Halloween like a tentpole launch. That moves your buy window whether you like it or not.
3 min read · Jul 28
If You're Reordering Joint Supplements on Autopilot, This Is the Question You're Not Asking
A reformulation is the permission structure to swap out the bottom-third SKUs you've been carrying out of habit.
3 min read · Jul 28
WAUDOG Replaced the Carabiner With a Magnet. Will You Pay for It?
The company says the magnetic buckle is the feature. Your leash wall is where that claim gets tested.
2 min read · Jul 27
Just Because Your Dog Likes It - Doesn't Mean You Should Build It
Who is the last person who told you this was a bad idea???
4 min read · Jul 27
Pets in the Classroom Grants Are Open for the 2026-2027 Year
The program funds classroom pet setups for teachers, which feeds straight into your small animal section.
4 min read · Jul 27
What the 'Coolest Store' Winners Actually Did to Stand Out This Year
Nine stores won. None competed on product assortment. What they built instead is the lesson.
4 min read · Jul 26
NVM Pet's Succession Plan Makes Vendor Stability a Buying Criterion
A planned handoff with internal promotions signals something most pet suppliers lack: a bench.
5 min read · Jul 26
Cabot Greenlit Wave Two of Its Cheese-Themed Dog Toys
When a CPG brand expands a pet licensing deal after launch, someone made a decision on more than PR.
4 min read · Jul 26
Play9's Second National Listing Shows How Unknowns Actually Break Into Specialty
The enrichment brand went from Pets Corner to Jollyes. That path tells you about category timing and the discovery advantage.
5 min read · Jul 25
BetterBone Skipped the US Door Grind and Launched in Four Countries
Most brands grind for years domestically before thinking exports. BetterBone went live in four countries simultaneously.
5 min read · Jul 24
Brightkins Bets $17 Puzzles Can Pull Margin Back From the Treat Wall
A new puzzle lineup takes on enrichment's oldest retail problem: the category sits while treats turn.
6 min read · Jul 24
The Innocent Hound Repackaged Its Range. Do You Reset the Wall?
The brand aligned its complete food with its treat packaging. Does tighter blocking help customers find things, or blur them together?
5 min read · Jul 24
Chile's Specialty Pet Channel Is Losing to Supermarkets, And It's Not Price
48% of Chilean pet owners buy food at supermarkets. The shift isn't price-driven, it's convenience, and US independents should pay attention.
5 min read · Jul 24
Why Most Stores Left Money on the Table During Neighborhood Pet Store Day
Last year's event delivered a 42% sales lift and 36% new customer growth. The numbers set up 2026.
4 min read · Jul 23
The Private-Label Opportunity on the SuperZoo 2026 Floor
Sixty exhibitors at SuperZoo 2026 list themselves as manufacturers or private-label suppliers, and another twelve finished-goods brands quietly run private label on the side. That is 72 potential house-brand partners in one building, three weeks out, and the cheapest sourcing trip an independent retailer will take all year.
6 min read · Jul 23
Pooch & Mutt's Cat Pivot Tests Whether Dog Brand Equity Transfers
Purr & Meow relaunched with new recipes and a two-range architecture. The real test: can dog brand equity crack specialty cat?
5 min read · Jul 23
Atomic Bubbles Came to SuperZoo Arguing for Fewer SKUs
Most brands pitch more SKUs. Atomic Bubbles is bundling bestsellers into tighter footprints, and the impulse rack math is worth watching.
4 min read · Jul 23