Of Pets and Pen Editor Sherri L. Collins reports weekly on topics both pertinent and tangential to the pet product industry. She culls information from business, trade and consumer publications and websites, as well as her personal pet-keeping experiences, focusing on issues and trends within the industry. Sherri began her editorial career 18 years ago as an associate editor for a business-to-business publication.

August 6, 2010
Online Time
What do you do when you’re onllne? Me? I check and send e-mail, visit several favorite websites, shop (curse you Amazon.com) and look stuff up via Google. Apparently, I’m in the minority in that I don’t spend much time (very little actually) hanging out on social networking sites, nor do I play multi-user games. In my favor, I do read a variety of blogs ... More»

July 20, 2010
Shoppers’ Restraint
How are your sales figures for the summer so far? If your customers are like me, they’re probably not spending as much as they—or you—would like. Instead, they’re watching their dollars closely while waiting for the economy to get a little bit better. As a result, your store sales may be lower than hoped for. If it’s any comfort, you’re not alone in this ... More»

July 2, 2010
Comment on this Article
Do you read the comments section linked to or displayed below articles on media websites? I sometimes do depending upon both the subject and the author, but more often than not, I ignore them. (Of course, I always read the comments left at PetProductNews.com.)
How about providing comments? Do you offer up your opinion on articles you ... More»

June 21, 2010
Take a Swipe at Debit Card Fees
How do you pay when shopping? Cash? Check? Credit card? More importantly, how do your customers typically pay for their purchases? If they’re like me, the answer is none of the above. I use my bank debit card because it’s the same as cash or checks, but much faster. Right? Wrong, as anyone who runs a retail outlet knows ... More»

June 11, 2010
Influencing Customers
What do consumers want? It’s a question manufacturers and retailers alike ask themselves on a regular basis. The short (and obvious) answer is quality products at a fair price. The longer answer contains elements as diverse as the people companies are hoping to reach—and influence. Determining which factors play the most important ... More»

June 2, 2010
Picture This
Do you carry pictures (in some form) of your pets with you? As pet enthusiasts involved in the pet industry, my guess is the majority of you would answer “yes.” What about your customers? As the aforementioned storeowners, you probably get to see more pictures of people’s “little darlings” than most. But would it surprise you ... More»

May 21, 2010
Small Business Week…Month, Year, Decade
On Thursday, May 20, 2010, President Obama decreed May 23-29 as National Small Business Week. Every year since 1963, the U.S. President has proclaimed this special designation to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of the country. The presidential proclamation ... More»

May 11, 2010
Animal Days
Do you ever wonder where calendar observance days, weeks and months come from? The provenance of historical and religious ones is obvious, of course. And the more cynical among us put Grandparents Day down to the greeting card and florist industries. But who exactly decides that April is “Adopt a Ferret” month or that July ... More»

May 4, 2010
Back(er) at Ya
Last week I added another state to my travel list courtesy of the pet industry (I hope to visit all 50 before I’m too old to go anywhere anymore). Not only was it my first visit to one of our country’s founding colonies, it was also my introduction to the HH Backer Spring Trade Show—and I enjoyed both immensely. Baltimore is a fascinating ... More»

April 19, 2010
GUEST BLOG: A Day in the Park
By Brian Hutchins
One of our sister publications, Dog Fancy, recently unveiled its annual top 10 list of America’s Best Dog Parks. (Congraulations to Jackass Acres K-9 Korral in New River, Ariz.) Lists can be a great deal of fun to read: to root for your favorite, to agree or laugh at a publication’s choices. Yet more fun than lists is spending time in a park itself ... More»

March 5, 2010
Tweet, Tweet, Tweet
No, that’s not an impersonation of my grandmother’s canary, but a reference to the ever-growing chirp-o-sphere of Twitter. If you spend any amount of time on the Internet or receive e-mail from other business interests, you know that seemingly everyone wants to you to follow them on Twitter—you probably have a Twitter account yourself (or at least ... More»

February 26, 2010
Playing with Numbers
I have always had a fascination with numbers. Not just the numerals themselves, but what they can represent--dates, counts, measurements, averages, rankings, correlations and even opinions via surveys and polls. This fascination also has a dangerous side for me since I tend to remember numbers (20+ years later I can still remember most ... More»

February 18, 2010
Dangerous Assumptions
Never assume anything, the old adage goes, as it may make a, um, backside of you and me (the word even breaks down that way). While it may be good advice, it isn’t really very realistic. People make assumptions every day about most things. According to Webster’s, an assumption is anything taken for granted, a supposition. The true danger ... More»

January 22, 2010
Ch…Ch…Ch…Changes
How well do you deal with change? I consider myself (as I suspect most people do) to be fairly equanimous when it comes to dealing with a shift in routine or an alternation in plans. I’m a firm believer in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s statement that “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblins of little minds…,” that without frequent change, life becomes ... More»

January 15, 2010
A Hopeful Sign of Things to Come
How were your holidays? Mine were pretty laid back, as is my wont. However, I hope yours were busy and bustling. If they were, then knowing that you were not alone might make them even cheerier in retrospect. According to a just-released news item from the National Retail Federation (NRF), this past holiday season saw a sales ... More»

