Skin and coat care products that
perform well and contain natural
ingredients are rising to the top.
Sales of pet grooming products are strong due to a variety of driv- ing forces, according to industry
participants.
Tom Wien, director of marketing at
Cardinal Pet Care in Azusa, Calif., cited
an increase in do-it-yourself bathing and
the continued treatment of pets as family
as factors that are pushing growth in the
category.
“The biggest overall trend is an increase in home bathing of both dogs and
cats, which is due to several factors,”
Wien said. “First, more veterinarians are
recommending giving dogs weekly baths
because this has been shown to cut down
on allergies and skin infections.
“Second, with pets being treated more
like family members today, people want
to keep their dogs looking and smelling
their best at all times. So, for practical and
economic reasons, a growing number of
pet parents are doing their own bathing
at home between visits to the groomer.”
As seen in other pet product catego-
ries, natural offerings and ingredients are
a growing trend in grooming skin and
coat treatments for dogs and cats, insid-
ers reported.
“Certainly the natural trend is ongoing, and botanicals and their natural
properties are very popular,” said Gina
Dial, vice president of sales and marketing at John Paul Pet in Austin, Texas.
Wien also reported a shift toward
“gentle, eco-friendly products made with
natural ingredients,” attributing the move
to the influence of human products.
Essential oils are especially popular in
this category, according to retailers and
manufacturers.
“The biggest trend we’re seeing is
essential oils,” said Nadine Jolie-Coeur,
co-founder of Natural Pawz, which has
stores in Texas. “Lavender has been
around a long time, but a lot of what we
see in human shampoo—in terms of oils
like coconut and argan, as well as cedar,
rosemary and clove—are showing up in
pet products.”
Coconut is a common request at K- 9
Bath & Body in Nesquehoning, Pa., said
owner Elizabeth Lisella.
“We have more people asking for co-
conut treatments, and that’s working re-
ally well,” she said. “We do offer it, and
it seems to help a lot with skin and coat.”
Insiders also reported an increase in
cat owners seeking grooming products.
“More cat parents are bathing their
pets,” Wien said. “While at one time
people thought that felines didn’t require
bathing, there’s greater awareness today
that giving cats regular baths has health
and hygiene benefits.”
Samantha Kent, founder and CEO
of Dr. Sniff, a division of Dallas-based
Kibble Pet, agreed, adding, “Cat parents
expect the same quality, and the demand
for cat products has increased, as the dog
[category] already has a lot of options.”
“We tend to get inquiries about the in-
gredients in our cat shampoo, but rarely
do we get questions about our dog sham-
poos,” said Debbie Guardian, founder
and president of Opie & Dixie in San
Francisco. “People buying shampoo for
their cats are much more selective, and
with good reason. Cats are very sensitive
beings. They typically have an aversion
BY SANDY CHEBAT
S
HUT
T
ERSTO
CK
Consumers are especially selective
when buying shampoo for their
cats, according to manufacturers.
