A record number of visitors attended this year’s PATS Sandown, making it the biggest and busiest show in the event’s six-year history at the venue.

A total of 1,903 retailers visited the show, representing an increase of 3% on the number who attended PATS Sandown 2014.

The feeling from more than 160 companies exhibiting was very positive, and this year’s show proved to be a real boost for the pet industry.

Suzanne Rothman, of Pet Munchies, summed up the feeling by saying: “This show has exceeded all my expectations and we’ve had a tremendous response from visitors to our stand. We took more orders by 2pm on the first day than we did at Harrogate last September, which had previously been our best PATS. There has been a constant buzz throughout the exhibition.”

And Charlotte Nash from Precious Pets London said: “PATS has been fantastic for building awareness of the brand and for establishing new business relationships. We couldn't have asked for more from the show or its organisers.”

“We are absolutely delighted and honoured to have been awarded the PATS Best New Grooming Product Award 2014. We stand for British, naturally derived products that look and smell fantastic.”

PATS Sandown newcomer Christies Direct from Northern Ireland was impressed with the quality of visitors to the exhibition, with Colin Christie adding: “We used the show to launch our PetCare Flea & Tick Treatment and the response has been amazing. Winning a New Product Award certainly helped in creating lots of awareness.”

Austrian company Petwalk Solutions were another company exhibiting at Sandown for the first time, using the event to showcase their automatic door for cats. Beate Umile commented: “This show gave us an excellent opportunity to enter the UK market. We wanted to promote our product to retailers and begin discussions with potential partners, and we have achieved our goal and more.”

Another Sandown first-timer Natural Pet Treats from Rochdale in Greater Manchester used PATS to broaden their customer base in the South, and were extremely pleased with the result. Julie Matthews admitted they had achieved their goals, adding: “It has been really useful and we have picked some really good leads.”

And visitors were happy too. Kathy and Katie Carter, from Wagtastic in Canterbury, said: “PATS is everything we expected and more. There are great displays around the whole show, everyone is really friendly and the show has a great feel. This is our first visit and we’ve had a great time. We’ll definitely come again next year.”

Kelly Murfet, of Doggie Delights, was impressed with all the new products and show offers. “I’m always looking for innovations in the market and this is the place to see them. It’s great to meet manufacturers and suppliers face to face and be able to talk to them at length.”

And Dave Payne, of Wolvens Store, “This is my third visit to PATS and I’m always looking for new things that catch my eye. The show has been great seeing the best products under one roof.”

The final word goes to Ben Williams, the pet and aquatic buyer for the Garden & Leisure Group of garden centres, who said: “I’ve attended every PATS show since the beginning and this is the busiest it’s ever been.”

The superlatives flowed thick and fast as PATS Sandown closed on a spectacular high with visitors and exhibitors agreeing the show has been a huge success.

The packed halls created an atmosphere of buzzing optimism and the exhibitor stands were a hive of activity on both days.

The optimistic mood was summed up by Carina Evans of Dog Rocks, who said:  “There has been a real buzz throughout the exhibition halls. PATS is THE place to meet retailers, who are my bread and butter. I love meeting and speaking to them, and this is the best show to do that.”

Lafeber International were making their debut at PATS and the company’s Lorraine Strachan admitted the show had exceeded her expectations. “Being our first exhibition I wasn’t sure what to expect but the response by visitors to our stand has been excellent. I didn’t think our opening day could get any better but it did when we won the New Bird Product Awards with our Pellet Berries.”

Another award winner was Anco Distributors, who won the Dog Food and Treats category with their FarmFood Deerhide product. “A lot of time and effort goes into launching new products and it’s a real team effort. So when you get recognition from the industry it creates a big buzz within the company. We’ve also been very busy on the stand, so it has been a good day all round.”

Many exhibitors were pleased with the number of international visitors to their stands, with buyers coming from Spain, Holland, Cyprus, South Africa and Australia.

Bill Gora, a director of Gor Pets, said: “We’ve been really surprised by the response from overseas. A company from Spain were really interested in our Highland range of pet beds – it came right out of the blue.”