January 7, 2010
Watching the Trends
Out with the old, in with the new—year that is. The final turn of the calendar always engenders reflections and predictions—and lists, lots of lists. Best this, worst that, most overrated, least appreciated, it seems everyone—expert, novice, dilettante, wonk—has a list of something that you simply “must” read. Not wanting to be an odd man ... More»

December 31, 2009
GUEST BLOG: Bridging the Gap
By Paula and Lewis Turner
Our lives have been dedicated to improving the pet industry in whatever way possible. We took on the challenge of demonstrating that a full line pet store could provide a healthy and caring environment for pets, and staffed with educated customer-service orientated employees. We were able to provide purebred puppies in an open-air environment with the ... More»

December 23, 2009
All I Want for Christmas
In keeping with the spirit of the season, the idealist in me hopes for peace on earth and goodwill toward all. My more pragmatic side would be delighted with a 50-percent reduction in hostility worldwide and no ill will toward anyone. “That’s wonderful,” you say, “but what do you really want?” My answer might surprise you (and shock my cats): I want a ... More»

December 17, 2009
GUEST BLOG: Best Friends Animal Society: Friend or Foe of the Pet Store
By Paula and Lewis Turner
Despite warnings from friends in both the pet and rescue industries, I attended a national conference dedicated to “all things rescue." There were approximately 650 attendees at the conference held in Las Vegas this past fall, and to my knowledge, only one pet store was represented: Woof Worx, Bel Air, Calif., owned by Jamie Katz, is “the first rescued ... More»

December 14, 2009
Dogs Bite: This is News?
Dog mauls person. Those three words are practically a guarantee of some form of local news coverage, especially if the dog was of a “suspect” breed and the hurt person, an “innocent” victim. The stories seem to appear on a regular basis, yet every time they occur, both the media and their audiences act shocked at such “animal” behavior. However, if ... More»

December 4, 2009
GUEST BLOG: Looking into the Pet World’s Future
By David Alderton
Innovation is something that has never been in short supply in the pet industry. It dates back to its earliest days in the 1800s, when American inventor and entrepreneur James Spratt purchased stale ships’ biscuits, which he then sold to the wealthy aristocracy in England as dog food. This marked the start of a multi-billion-dollar global ... More»

november 25, 2009
Carefree Pets
Those of us of a certain age (ahem) will remember the short-lived, but exceedingly successful Pet Rock craze. The inventor created it for people who didn’t want to feed, bathe, walk, groom, clean up after or suffer the loss of a pet considered it. This of course begs the question of why such a person would bother having even a pretend pet. But hey, to ... More»

november 16, 2009
Socially Active
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (with no WiFi access—gasp!) for the past year or so, you’re well aware of the ongoing surge in social media tools. From blogs to wikis to social networks to tweets, everyone seems to have something to say and a way to share it--be it to an exclusive group of people or the public at large. For many, social ... More»

november 13, 2009
How Green in the Valley
It all started with a light bulb. Cardinal Laboratories Inc.’s president Tony de Vos needed to replace a burnt-out standard light bulb in his office and the next thing he knew, the entire manufacturing and company headquarters facility in Azusa, Calif., was undergoing a complete energy overhaul. After an estimated $1 million in expenditures ... More»

November 6, 2009
Friend or Fan
You have to have heard the refrain by now--social media’s ever-growing hallelujah chorus singing the praises of constant connectivity. It’s hip, it’s now, it’s wow and its reach is going far beyond the personal to encompass business in all its forms. It’s getting to the point where if you don’t have a Facebook or similar page or don’t follow various ... More»

October 20, 2009
Going Natural
If this were the fashion world, natural would be the new black. Everywhere you look, it seems as though someone is coming out with a new product or promoting an existing one as “all natural.” As an eco-conscious vegetarian, I’ve been dialed into the natural-food, natural-living movement for a long time, so the ever-growing abundance of natural products ... More»

October 2, 2009
New, Cool and/or Unusual Products
I like going to trade shows. Not only do I get to meet and interact with a host of people whom I normally have contact with via e-mail and the phone, I get to actually see and touch the products—both existing and new—instead of relying on press releases and images. I enjoy reading and learning about new products, but nothing takes the place of ... More»

september 25, 2009
The Quality of Awards
Unless you’re one of those who shun any and all forms of public attention, most people like receiving awards, be it for a job well done, an idea well thought or a race well run. Awards publicly acknowledge a person’s accomplishments. They’re a tangible form of being told, “You rock!” Moreover, awards also have an equally cool “flip” side. Like the quality ...  More»

september 11, 2009
Here Lizard, Lizard
I’m going to need a bigger box or, in this case, a bigger place to live in order to house all of the reptiles I now want to keep. I blame it all on the National Association of Reptile Keepers Conference (NABRC) and Trade Show, held at the Anaheim Convention Center this past weekend…well, that and my upbringing. I’ve been around reptiles in some form ... More»

september 4, 2009
Good Pets, Better Neighbors
Like most people in the pet-product world, I adore animals. I know more of my neighborhood’s dogs and cats by name than I do their owners. I also greet “unknown” dogs and cats wherever I encounter them (please tell me this is “normal”), be it on the street, outside a strip mall or inside a store. I do know that not everyone shares my level of pet love, but I’m ...  More»

