Page 3 - PET worldwide issue 01/2022

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Under pressure

The new year began in the pet supplies sector pretty market, which benefited pet stores especially during
much as the old one had ended. The coronavirus the Covid-19 crisis, could soon come to an end, but
continues to hold the world in thrall, with infection this cannot be assumed yet. The increased health
rates rising sharply in many countries since the needs that have been observed among many con-
emergence of the Omicron variant. It has had an ad- sumers since the onset of the pandemic may not
verse impact on many retailers whose staff have change in the next few years. Dogs and cats are es-
tablished members of the family in many house-
holds, and these households are not likely to skimp
on their pet food in the future either. Nevertheless,
many families will be scrutinising retailers’ price of-
fers rather more closely in the next few months than
they have been doing recently.
Omicron has also subjected the organisers of pet
supplies trade shows to a fresh stress test. The Anido
trade show scheduled for February in Belgium has
been pushed back to September. At the time of
PET worldwide going to press, however, the orga-
nisers of the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, the Expozoo
in Paris and PATS Sandown all indicated that their
shows in March would go ahead as planned in the
form of attended events. The WZF has also sent a
contracted the virus and who have to work out how strong signal by informing all Interzoo exhibitors on
to carry on doing business in their stores. 20 January that the world-leading fair will be staged
Retailers and manufacturers are following the in- as intended from 24 to 27 May in Nuremberg. As a
creases in the price of raw materials, packaging and showcase for new products and also as a global
logistics with growing concern. Disruption to the sup- platform for an exchange of news and views, Inter-
ply chains is also ongoing and not likely to be over- zoo has never seemed so valuable as it does at the
come in the foreseeable future. Added to this is the moment.
hike in energy prices, which is causing serious prob-
lems for the logistics sector in particular.
Many pet product manufacturers implemented
only modest price increases last year, and most can
now no longer absorb the burgeoning costs they are
incurring. There have been double-digit rises in the
price of some pet foods and accessory products; re- Ralf Majer-Abele
tailers may pass these on directly or at least in part to
the consumer. It is not yet clear what the conse- Phone +49/72 43/575-230
quences of this would be for the speciality trade. r.majer-abele@daehne.de
Some already fear that the premiumisation of the

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