And the introduction of Ideal Balance from Hill’s Pet Nutrition drew both UK and international visitors to their stand, with Matt Timmons saying: “PATS is the ideal launchpad for new products. The response has been amazing.”

More overseas buyers are seeing PATS Sandown as the place to see new products and ideas.

David Guedea, of Affinity Petcare in Spain, said he’d made the two-day trip to discover new trends in the market, and admitted he was pleased to have seen so many British-made products that would work well in his country.

Jeroen Rikkers,  International Pet Netherlands, visited the show to find exclusive products. “It’s our first visit and we really liked the quality of products on display and the quantity time given by the exhibitors.  PATS and Zoomark have the reputation of being high quality shows and we are not disappointed.”

UK retail visitors were also delighted with what they saw on the first day of PATS, especially the huge amount of new and innovative products.

Fiona Bradley, of Miller & Bradley, said: “This is my first time visiting the show.  It’s great to see so many products on display, of such high quality and value for money. It’s a well laid out show, and everything is easy to see. I was also really impressed with the seminar content.”

Chris Le Saint, of The Pet Cabin, Jersey, added: “It’s a good opportunity to see what’s new in the market and meet up with sales reps. The offers at PATS are particularly good this year.”

Ideal Balance is an exciting new brand of canine and feline petfood from Hill’s and their biggest brand launch since Science Plan broke the mould in 1968. Until now, there has been no petfood brand which fully captures the potential of ‘natural’ while also offering advanced nutrition credentials. This is a tremendous opportunity to give your customers exactly what they want.

With Ideal Balance, there’s no need for pet owners to compromise on nutrition or their desire for fresh, natural ingredients. With fresh chicken as the first ingredient, it’s a brand that appeals to both the head and the heart and it occupies a new and exciting space in the petfood category.

Sales of natural petfood brands are growing from strength to strength, making it a trend that retailers cannot afford to ignore. And humanisation of petfoods is another strong driver: we want our pets to eat food of the same quality that we do.

Hill’s is perfectly positioned to combine this drive for high quality, wholesome and healthy ingredients with nutritional excellence that avoids nutrient deficiencies and excesses. Nutritional expertise and an ingrained rigorous approach to quality, means Ideal Balance is a brand that will deliver in every respect.

With brown rice as the main carbohydrate source, the range contains no wheat, maize or soy and ingredients like apples and flax seed feature in the nutritious recipe.  All of this and the attractive ‘fresh meat first’ proposition too!

Again picking up on humanisation of petfoods as a major influence on consumers’ purchasing habits, Ideal Balance ‘No Grain’ dry is a show-stopping option within the range. As well as being the ideal choice for pets with individual dietary requirements, ‘No Grain’ will resonate with consumers that demand cereal-free recipes. 

So if Hill’s has hit the shoppers’ sweet spot with fresh meat first, naturals, no grain and three flavours in the canned product, how excited should retailer be about the profit potential? Priced to reflect a high-end premium proposition, Ideal Balance* starts at £4.99 for 700 gram Canine dry (or £5.49 for the ‘No Grain’ option) and £3.89 for 300 gram Feline dry (£4.29 for No Grain). 

Avoid the rush and take advantage of your ‘heard it first status’: pre-order by calling Barry (01923 814539) or Helen (01923 814596) in our telesales team.

*Retail selling prices are recommendations only and there is no obligation on the customer/retailer to comply with these recommendations

The winners of the PATS Sandown 2014 New Product Awards have been announced by Show Director Gordon Thomas.

A team of expert pet retail judges, who arrived at the show before 8am on Tuesday have selected the winners of the PATS Sandown 2014 New Product Awards from more than 240 new products entered – a PATS Sandown record.

Their decisions were made taking into account a number of guideline criteria such as product innovation, design, quality, packaging and value for money.

The judges agreed that the New Product Showcase had produced a high calibre of entries with a tremendous amount of innovation. They were pleased to see such a wide range of products, and felt the majority of items on display were reasonably priced in today’s challenging economic times.

Here is a full list of the winners, see seperate stories for more pictures and the judges comments.