August 27, 2009
SuperZoo or Bust
It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost that time of year when pet-industry players make their annual migration to Las Vegas to attend SuperZoo, the national show for pet retailers produced by the World Wide Pet Industry Association (WWPIA). Wasn’t everyone on his or her way to Orlando just a short time ago? I hope that by now, you have your reservations ...  More»

August 20, 2009
The Price is Right
Unless you’re one of the few to whom money is no object, you probably check out or ask an item’s price before deciding whether to purchase it or not. Is it a competitive price? Is it a good value? Is it expensive but worth it? Or is it an item where price doesn’t matter? (As when I bought my most recent iMac…well, price did matter a little bit, as I didn’t ...  More»

August 13, 2009
Speaking Out
Do you suffer from glossophobia? Most people do; it’s the fancy way of saying stage fright. According to the Book of Lists, speaking in public is the No. 1 fear, outranking death. As Jerry Seinfeld put it, “The average person at a funeral would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.” The inability to overcome or at least control this fear can put a ...  More»

July 29, 2009
A Good Cause
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we receive an impressive amount of pet products here at the magazine. Many come as part of a product release package, while a few arrive just because—and, of course, we get hundreds of products for testing during our Editors’ Choice Awards’ evaluations. Most of the items go home with our evaluators and the products are ...  More»

July 21, 2009
Trash Talk
Have you ever wondered where your garbage ends up? I hadn’t really thought about the final resting place of my trashcan’s contents until I came across an article on ScientificAmerican.com, which asked the question “Where, Exactly, Does Your Garbage Go After You Toss It out?” When I lived in Eureka, Calif., during the ‘70s, I knew exactly where ...  More»

July 13, 2009
Advertise or Bust
One conundrum (out of many) that every small-business owner faces in a down economy is how to cut costs without slashing potential revenue. Do you scale back on staffing and risk sacrificing customer service? Do you reduce inventory to the point that you’re perpetually balancing on an out-of-stock knife-edge? Do you stop advertising in various forms of local ...  More»

July 8, 2009
Bag of Choice
Paper or plastic? I haven’t been asked that question for some time, no matter where I shop. Why? It’s not because I live in an area that has legislated plastic bags out of existence, nor that I only patronize eco-conscientious stores. The reason is my preemptive behavior. The first thing I hand over at the checkout is a reusable shopping bag—they never get the ... More»

June 29, 2009
Numbers Game
Chester A. Arthur is probably not high on most people’s lists of significant U.S. presidents (he served from 1881 to 1885), but for those who relish business data, he should be remembered as the president who signed into being the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 1884. The BLS, in turn, became part of the newly created Department of Labor in 1913 ... More»

June 22, 2009
Playing Chicken
This past spring I went back to my roots (no, I’m not referring to my hair color) and planted a plethora of vegetables and herbs in my yard—my tomato plants are so loaded, I’ll be making salsa for weeks. My grandparents were farmers, as were their parents and their parents and ... Several extended family members still live ...  More»

June 15, 2009
Nano, Nano
Nanotechnology. You may have heard or read about it in the news, perhaps in the last year in regards to virus-powered batteries. If you’re a sci-fi fan, you may remember it from an episode or two of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Or, if you’re like me (a bit of a science geek); you follow its progress via scientific-themed magazines and websites ... More»

June 8, 2009
A Winning Formula
What’s the last thing you won? A chamber of commerce award? Local 5k run? Civic-leader certificate? Most improved (fill in sport here) player? Whatever it was, I’ll bet it made you feel great and brightened your day—if not your week. Winning, at least for me, reinforces self worth. It lets you and others know you’re good at something ... More»

JUNE 1, 2009
What's in the Box?
I like opening boxes, which is a good thing, considering the number of packages we’ve recently received here at Pet Product New International’s editorial offices for the 2009 Editors’ Choice Awards. Every year we put out the call to manufacturers to send us their latest and greatest new products for evaluation. And every year, they respond with a ... More»

May 26, 2009
Coupon Compulsion
Does your store accept manufacturers’ coupons? Do you offer store coupons? If not, you should consider doing so…and here is why. According to a recent poll conducted on our sister website, DogChannel.com, more than 60 percent responded positively to the question “Would you try premium natural dog food if you had a coupon for significant ... More»

May 18, 2009
Turning a Corner
Been shopping lately? I don’t mean for the basics (food, necessary sundries and essential clothing), but “serious” shopping for fun things. Me either. And, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), neither has most everyone else. Despite the numerous reports in the news that the economy is slowly turning a corner, the majority ... More»

 May 11, 2009
Print Rules!
As a long-time magazine editor, I pay close attention to advertising in any print variety—magazines, newspapers, journals, etc. It’s a “hazard” of the trade; I want to know what’s out there and whether or not my publication could benefit from a particular approach. However, I have frequently wondered if people “not in the business” bother to really ... More»