What Was New at SUPERZOO?

“They came. They saw. They conquered.” This was how the World Pet Association (WPA) summed up SUPERZOO 2024, and aptly so. More than 22,000 attendees made this year’s pet industry event a record-breaking experience, and it certainly showed on the bustling 334,000-square-foot show floor, where over 1,100 exhibitors hailing from 79 countries around the world gathered to show off their latest innovations, network, and learn.

“The energy on the show floor was electric, with new trends like advanced pet nutrition and cutting-edge pet care technology taking center stage,” commented Mike Karsting, Senior Vice President of the WPA.

At the BSM Partners booth, curious conventioneers got their paws on free goodies and expertly applied temporary tattoos that demonstrated our company values. Our exclusive event on day two of the show attracted more than 150 industry professionals to hear about our latest investments and insights. We even introduced a comprehensive rebrand of our podcast—Barking Mad— and teased a cutting-edge new platform—BSM Aperture—that will revolutionize the way we view, predict, and act on trends across the industry.

We would be remiss, however, to let SUPERZOO slip by without commenting on the biggest trends we saw at this year’s pet industry show. So, without further ado, let’s pull back the curtain on new and exciting innovations and what they mean for the future of this evolving sector.

For Pets, or Pet Parents?

One could argue the entire pet category, humanized as it is today, speaks as much to the demands of pet owners as it does to those of pets themselves. For one, dogs and cats can’t speak our human languages, so it’s up to us to advocate for what we think they want and need. However, this trend of humanization has accelerated the launch of products that truly cater to pet parents’ lifestyles and aim to enhance the pet ownership experience through convenience, fun, and style.

This trend was clear in the New Product Showcase section, where new dog and cat toys looked more and more like the packaged foods in which we indulge. Huxley & Kent debuted its clever take on popular brands like Cheez-Its (“Sneez-Its”), Smarties candy (“Purrrties”), and even well-known alcohol brands like White Claw and Fireball, as cat toys. Hasbro promoted “nostalgic branded plush toys” that resemble a Furby, Mr. Potato Head, and a tub of Play-Doh. Another pet toy brand, Pets Lifestyle And You (P.L.A.Y), showcased an entire line of IHOP toys for dogs, including a stack of plush pancakes connected with rope, a classic stuffed breakfast plate, and a fruity French toast toy complete with the iconic IHOP coffee mug.

Along a similar vein, pet lifestyle brands that offer nutrition, toys, and a sense of community and identity for pet owners are becoming more prevalent. One example is Bundle x Joy, a women-owned brand offering food, treats, toppers, toys, and pet accessories, all with a pastel aesthetic and a spunky attitude. 

The New Product Showcase also highlighted a variety of stylish pet accessories. These included washable pet mats that look more like bohemian rugs, as well as transparent scratch shields for furniture that don’t interfere with the feng shui of your living room.

While Dolce&Gabbana doesn’t exhibit at SUPERZOO, the infamous brand recently debuted a luxury fragrance designed specifically for dogs. That’s right—puppy perfume. The product, named Fefé, after Domenico Dolce’s canine companion, is an alcohol-free fragrance mist described by the Italian fashion house as an “olfactory masterpiece,” and intended to be part of a dog’s “refreshing beauty routine.”

Moving from form to function, cat litter is getting a glow-up with Boxiecat, which introduced Glo™ in June and showcased the new product at SUPERZOO. Based on recent findings that cats can detect UV light, Glo was designed to reduce litter box aversion by using patent-pending UV crystal technology to “guide cats” to the box. Other cat litter brands are innovating by offering AI-enabled litterboxes that “foresee potential health problems” in cats, as well as tofu-based litter that is more absorbent, eco-friendly, dust-free, and requires less frequent refreshing.

These savvy new products beg the question: are they more for the pet, or more for the parent? While durable products like cat litter are a necessity, recent innovations are catering to enhanced convenience for owners and signaling a shift toward more insightful solutions that not only meet a need but also provide peace of mind to cat parents. On the toy side of the equation, it’s even simpler—we want our pets to have what we have, and if that means a Furby, a replica of our favorite junk food, or a taste of what we had for breakfast, add it to the cart, please.

The Function Junction

The explosion of pet supplements has not slowed as pet parents move away from reactionary pet health interventions and toward more proactive and preventive solutions to keep their pets happy and healthy, sometimes even before any symptoms emerge.

Brands are recognizing the opportunity and leaping at it by launching treats and supplements that tout functional ingredients and address common health issues. In the New Product Showcase, not even including the rest of the show floor, more than 50 new supplement products were seen across the dog and cat categories.

While many of these new supplements represent a reiteration of what’s already been seen in the market in recent years—particularly as both emerging and established brands seek a piece of this growing product category—there are a few ingredients like mushrooms, colostrum, and goat’s milk that seem to be up-and-coming in this space. This is likely because they are also gaining traction in human nutrition as harbingers of health and well-being benefits.

