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. But more than this, the statistic shows that pet care sales still have room to grow within the garden centre market, offering pet product suppliers the potential to greatly expand their stockists and market visibility.
Garden industry trade event Glee, to be held September 11-13 at the NEC in Birmingham, aims to offer pet care suppliers the very best opportunity to communicate with garden centre buyers. Glee provides access to 99% of garden centre trade association members, but it also offers pet suppliers the opportunity to make contact with wider retailers such as department stores, supermarkets and online outlets – all interested in sourcing the latest pet care innovations.
Glee event director Matthew Mein said: “Pet care suppliers who exhibit at Glee are in a unique position. Not only can they communicate with pet retailers who visit the show, but they can access a world of cross-over selling opportunity with garden centre buyers from the UK and abroad. No other pet trade show can deliver such a varied audience, which is especially important when you look at the ongoing growth and future potential of pet care sales with the garden retail sector.
“Whilst 70% of garden centres currently benefit from a dedicated pet care section, it is likely that this number will grow significantly over the next few years. The fact that Glee captures an audience across all UK garden centres and garden centre buying groups – not to mention top name multiple, high street and on-line retailers – means that pet care suppliers can have direct access to the key decision makers that could help take their business to the next level.”
Join the PetQuip Business Village
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.
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.
PetQuip trade association manager Pat Flynn commented: “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 is also 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 suppliers exhibiting in the PetQuip Business Village at Glee can benefit from a variety of unique opportunities. Firstly, the brand exposure to a captive audience of garden retailers. Secondly, they can tap into PetQuip’s expertise, including everything from ‘who’s who’ amongst retailers, to accessing the ongoing promotional activity prior to and during the show. We also contact overseas buyers, inviting them to visit exhibitors in our area and offering them the services of the international Buyers Centre at the same time.”
