Natural, Organic Products Continue to Grow in Popularity

Last month a PETCO team attended the Natural Products Expo West – the largest natural, organic, and healthy products trade show in the nation.

This trade show was a great preview of where the natural and organic category is heading and is a great way for us to look for emerging trends and products and see how they can apply to the pet industry, our company and our customers.

Consumer demand for organic products continues to fuel the category with more and more suppliers focusing on sustainable production processes and farming practices.

Among more than 1,800 exhibitors showcasing their wares across more than 300,000 square feet of the Anaheim Convention Center in California were several leading manufacturers of natural pet foods, including Pet Promise, Castor and Pollux, and Halo, Purely for Pets.

Also at the Expo West, I met one of the leading advocates for organic products- health guru Dr. Andrew Weil who was the special guest speaker at a reception about pet foods, the benefits of sustainable farming and ranching, and organic food production.

I was a guest of Pet Promise, a natural pet food company founded to create a pure pet food, and committed to natural growing methods and a healthy environment.

Dr. Weil actually endorses Pet Promise because of how they produce their pet food by using only source-verified, natural ingredients from ranchers who guarantee meat and poultry free of added hormones and antibiotics.

Later I attended the Organic Trade Association reception, followed by The Organic Center VIP dinner where Dr. Weil addressed the audience. The evening was hosted by green living expert and TV host Sara Snow, who introduced Dr. Weil to an audience of manufacturers, retailers, organic farmers and ranchers.

As part of PETCO’s support for sustainability efforts, PETCO presented The Organic Center with a $5,000 donation in support for organic farming techniques, which are earth-friendly and prohibit harmful pesticides and chemicals in farming and ranching.

We are pleased to help programs sponsored by The Organic Center that will ultimately increase the commercial supply of high quality ingredients for pet foods.

-Rick Rockhill
Merchandise Manager, Dog Food