Multivitamins or “daily” supplements also stood out, which again speaks to a trend toward humanization, as many pet owners seek everyday wellness products for themselves and are now seeking the same for their four-legged companions. More specifically, gut health prevails as a leading need state in terms of new product innovation, with biotic ingredients like pre-, pro-, and now postbiotics leading this charge. Other need states seen commonly across supplements include skin and coat health, mobility, and immunity.

One truly novel product came from Pet’s Best Life, maker of dental treat brand Yummy Combs, which introduced Longevity15 Health Supplements in the New Product Showcase at SUPERZOO 2024. Longevity15 is powered by C15:0, or pentadecanoic acid, which is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid believed to have cellular health benefits that “reverse key hallmarks of aging.” 

This innovation speaks to an emerging category of pet supplements aimed at slowing the aging process at a cellular level using NAD+ precursors, senescent cells, and other functional ingredients. While research on longevity ingredients and products is still in its early stages, the science behind this cellular approach to longevity is certainly intriguing and will be a space to watch as it develops.

Sustainability

From alternative proteins and regenerative agriculture to sustainable packaging, sustainability seems to be picking up speed in all categories of the pet industry. Cat litter made an appearance here as both emerging and establish brands turn their focus to natural materials like tofu, corn, and hemp. Other sustainable durable products like biodegradable poop bags and lick mats made of recycled ocean-bound plastic also made an appearance.

In the nutrition category specifically, ingredient sourcing stood out as a sustainability highlight. Arch Pet Food, a young startup in the dog food and treat space, showcased its up-and-coming dog food innovations: Insect & Plant Recipe and Silver Carp Recipe. Silver Carp is an invasive species threatening U.S. waterways from Louisiana to Minnesota and Oklahoma to Ohio. Insect protein, on the other hand, has been emerging in the American market for several years, with early movers like Jiminy’s now giving way to other brands — big and small — now entering the insect-based arena.

Cave Pets and Canidae highlighted the use of regenerative agriculture practices that prioritize soil health, biodiversity, responsible water use, and other practices aimed at making the global cropping system more climate resilient. Cave Pets in particular highlighted its Regenerative Organic Certified® status, which demonstrates the brand’s commitment to soil health, farmworker and animal welfare, and organic ingredients. Canidae has been known for its support of regenerative farming practices for years and introduced a new all-life stages dog food line at SUPERZOO carrying this philosophy forward.

The rise of regenerative agriculture as a key way to not only sustain but improve the health of our planet and promote nutritional efficacy of future farming operations has been supported by many brands over the last several years, including animal food ingredient suppliers like Cargill, ADM, and Scoular, as well as growing pet product brands such as Farm Hounds — which focuses on meat sourced from regenerative family-owned ranchers — and more established players like Nestlé Purina and Mars Pet Nutrition, particularly through its Nutro brand. 

If you’d like to learn more about regenerative practices cropping up in the pet product category, check out this blog post, “A Glimpse Into the Future of Regenerative Products,” by Caitlyn Dudas, Co-Founder of the Pet Sustainability Coalition and Founder of Good Company.

All Things Considered…

While sustainability and environmental stewardship certainly merits status as its standalone trend in the pet industry as well as the overall CPG space, most other trends seen across pets fall under a sweeping macro-trend of humanization. This is not a new trend, by any means, but has certainly been evolving and accelerating as younger pet owners shamelessly adopt a “pets are the new children” mindset. 

Humanization continues to be supported by the premiumization of the pet market. As consumers prioritize function, preventive health, and personalized pet care, these niche items are carrying price tags that match their enhanced offerings. Coming back to sustainability, some pet owners will happily budget more for an eco-friendlier product. According to a survey of pet owners by the American Pet Product Association in 2021, 51% of respondents said they would be willing to pay more for products that are marketed as ethically sourced or environmentally friendly.

It’s also important to note that while premiumization has driven prices upward over the last decade, prices of pet food are still nearly 23% higher than they were five years ago, and consumers continue to grapple with heightened prices across the pet category. This has led some to trade down to cheaper items. Future innovation could potentially target these budget-conscious consumers, building trust based on efficacy and cost, and effectively stealing market share back from more premium products.

All things considered, expect a continuance of pet humanization in all areas of the pet industry. While the pet owners may not be the end consumers for these items, they are certainly the first consumers and will continue to prioritize products that reflect their companions’ rank as members of the family.

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About the Author

Jordan Tyler is the Director of Media at BSM Partners. She has more than five years of experience reporting on trends, best practices and developments in the North American pet nutrition industry. Jordan resides in Bentonville, Arkansas, with her husband and their four furry family members.