CAT PRODUCT

Winner

ACANA Wild Prairie Cat food

Entered by: Bern Pet Foods

Highly Commended

Wagg ‘prrrs

Entered by: Wagg Pet Food

DOG FOOD AND TREATS

Winner

Farm Food Deerhide

Entered by: Anco Distributors

Highly Commended

Lovejoys Pure & Simple

Entered by: Lovejoys

DOG ACCESSORY PRODUCT

Winner

Wildknots Bear for Dogs

Entered by: KONG

Highly commended

The EASY-TIE

Entered by: Happy Paws

BIRD PRODUCT

Winner

Pellet Berries

Entered by: Lafeber Company

Highly Commended

Kelp Care Sprinkles for Poultry

Entered by: Seahorse Atlantic


SMALL ANIMAL PRODUCT

Winner

Qute Hamster House

Entered by: Omlet - Surrey Hall K12

Highly Commended

Burgess Excel Bedding & Litter

Entered by: Burgess Pet Care

PET CARE PRODUCT

Winner

PetCare Flea & Tick Laundry Treatment

Entered by: Christies Global

GROOMING PRODUCT

Winner

Luxury Conditioning Dog Shampoos

Entered by: Precious Pets London

Highly Commended

Anti-Bacterial/Anti-Itch Shampoo

Entered by: Aqueos

The Pet Centre in Minehead has been voted Shop of the Year by the Pet Product Retail Association and owner Peter Dimambro received the award at PATS Sandown.

The winner’s business was established over 30 years ago, with Peter taking over 20 years ago. This business offers customers excellent nutritional information, it runs a fat clinic for the more portly pet. It sells small furries, reptiles, fish and birds, with all food products available including cats and dogs, and specialised advice on medicine. 

Comments about the Pet Centre include: “This shop is extremely friendly, and offers very knowledgeable advice and information,”  and “They have a fabulous reputation with their customers, offering an excellent range of products.” 

Peter received the award from Janine Tozer from Not Just Pets in Bath.

Symply Pet Foods has been voted Supplier of the Year by members of the Pet Product Retail Association with the company's Eddie Milbourne receiving the award from Janine Tozer, of Not Just Pets, of PATS Sandown.

The members have chosen a company that offers 100% natural, wholesome ingredients for a healthier, happier pet and that are free from artificial colourings, flavourings and preservative.

Symply say that less feed is required due to the quality levels in their feeds. Being high in omega 6 and 3 maintains a healthy skin and a shiny coat.

They have the added bonus of a high meat content for strong muscle growth, and also offering a great taste, thus ensuring even the fussiest eater a taste they will love, and the kibble can also be helpful in keeping the teeth cleaner.

Symply are so confident in their products, they offer a 100% money back guarantee. 

Comments included: “Excellent food, and an excellent company” and “Easy to deal with, good products, and helpful to retailers”

PPRA asked members to choose their best product for 2014, using the criteria of design, durability, innovation and presentation, and they voted for Soopa Dog Chews. Barbara Hanly received the award at PATS Sandown.

Soopa Dog Chews were born from a concern about how many dogs were suffering from commercial food related illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, chronic itching, skin allergies an on some occasions even death.

The product has generated a buzz via online word of mouth, blogs, facebook and twitter, with retailers being really impressed by the quality of the products available.

Dogs just love the chewiness of rawhide and the juicy freshness of fruit and vegetables.

The chews are bursting with vitamins and minerals, thus not only providing dogs with one of their five a day but they also help to support healthy gums and teeth.

Barbara received the award from Not Just Pets' Janine Tozer.

PPRA members were asked to name a supplier’s representative who they really rated for their service, follow up and attention to detail, and they chose Liz Burgess from Arden Grange...

Liz apparently is super efficient,(a comment made by all who nominated her), she is also amenable, does exactly what she should to be an excellent representative of her company and their products.

Everyone seems to like her, she has built quality relationships with her retailers, and it is a joy to work with her.

Arden Grange have managed to scoop several PPRA Awards over the last few years, so it is good to see them back into winning ways.

Liz received her award at PATS Sandown from Janine Tozer from Not Just Pets.

Tetra has added Tetra FreshDelica Krill to its range of FreshDelica high quality treat foods. Retailers and fishkeepers can now choose from a range of four FreshDelice foods – Krill, Bloodworm, Brine Shrimp and Daphnia.

Alex Hinton, Trade Marketing Manager at Tetra UK comments: “FreshDelica is an increasingly popular fresh treat food for fishkeepers who are looking for a cleaner, more convenient solution to feeding fresh treat food.  The product doesn’t require refrigeration or freezing so they are easy for retailers to stock and simple for fishkeepers to feed. 

"Treat foods is a growing sector across the entire pet sector as owners choose to treat their pets in the way they would themselves.  Quality is therefore important and FreshDelica offers both quality and convenience.”

FreshDelica offers variety to a staple diet, feeding every few days. 

The range is suitable for freshwater and marine fish. 

For further information contact Tetra on 023 80 60 60 70 or go to www.tetra.net.

The Pet Industry Federation (PIF) has announced details of a unique package of membership benefits designed to support its member businesses and help them keep one step ahead of the rest.

Launched in association with top UK law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys, leading business and tax advisers Chantrey Vellacott,  and specialist scheme and affinity insurance brokers Jelf , the new range of benefits allows PIF members to access a wide range of valuable and practical business support. This package of legal services and protection, accountancy expertise and HR advice will help our members cut through the burden of compliance and regulation and concentrate on what they are best at: running their businesses.

The package will be enhanced further in April with the launch of a range of highly competitive and tailored insurance policies to protect pet business owners and their employees, along with personal health schemes and access to the latest pensions advice.

The new package includes:

• Discounted legal advice for business, and their families and employees
• Discounted Human Resource advisory services
• REACT -  A 24/7 regulatory legal helpline
• Regular legal updates and news
• Legal fact sheets and FAQs
• Downloadable FREE standard legal documents
• Downloadable DISCOUNTED legal documents
• Access to audit, tax and financial advice all year round
• Information and documentation on accountancy issues specific to your business
• Advice to businesses in difficult or challenging financial situations

Announcing the new package of benefits PIF CEO, Nigel Baker, said: ‘What pet business does not wish to tap into the most up-to-date advice on a wide range of legal and regulatory issues, access cutting-edge business support and get hold of excellent insurance rates?

"This new package enhances our existing range of membership discounts and benefits, and now means that PIF membership offers pet businesses one of the most comprehensive ranges of member support services available today.

"We are delighted to be launching the first of this new wave of benefits for PIF members and are grateful for the work that our affinity partners have undertaken to develop these excellent membership offerings.’

PIF currently has nearly 1500 member businesses within its five individual associations, ranging from large nationwide companies and franchises to micro-businesses and includes all types of professional pet business, for example pet retailers, food and product manufacturers, dog groomers and boarding establishments. All members are eligible to access the new member benefits.

The new package is in addition to the benefits currently on offer to PIF members, including discounts at events and for industry-leading qualifications; access to competitive credit card rates and commercial legal protection.

Further information can be found in the membership section at www.petfederation.co.uk

Ancol director Simon Lane and head of buying, Richard Whitehouse, are getting ready to run the London Marathon in April to raise money for Anthony Nolan, the UK’s blood cancer charity and bone marrow register, which saves the lives of hundreds of cancer patients every year.

Anthony Nolan is a special charity to the Lane family as they helped to save the life of Simon’s son, William. “In 2007, my beautiful son William, who was only four years old at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia” explains Simon. “Thanks to Anthony Nolan, we found a bone marrow donor for William and he is now a healthy nine year old.”

Already Simon and Richard are delighted to have raised more than £1,500 but are keen to raise as much as possible to help more people benefit from a lifesaving transplant.

Mary Campbell, Head of Events at Anthony Nolan, said: “We’re delighted that Simon and Richard are part of our marathon team. Mile by mile, they will be running to save the lives of more people like William. The funds they have already raised will help us to recruit 10,000 potential bone marrow donors to the Anthony Nolan register – for someone with blood cancer, that’s 10,000 more chances of a cure.”

“Anthony Nolan helped our family beyond words” adds Simon, “My brother Jonathan donated bone marrow for Anthony Nolan last year so it feels great that I am able to do something in return. Please sponsor us if you can - any amount you are able to spare would be great. Thank you.”

