The company’s entire cruelty free range of conditioning shampoos and body mists are now the premium dog grooming brand stocked in Pets At Home stores nationwide.

Claire Gavin, Head of Innovation at Pets at Home, said: "I've been speaking with Mark and Jo for a while now and am delighted that, following all the development work that has resulted in the fabulous HOWND brand, we have been able to list the range in our stores.

"We're excited by the performance of the body mists in particular. At Pets at Home we love to work with forward thinking, innovative suppliers like Jo and Mark who have strong beliefs and values. Not only does the ethically produced HOWND range of cruelty free conditioning shampoos and body mists look and smell lovely, their Leaping Bunny certification gives an important and real point of difference that our customers and their dogs love."

This deal with the country’s largest retail chain will help create the necessary capital for HOWND to fund new product development, advancing their ambition of creating ethical products across a variety of pet applications.

“We’re exceptionally pleased to see our conditioning shampoos and body mists positioned in a prime location at Pets At Home. It’s a fantastic way for us to introduce the HOWND brand to thousands of UK dog lovers, and is an important growth milestone,” explains Jo Amit, co-founder of HOWND. 

“As one of only a select few dog grooming brands to be certified by Cruelty Free International, being in Pets At Home gives us a unique opportunity to lead the UK pet industry by example. In order to become certified by the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny programme, companies are required to open their supply chain to monitoring and meet external audit requirements."

HOWND’s range of 250ml conditioning shampoos consists of five products (RRP £9): Playful Pup Conditioning Shampoo, Keep Calm Conditioning Shampoo, Got An Itch? Conditioning Shampoo, Yup You Stink! Conditioning Shampoo, and Golden Oldies Conditioning Shampoo.

In addition, the company’s range of 250ml body mists consists of five products (RRP £9): Playful Pup Body Mist, Keep Calm Body Mist, Got An Itch? Body Mist, Yup You Stink! Body Mist, and Golden Oldies Body Mist.

Pets at Home has promised to pay all its staff the national living wage when the new minimum rates come into force next April.

The pet supplies chain said the introduction of the NLW would cost it an extra £2m to £3m a year.

In a trading update for the 28 week period from March 27 to October 8, the retailer revealed pre-tax profit growth of 11.8% to £45.2m, on revenues of £404.5m, a total growth of 6%

Like-for-like sales grew 1.8%twith EBITDA growth of 5.1% to £60.7m and margin 15%.

During the period, it rolled out an additional six Pets at Home stores, taking the total number of stores to 405.

It added two Barkers stores, the group’s dogs-only store, which it launched last year, bringing the trial format to a total of three, while it also opened 15 vet practices and launched 10 grooming salons.

The retailer’s VIP Club reached 3.9m members, up from 3.2m at the end of FY15.

Its online orders for collection in-store increased to over 45% of total online revenues.

Nick Wood, chief executive, said: “Our core strategic drivers remain strong and I am pleased with the progress we have made in the first half of the year, highlighted by a 13.4 per cent rise in earnings per share.

“Pet services have again grown significantly, benefitting from sustained organic growth in both our vet and grooming businesses, together with encouraging results from the acquisition of our first specialist referral hospital. In Merchandise we continue to lead the market and grow our share in Advanced Nutrition foods.

“We have strengthened the business further through the implementation of our new divisional structure, whilst investment in our colleagues and seamless shopping experience continues to build our competitive and strategic strength.”

Looking forward to next year, the group aims to rollout 20-25 Pets at Home stores, five Barkers , 55-60 grooming salons and 50-55 vet practices.

Symply Canagan's director of sales Aimee Cinderby has earned the title of Sales Representative of the Year in the Pet Industry Awards. This week she reveals to Pet Trade Xtra how she became so good at her job...

How long have you been working in sales?
I have been a sales rep since I was 19. Eighteen years ago my first job was selling Karndean flooring.

How long have you worked in the pet industry?
I joined the pet industry in 2002.

What did you do before joining Simply Canagan?
I sold Nutro for the UK distributor, Premium Pet Foods.

What does this award mean to you?
Winning this award means everything to me. I am extremely passionate about my job, I work so hard every day, I have great relationships with my customers and I feel very proud to be chosen out of all of the sales reps in the pet trade.

