The Pet Industry Federation has announced details of an export seminar and store tours taking place in the US on Tuesday 3 March, on the eve of Global Pet Expo in Florida, for UK pet industry manufacturers looking to begin exporting to the US.

PIF’s US export partner, SMD Group LLC, is organising the seminar, which will be delivered by their MD, Shawn Dooley (pictured) – an expert in helping businesses successfully access the USA market.

The seminar is entitled: ‘The USA Pet Market and Opportunities to Export’ and will take place from 6pm-8pm allowing visitors to the show to attend the seminar, as well as those setting up stands.

The seminar will cover topics such as: the size of the US market, the various routes from manufacturer to the consumer, brand strategies used by US manufacturers; comparing Petco and Petsmart; making the most of trade shows, plus much more.

Prior to the seminar, SMD Group will be leading two store tours to a full range of pet retail outlets , including independent pet stores, a regional pet chain, Petco and/or Petsmart, a grocery store and a mass merchandiser.  The store tour will highlight the variation in the size and the range of the assortment depending on the sales channel.  It will also show the different brands and sizes that are featured in each type of retailer.

The cost of the seminar is $199 per person, and a reduced PIF member only rate of $20 per person for the store tour (normally $49).

Further details are available from our export pages on the PIF website. If you are interested in taking part in these seminars, contact Alexandra Baker on 01234 224507; alexandra.baker@petfederation.co.uk for further details or to register your interest.