PTertacks
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
with Jan Jaeger
I'm sure you've seen the television commercial where the guy gamely tries to punch in the secret code which his wife tells him is his wedding anniversary date, but he fails repeatedly because he obviously can't remember the critical numbers. Those of us of the female ilk smirk knowingly at this guy flaw, because we have been hard-wired to remember important things like birthday and anniversary dates.

Recognizing the anniversaries of a business, while certainly significant to those involved, is not fraught with the memories or emotions that might block out critical personal timelines. Rather, as the years fly by, businesses, products or brands succeed by adapting, responding to, or innovating, with their longevity measuring industry growth and development.

In my field, our anniversaries are still in the double digits, because the pet supply business didn't really get rolling until after World War II. Returning GIs who had lived and worked with dogs used in wartime field work wanted to continue having a close relationship with their dogs as a part of the family. The post-war years were also a prosperous time with low unemployment, mass consumerism, available cars and fast food. Television was the family entertainment; Lassie came into the living room.

Any company in the pet industry with more than a 50-year history is truly noteworthy. One such company is Ralston Purina. Already feed manufacturers, in 1947, 60 years ago, when Purina Chow feed sales accounted for 90% of the company's revenue, the company shifted its emphasis from cereal to pet food. Then a product called X-24 exploded from a pressure cooker and extruded pet food was born. By 1957, Purina's Eager Eater was flying off grocery store shelves.

Another company with success beginning in 1947 was Edward Lowe Industries. Edward Lowe changed the way we live with our cats by convincing housewives to buy his Kitty Litter instead of using sand or newspapers to fill their litter boxes. This first of the commercial cat box filler products has evolved into the present day $1.5 billion cat litter industry.

Forty years later, another innovation in cat litter was developed by two chemists. Ever Clean, a revolutionary clumping cat litter, was created in 1987. Along with its sister brand, Scoop Away, sold through grocery stores, these clumping products have dominated the cat litter market with a 60-percent share. An alternative cat litter brand, Feline Pine, was developed 15 years ago. Today, alternative, natural cat litters are the industry's fastest growing segment.

The Tropical Fish Hobbyist Company, better known as TFH, was created 55 years ago, in 1958, by Dr. Herbert Alexrod. Originally started as a pet and aquatic book company, TFH has remained strong in the pet publishing area, but is perhaps better known by the consumer for its variety of Nylabone chewable dog toys and edible treats. This company is now owned by Central Garden and Pet, a mega-company that has acquired several wellknown pet product lines such as Four Paws, Super Pet and Zodiac. Central produces and markets quality pet and garden supplies with 2006 sales exceeding $1.5 billion.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the PetSmart chain, founded in 1987, with its first two stores opening in Phoenix, Ariz. Now numbering nearly 900 stores, PetSmart expects to add up to 100 new stores to its chain during this next year, up from 83 in 2006, with an eventual market expected to include about 1,400 stores in North America. The chain is focusing on its PetsHotel in-store boarding facilities, and as 15-year leases come to an end, the company has an opportunity to exit undesirable locations and move to modernized, smaller (5,500 square feet!) footprint stores.

Some experts point to the PetSmart model as the most significant development in the pet industry in the last 25 years. Their concept certainly brought pet products to the masses. During the last year, PetSmart reported sales of $3.1 million, compared to $2.7 million a year ago. During the 3rd quarter 2006, the chain groomed 1.8 million pets and trained another 93,000.

Sales of $3.1 million are beyond my comprehension, as are 1,400 stores. I have enough to deal with in one little shop on one small island. No delusions of grandeur for me, no empire building in sight. But, with 16 years in the business, I truly enjoy seeing the changes in the industry, find fascinating the entrepreneurial spark that has been responsible for some of our most favorite products, and eagerly anticipate what's around the corner for the future in the world of pet supplies.

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop and is a member of Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America (DWAA and CWA). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower Bunny, Millie guinea pig and two budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos.com.