What are the secrets of your success?
Always do what you say you're going to do, don't let people down. Be efficient. Answer phone calls and emails at any time of the day or night.

How do you stand out from the crowd?
I am passionate, enthusiastic, extremely self motivated, conscientious and hard working

What's it like to work for Symply Canagan?
I couldn't sell any other brand of pet food. I totally believe in our products and company ethics of supporting the independent pet trade.

Do you own pets yourself?
Yes, I have five dogs (one cocker spaniel and four Dobermanns), seven cats, one cockatiel and a budgie! I love my pets and this also helps my role because I can speak from experience.

How do you top this?
Being recognised for working hard is a fantastic achievement. If it happens again then that would be awesome but I love what I do – going to work each day is a pleasure.

What next for Aimee Cinderby?
I just want to continue to help grow the independent pet trade by doing my job to the best of my abilities. By pet shops selling our brands they are securing their future because we do not supply internet discounters, grocery or national superstore chains.



Aimee receives her Pet Industry Award from actor Brian Blessed and PIF CEO Nigel Baker.

Under the direction of Business Development Director Peter Roy, the appointment of Ann Kathrin Lösenbeck as Export Manager at the end of 2014 enabled Natures Menu to better target new territories and support existing relationships.

The company's raw and natural pet foods are now stocked and sold in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Latvia, Greece, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Croatia. Not forgetting that in September 2014 they opened for business as Natures Menu GmbH in Bremen, Germany, which operates as a direct model of their successful UK business.

“Our export strategy is based on population, GDP and average income per household. Since 2012 we have seen our export business grow from £116k to £1m. This is on target to increase to £3m in 2015/16. Existing export countries Netherlands (17m population), Norway (5.1m), Denmark (5.6m) have grown by 324% this year alone,” says Peter Roy.

“Over this year we will have invested £2m in manufacturing equipment, an £1m in marketing and £250k in business systems which went live in January. This infrastructure investment, along with improvements to company structuring and new staff, has enabled us to work more efficiently and will allow us to manufacture comfortably for the next six years on our current growth rate. It also ensures that we can support growth, meet demand and strengthen developments with our export partners separately to our home turf targets.”

Natures Menu’s Head of Marketing Emily Cannon is currently working on a £40k investment to provide export partners with bespoke digital assets, to support sales and brand awareness in new territories.

“Whilst we are not selling online we appreciate the need to develop an online presence which provides further details on our range of products and advice and guidance on raw feeding. We are currently working on eight new European brochure websites which will be live by Easter 2016."

Natures Menu actively support their export customers through direct contact with those in the business that are responsible for NPD, Marketing, Operations and Specialist Areas i.e. veterinary channels and education.

Emily added: “It is vital that we treat each territory individually so we can fully appreciate the markets and consumer behavior within them. For us to succeed as a brand in new and existing territories we must continue to invest in this approach, and provide the support and materials required."

Bookings for the Sandown Park showpiece are impressive with more than 100 firms having already secured their stand space.

Previous exhibitors have made sure they have re-booked early with top brands like Barking & Meowing Heads, Beaphar, Bern Pet Foods, Burns Pet Nutrition, Ferplast, Flexi, Lennox, Lovejoys, Marriages, Pedigree Wholesale, Royal Canin/James Wellbeloved, Sharples and Grant, Trixie, and Wagg committed to the event.

There will also be host of new and international exhibitors choosing to exhibit their 2016 launches at PATS Sandown. Companies like Kevin Milner Countryside and Shires Equestrian, plus Petitamis, from Italy, and Schulze Heimtierbedarf, from Germany, have confirmed their attendance.

“It’s great to know that the pet industry continues to get right behind PATS Sandown,” said organiser Annie Foord. “Visitors to the show can be assured they will get to see and speak to the leading names in the industry. Early indications point towards lots of new products being launched at the show.”

Rob Harvey Specialist Feeds are returning to PATS after a seven-year absence and are hoping to impress a growing number of pet retailers with their wide range of bird food.

“Over the last four years we have been importing bird related products from all over the world, and because the bird category seems to be a growth area for the pet trade, exhibiting at PATS Sandown seems the sensible option for us. It’s the ideal place for us to showcase our massive range,” says Rob Harvey.

Kevin Milner Countryside is a firm specialising in outdoor photography, which already supplies a number of pet stores with a range of greetings card containing animal images.

“PATS Sandown was recommended to me by a pet store as the best place for the company to present its products to a wider audience,” admits Kevin Milner. “I’m hoping to sign up more pet shops, garden centres and wholesalers to stock our extensive range of greetings cards.”

Dirk Schulze, of Schulze Heimtierbedarf, has signed up to exhibit at PATS Sandown because he believes the UK is the biggest market outside the US for dog and cat products.

“I like the layout of PATS because the organisers make it easy for visitors to check out the latest products, and everything is under one roof,” says Dirk.

One of PATS Sandown’s most popular features is the New Product Showcase, which continues to grow in size each year. All entries in the Showcase will be judged by a panel of pet retailers for the New Product Awards on the first morning of the show. The results will be known and highlighted throughout the halls for the rest of the exhibition.

To help make the visitor experience even more enjoyable and rewarding, both the Surrey and Esher Halls have their own entrances and registration points, with visitors benefitting from free show entry, free parking, a free catalogue and many special offers. There will also be a full programme of free seminars.

To register for free entry to the show and to view the full list of exhibitors visit www.patshow.co.uk

UK retailer interest in the wide-range of AmPet Products has grown impressively over the past year and the trend is set to continue in 2016.

The Nottinghamshire-based company, which introduces innovative products to the UK from leading American suppliers as well as other major countries around the globe, will be seeking out more bestsellers at Global Expo in March.

And AmPet’s sales and marketing director Alex Wilson (pictured above) will also be sourcing new products he can introduce to UK pet shops.

“Over the past few years we’ve secured exclusive UK distributor rights to some fantastic American products and we’re determined to continue this trend in 2016,” says Alex.

With Global taking place in March it will be a busy time for Alex and the AmPet team, who will also be exhibiting at PATS Sandown as well as attending Crufts.

Alex will be hoping to repeat the success of 2015, which has seen the successful introduction of the DOOG range, which includes dog-walking and running belts, collars and leads, treat pouches and bags.

The AKC Calming Coat has been another successful launch this year. The Calming Coat, endorsed by the American Kennel Club, is an easy and cost effective solution in the treatment of dogs and puppies suffering from anxiety.

The Calming Coat uses a hugging technique to relax the dog and works by applying constant, gentle pressure to the animal's torso. Similar to swaddling a newborn baby, gently wrapping a dog in a Calming Coat has a peaceful effect that is beneficial for both the owner and pet.

“We introduced the Calming Coat to the UK at PATS Telford and it created a lot of interest because it’s a very effective alternative to other anxiety shirts on the market,” says Alex.

The Nose-It K-9 Pet Ball, a slow feeder and treat dispenser from American distributors RB Animal Health, also created a lot of interest at PATS Telford.

“It’s certainly been a busy time for AmPet Products,” adds Alex. “But all the hard work is worth it when our new launches become bestsellers in the UK.

“Pet retailers can be certain that we’ll be working even harder to introduce  more fantastic products in 2016.”

If you’re interested in stocking products from AmPet contact Alex Wilson or Debbie Fitton on 0330 088 1673, email info@ampet.dog or view the range at www.ampet.dog.

Claire Gavin, Head of Innovation & Brands at Pets at Home, said: "We thoroughly enjoyed PIF’s Meet the Buyer event and picked up some really good new leads as a result.  Our industry has a lot of amazing people and many great characters in it and getting to spend time with many of them was fabulous."

Rebecca Davies, from J R Pet Products, said: "An invaluable opportunity to meet manufacturers and buyers from both the UK and Europe. The networking possibilities are endless - one not to be missed!"

Scott Charnock, from Igloo Pets Ltd, added: "This was the perfect relaxed forum for having the buyers’ undivided attention and extremely good quality conversations, without struggling to try and get appointments."

Nigel Baker, PIF CEO, summed up the mood, saying: "PIF’s ‘Meet the Buyers’ event showed just how dynamic and exciting the UK pet industry is. With so many different products on show and a range of buyers keen to pick up new and innovative products for their stores, the buzz in the room was palpable.

