The pet products buyers have spoken. As in years past, while dog and cat products continue to dominate the entries, the small animal categories high interest, mirroring the growth of consumer sales.
Officials from the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) announced the winners of its 11th annual New Products Showcase Awards at this year’s online-only Global Pet Expo Digital Access. The Best in Show, Second and Third place awards were presented March 26 across nine categories including Aquatic, Bird, Boutique, Cat, Dog, Natural, Reptile, Point of Purchase and Small Animal. The awards are selected based on the voting results of buyers attending the event.
“We are excited to reveal the winners of the 2021 New Products Showcase Awards,” said Andy Darmohraj, EVP and COO of APPA. “While we were unable to be together to present these awards in person, we’re grateful for everyone who watched this year’s presentation remotely. These awards are coveted as they recognize the latest in innovation and reveal upcoming trends that retailers can pass along to their customers.”
Out of the 300 new product submissions, the following winners were selected across the nine categories:
- Aquatic
- Best In Show: Talawa Mangrove Root from Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.
- Second Place: Fluval LED Lighting from Hagen Group
- Third Place: Smart Tank 4.5-Gallon Aquarium from Koller Products
- Bird
- Best In Show: Wild Harvest® Large Bird Peck To Play from Spectrum Brands – Global Pet Care
- Second Place: (#3151BLUSH) Playtop Bird Home from Prevue Pet Products, Inc.
- Third Place: Goldenfeast Bonita Nut Treat Mix from Versele-Laga
- Boutique
- Best in Show: Puppy Cake Dog Birthday Cake Kit – 5 Flavors from Puppy Cake
- Second Place: Natural Instinct Pedicure by De’ Vora from De’ Vora
- Third Place: Puppy Cake Birthday Cake Flavored Cake Mix with Icing and Sprinkles from Puppy Cake
- Cat
- Best In Show: Churu Fun Bites – Cat Treat from Inaba Foods (USA), Inc.
- Second Place: Smart Cat Exercise Wheel from the Little Cat
- Third Place: Yeowww! Catnip Chi-CAT-a Banana Peeled from DuckyWorld Products, Inc.
- Dog
- Best In Show: The Ultimate All Season, All Terrain Dog Boots from Gooeez
- Second Place: Bob Zebra from Fluff & Tuff, Inc.
- Third Place: Petbot from Instachew/Petkit
- Natural
- Best In Show: Dailies Brushy Sticks Dental Bars from Bocce’s Bakery
- Second Place: CBD Pet Care Calming & Soothing Gel (100mg) from The Green Pet Shop
- Third Place: Kitten Milk Replacer, Powdered from Tailspring
- Point of Purchase
- Best In Show: Natural Remedies Counter Display from Earth Animal
- Second Place: Tower 55 ID Tag Display from MyFamily U.S.A., Inc.
- Reptile
- Best In Show: Reptisun UVB/LED from Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.
- Second Place: Exo Terra Wet Logs from Hagen Group
- Third Place: Environmental Control Center from Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.
- Small Animal
- Best In Show: Enriched Life (Engagement) – The Treat House from Oxbow Animal Health
- Second Place: Enriched Life (Exercise) – Explore & Hide Customizable Maze (Large) from Oxbow Animal Health
- Third Place: Enriched Life (Habitats) – Multi-Level Habitat from Oxbow Animal Health
For more information about the New Products Showcase Awards and Global Pet Expo, visit globalpetexpo.org. You can also watch the video presentation here on YouTube.
This article has been updated from an earlier version.