To donate, visit Ancol’s fundraising page at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/ancol

For more information on Anthony Nolan visit www.anthonynolan.org

Pictured above: Richard (left) and Simon in training for the marathon.

The team at King British like to generate a bit of in-store theatre and they're describing the ‘Treats at 2’ promotion as an aquatic retail phenomenon...

King British Fish Treats are fun, healthy and suitable for all types of aquarium fish. The little compressed discs of fish food can be stuck to glass on the inside of an aquarium to attract fish. Children and fish lovers will adore the spectacular "feeding frenzy" which can ensue, often bringing even the shyest fish to the front of the tank and providing the perfect opportunity to health check fish.

Whilst the treats actually speak for themselves, King British have also created some fabulous new eye-catching packaging for our goldfish, tropical and variety versions which are now available in stay-fresh, re-sealable bags. Each packet contains approx 70 treats.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the team have also enhanced the exciting ‘Treats at 2’ promotion to help retailers develop footfall and sales. It’s as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Stock up on the exciting range of King British Fish Treats in their wonderful new packaging.
2. Order the POS unit that has been designed to hold the treats and tell customers all about the ‘Treats at 2’ concept.
3. At 2pm, turn your display tanks into pure aquatic theatre by popping a tablet treat on the inside of the tank glass – the fish go mad for it!

 Families and fish lovers adore watching the feeding frenzy – and can’t help telling their friends. It all adds up to fun, footfall and financial reward.

 To find out more or to schedule an aquatics training session with a local Sales Executive, call 01440 714700 or email hello@kingbritish.co.uk

Dog welfare crisis looms as lifestyle changes, a lack of training and time are revealed to be the main reasons dogs are rehomed=

• Over 50% of dogs given up for rehoming are given up by women, compared to 17% by men and 27% by couples who made the decision jointly
• Dogs given as Christmas presents still having an impact on rehoming as January is the busiest month for Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations
• Almost half of owners giving up a dog arranged for their dog to be collected rather than dropping them off themselves
• Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations rehomed over 20,000 dogs in 2013,  more than Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home combined

Dog owners’ lack of research before buying is resulting in tens of thousands of dogs being rehomed each year the Kennel Club warns, as new research revealed women aged between 35-44 are more likely to give their dogs away to be rehomed than their male counterparts, with some 17% of dogs being rehomed by male owners.

The Kennel Club, the UK’s largest organisation dedicated to the health and welfare of dogs, also revealed lifestyle changes, a lack of training, and time to adequately look after the family pet are the main reasons why dogs are rehomed.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “People really need to explore their reasons for wanting a dog in the first place, do the research properly and invest time into training their dog. We are seeing an increasing number of owners being driven by celebrity trends in choice of dog breed, such as the French Bulldog, owned by Millie Mackintosh, Jessie J and Jonathan Ross.  

“Every year dogs are abandoned or given up when the novelty wears off. Dogs are a lifelong commitment and anyone considering getting a pet needs to be sure that they will be able to properly care for the animal for the rest of its life.”

Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations last year rehomed over 20,000 dogs, according to a survey of 329 breed rescues, more than two of the UK’s largest dog rescue organisations combined. January was revealed to be the busiest month, highlighting the impact of many families being unprepared for getting a dog and potentially still purchasing them as a Christmas gift, despite advice to the contrary. More than one in three breed rescue organisations reported an increase of dogs needing to be rehomed compared with 2012.

Caroline continued: “Although not as well-known as other organisations, Kennel Club Breed Rescues work incredibly hard to support their breed. They are set up and run by people passionate about dogs and their particular breed in particular. There is a breed rescue organisation for almost every one of the 212 breeds of pedigree dog in the UK, and more than one in three of the breed rescue organisations also accept crossbreeds as well as pedigrees.

“Breed rescue is a fantastic place to consider when looking for a dog. The expert staff and volunteers will often know the full history of the dogs in their care and provide you with invaluable knowledge on the breed and tips for caring for individual dogs to make sure the dogs find a family for life.”

Visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/findarescuedog  to find a Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisation near you.