"The feedback received has been extremely positive with both manufacturers and buyers getting so much from this concentrated afternoon of business-making. We had a waiting list of manufacturers who had hoped to attend this year, so we are already looking ahead and planning for 2016."

For further details, visit www.petfederation.co.uk

• Honey the cat – was blasted in the face with a marble-sized metal ball-bearing
• Ozzy the cat – lost his leg after being attacked by a dog
• Penny the Pointer – lived to tell the tale after a 50mph collision with a lorry
• Ruby the kitten – suffered severe chemical burns to her head and back
• Suki the Miniature Schnauzer – was left with prolapsed intestines after a dog attack
• Ziggy the Staffie – survived being shot through the head with a crossbow

PDSA Pet Survivor 2015 – meet the six finalists

CVC, the private equity giant that owns Formula One, has agreed a deal with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) to buy US pet supplies retailer Petco for $4.6bn (£3.04bn).

CVC will jointly aquire the company, which is the second largest petcare supplier in the US, from a group of investors led by TPG and Leonard Green & Partners.

An earlier merger bid from US market leader PetSmart stalled last month thanks to competition and antitrust concerns.

James Myers, Petco’s chief executive, said: "As the North American pet industry continues to grow, Petco is well positioned with a strong brand, differentiated engagement model, and omnichannel strategy.

"Both CVC and CPPIB have outstanding track records and deep retail experience and resources that will help support our growth initiatives."

The deal is expected to close early next year.

“Petco is clearly a leader in the industry, with strong further growth potential and a talented leadership team,” said Chris Stadler, CVC managing partner. “The pet category is a growing and dynamic space within which we believe Petco is ideally positioned to enhance its leadership position.”

Pet Trade Solutions founder Lynda Ward says that job candidates need to ensure their CVs are short, sweet and succinct.

Lynda, who utilises her 30 years’ experience in the trade for dedicated recruitment and marketing solutions, says: “Whilst it’s understandable that people want to include as much information as possible, pages and pages of material are quite simply a turn-off to staff-seekers.

"In today’s fast-paced world a shop window needs to grab the attention of passers-by...and that’s exactly what a CV should do - grab attention and display its ‘wares’ attractively in an easy to assimilate way.” 

Lynda’s top tips:

• Keep the CV to two pages
• Tailor it specifically to the role applied for
• List achievements as bullet-points
• Elaborate most on the responsibilities of relevant roles

She concludes with this top tip: “Take a leaf from EU and USA candidates and include a good head and shoulders photo – they do so as a matter of course.”

Lynda is always happy to personally advise on any aspects of recruitment and marketing strategy and can be contacted on 07946 743784 or at lyndaward@pettradesolutions.com

Specialist dog food company CSJ has agreed to sponsor Meirion Owen and his unique Quack Pack.

Meirion is an accomplished and well-respected sheepdog handler, judge and event organizer and his Quack Pack provides hilariously entertaining duck herding demonstrations for the general public and corporate clients. 

The Quack Pack team of Border Collies and comical Indian Runner ducks provide entertaining, educational and interactive displays at local, regional and national shows, as well as private events.

Meirion's duck herding demonstrations are designed to showcase the amazing talents of Border Collies and the communication between handler and dog.

He provides his own humorous commentary as he uses a combination of commands to guide his dogs and cooperative (and sometimes uncooperative) Indian Runner ducks around a course that includes tunnels, slides and pens.

Watch Meirion’s demonstrations and you will be amazed at the wisdom of the Quack Pack Border Collies and experience first-hand what "Come Bye," "Away," "Walk" and "Stand" mean to a Border Collie.



Indian Runner Ducks are used for the Quack Pack. These are an extraordinary looking duck with quite short legs and a tall, upright body - much like a penguin. They can be up to 14” tall and can weigh around 3 to 5 lbs. As their name suggests, they run rather than waddle.

The Quack Pack Indian Runner Ducks have instant appeal as they are very social, comical, daring, have endless amounts of energy, and are eager to please in every performance.

CSJ’s Ceri Rundle says: “We know Meirion well and are delighted to be able to support such a fun, popular and innovative activity which showcases Meirion’s skills as a handler and the Border Collie breed’s superlative capabilities.”

For more information contact meirion.owen@virgin.net, call 01267 290282 or visit www.csjk9.com