Visitor attendance was slightly down by 3% to 1,917 – compared to 1,969 last year – but it didn’t stop suppliers and retailers from experiencing a highly successful two days of business activity at PATS Harrogate.

News of the event moving to Telford International Centre in 2015 was revealed at Harrogate but the main focus of attention was on the impressive number of new products being launched at the show.

A record number of products (270) were entered into the New Product Showcase, and retailers admitted that they were spoiled for choice as they decided on which items to stock in their stores next year.

The Nerf Dog stand staged by Hagen created an enormous amount of interest at the show. “PATS has been a great place to get this exciting brand in front of retailers,” said Paul Trott. “We even had one visitor who said he had travelled to the show solely to see the new Nerf range. It has been a great success.”

One of the busiest stands at PATS Harrogate was Gor Pets, who were launching lots of new products. “We produced a really glossy catalogue before the show and it helped to attract people to our stand,” said Bill Gor. “PATS allows us to meet our customers face to face, and provides visitors with a great opportunity to touch the products, giving them confidence to place orders in the future.”

Pet Munchies was another company launching an exciting new range of products in the form of their Premium Wild Salmon treats. “The reaction has been overwhelming and we’ve had lots of compliments, especially from international buyers,” said Suzanne Rothman. “We love PATS because of the networking opportunities, and we always take on board comments from buyers and distributors.”

Hill’s Pet Nutrition were pre-launching their Science Plan Perfect Weight range at the show, and Matthew Timmins said it had created a lot of interest. “The product is targeted at overweight dogs and this is a big issue at the moment. Lot of retailers were eager to find out more about the product and from the reaction we received I think it will be a big seller for us.’

And Charlotte Nash from Precious Pets London said: “In the past PATS has been fantastic for building awareness of the brand and for establishing new business relationships. This show has continued on that theme and interest in our product has been fantastic.”

For Armstrong Richardson their show offers worked really well, and Lucy Tait, who handles sales and marketing for the company, said it had received lots of interest in their new Hutton Mill range. Lucy added that the North Yorkshire-based company were looking forward to an even bigger and better show at Telford next year and might even take a stand at Sandown for the first time.

Katie Goldsmith, from Collarways, was another exhibitor who was particularly looking forward to next year’s September show after another busy and productive event. “The timing of the Autumn exhibition is perfect for a lot of our products because they sell well during the run up to Christmas.”

Visitors to the show were impressed with the new products showcased during the past two days of Harrogate.

Piers Smart from Scampers in Cambridgeshire said: “I only intended to stay for one day but had to come back for the second because of the amount of new things I wanted to see. Another great show for retailers.”

And Hannah Edmondson of Trusty Pets, Derby, added: “It has been great seeing all the products being launched – there seems to be more than ever this year.”

The Pet Shop at Ripon commented: “We’ve had a great time and there has been loads to see. We could have stayed for a lot longer.

And Joan Emerson, from Emersons Pet Centre in the North-East, said: “We love PATS because it’s a chance to meet other people in the trade and also to maximise all the show deals. It’s a bigger show than previous years, we’ve really enjoyed it.”

Another visitor retailer attracted by the new products was David Hertwig of Pet Needs & Feeds. “I’m always eager to find out what’s new in the market, and PATS offers that opportunity.”

Dates for next year’s PATS

PATS Sandown: March 17-18, 2015

PATS Telford: September 27-28, 2015