Retailers Share Their Thoughts About Tariffs, Sustainability and the PETS+ Sample Box

On Tariffs

• Depending on what side of the aisle you’re on, there are denials that tariffs will have an impact on products, while there are those who have seen and heard firsthand that tariffs are impacting costs. I think most retailers know that tariffs are having a financial impact on purchasing, but some customers refuse to believe it. Trying to navigate this delicate subject hasn’t been easy, and it feels like the mask debate during COVID. — Julie Johannes, Happy Hounds Pet Supply, Bigfork, MT
• The updates on tariffs and emails shared on petsplusmag.com and in the PETS+ Facebook Community have been extremely helpful. I have actually ordered from brands due to their information about how they are handling tariffs. — Jennifer Thomas, Lucky Dog Pet Grocery & Bakery, Lawrence, KS

Other Industry Thoughts

• Very happy to see sustainability take center stage — even PFX is on the bandwagon, delivering in collapsible cardboard boxes and taking them back and re-using! — Maria Cetrola, Buddy’s Pet Shop, Beach Haven, NJ
• My “independent” store is getting more difficult to stay excited about with all the private-equity firms and corporations taking over. — Heather Miller, Just For Pets, York, PA
• Oversaturation of the supplements market! Brands need to stay in their lane. Health supplements by food brands, food by chew brands, etc. — Megan Kurzwell, Forepaws, Minooka, IL

May-June Good Reads

• We’re educating our customers on what the NASC Quality Seal means and why it’s very important. The NASC Fact Sheet helped. Thank you! We value PETS+ and all the effort that goes into it. — Roxane Cann, The Dapper Hound, Mount Airy, NC
• I just read Georganne Bender’s “Are You Zoomer Friendly?” column about making your store more Zoomer friendly. Loved it! — Janet Cesarini, Pupology, Georgetown, TX
• We’re growing increasingly concerned about tariffs, so the PETS+ Presents: Made in the USA Products section was a great reminder for me to highlight them. — Jennifer Flanagan, Pacific NW Pets Sherwood, Sherwood, OR

You’re Welcome

• Love being a part of the PETS+ Brain Squad and a Sample Box recipient, especially the video chats. The support and comradery are priceless. — Jusak Yang Bernhard, Wag Heaven Pet Supplies and Self-Serve Dog Wash, Georgetown, TX
• I say this every time I fill out a survey: I can’t thank you all enough for supplying us with such a great array of products to sample. It makes buying new items much easier. — Michele Saharic, Barkley’s Marketplace, Flemington, NJ
• Thank you for the Big Survey and the Brain Squad surveys — they’re a great pulse check on where the industry is headed. The data helps us plan better and reinforces that we’re not alone in facing some of these evolving challenges. Keep sharing these authentic, on-the-ground perspectives from real retailers — it’s what makes PETS+ a go-to resource in the industry. — Victor Santucci, Garden State Pet Center, Audubon, NJ

SUPERZOO

• Is it August yet?! I’m ready to be in Las Vegas! — Katherine Ostiguy, Crossbones, Providence, RI
• Loved our May PETS+ SUPERZOO box! And really looking forward to SUPERZOO and the PETS+ dailies; last year’s were terrific! Can’t wait to catch up with the PETS+ community at the show! — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA