This year Glee will be home to its strongest pet contingent for many years. From the PetQuip Business Village that has doubled in size, to the wealth of UK and international exhibitors and the newly introduced Buyer Connect event, pet buyers and garden retailers will be spoilt for choice.
With a recent report suggesting that 70% of UK garden centres now feature a dedicated pet care section, it is clear that the UK’s love for their pets shows no sign of slowing. In fact, total spending on pet care in the UK reached a record high of around £5.08bn last year as the role of the ‘pet’ continues to evolve into something beyond a secondary addition to the family, to an integral part of the family unit.
Garden centres are well positioned to take full advantage of this market potential - there has never been a more exciting time for pet product suppliers to greatly expand their stockists and market visibility.
This year Glee will provide the widest range of profit-boosting products, advice and ideas that businesses need to stay ahead and capitalise on this ever-expanding sector. Visitors to Glee – including the vastly expanded PetQuip Business Village - should look out for a host of big name brands and niche suppliers from both the UK and international markets, as well as exclusive show offers and innovative products across the food, accessories, bedding, and fashion sectors.
Matthew Mein, Glee’s Event Director said: “We have invested a lot into our pet offering in 2017 and can assure the market that we have taken great strides in creating something unlike anything we have offered previously. Pet products is a huge part of garden retailing and we wanted this reflected in what we offer to the market. From an exciting collection of exhibitors to business support, pet buyers at Glee will be able to arm themselves with everything they need to build profits throughout the 2018 season and beyond.”
The shop window for pet retail
Pet food, treats and complementary foods, by far the largest segment of the UK pet sector, will be well represented at the show, with extensive ranges from currently confirmed exhibitors such as Burgess Pet Foods, GA Pet Food Partners, Supreme Petfoods Ltd, Carnilove, The Dog Treat Company, TDHGroup (Pet Cuisine), Feelwells, and The Barking Bakery.
Pet accessories also represent a huge area of growth for garden retailers as consumers look for new ways to treat their pets. From dog leads and harnesses to pet beds and cages, Glee has it all from leading exhibitor such as PetFace, Unipet, Scruffs, Trilanco, Group 55, Aristocrats, Loving Pet Products, PacDog, Pet Rebellion, Pet’s Up Products, PetMaxi and many more.
The PetQuip Business Village at Glee 2017 – bigger than ever before
Introduced in 2015, the PetQuip Business Village is designed to offer pet suppliers wanting to build their presence within garden retailers, a platform to launch and showcase their latest ranges. This year the area has doubled in size, providing more space for suppliers to showcase their pet ranges to garden retailers.
Open to both PetQuip members and non-members, the Business Village will make its home at the heart of Glee, bringing together pet brands with garden retail buyers and key decision makers. Led by PetQuip - the UK’s leading trade association for suppliers of pet products, accessories and services – the ‘village’ is set to welcome even more pet suppliers in 2017.
Pat Flynn, Trade Association Manager at PetQuip said: “The garden centre market offers great potential growth for pet suppliers. Garden centres usually have a larger footprint than most High Street independents, which aids effective product displays, and also being able to supply a wider range of products instore. Customer loyalty and repeat visitors are the cornerstone of garden centre business, and pet ranges – especially pet food – is a proven way of achieving this, offering profitability for both the retailer and the supplier.
Pet Buyers Connect
For the first time Glee 2017 will be introducing a special pet focused Buyers Connect networking event. These special 10-minute speed networking sessions taking place throughout the show within the PetQuip Business Village, will place pet suppliers directly in front of buyers from key garden retailers. These retailers are actively looking for new and innovative pet product suppliers, and for many Buyers Connect will be the place where long-term and profitable relationships are forged.
So much to see
As well as leading brands and specialist pet care suppliers Glee will be home to a wide range of visitor attractions and events that will showcase the best the industry has to offer.
