PAWTUCKET, R.I. — June 25, 2025 — As demand for high-quality, clean-label pet food continues to grow, Pet Food Experts (PFX), a leading distributor of premium pet food and supplies, is proud to announce a new partnership with fedwell®, a frozen raw dog food brand on a mission to make biologically appropriate, human-grade nutrition more accessible.

PFEXPO West 2025 Proves Why Pet Specialty Thrives In Person

This June, PFEXPO West 2025 brought the pet specialty community together at the Disneyland Hotel Convention Center in Anaheim, CA for two days packed with connection, product discovery, and celebration.

With 600+ retailer attendees and a record-breaking 98 exhibitors, this year’s event reminded us that the pet specialty industry runs on strong partnerships and face-to-face moments that drive business forward.

Pet Food Experts’ most magical retailer event of the year is almost here! PFEXPO West 2025 returns to the Disneyland® Hotel Convention Center on June 3–4 for two days packed with new product discoveries, exclusive show-only deals, and plenty of nostalgic charm.

Curious about the biggest 2025 pet industry trends? Each spring, Global Pet Expo offers a front-row seat to the future of the pet space, and this year's event delivered in a big way. From next-level nutrition and interactive dog toys for enrichment to pet wellness grooming products, today's pet parents want more than just food and fun — they're looking for holistic, functional, and convenient solutions for their furry companions.

According to the National Retail Federation, 65.6 million individuals are expected to shop on Small Business Saturday. Statistically, 75% of these people own a pet - here's how neighborhood pet stores can capitalize on the biggest shopping weekend of the year. 

It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot about our way of life. Undoubtedly one of the most significant changes is the way in which we gather. As a result, we have seen many of our treasured industry shows, including PFEXPO, either canceled, postponed, or testing virtual formats to keep attendees, exhibitors, and workers safe. If you attended Global Pet Expo 2020 just weeks before the world shut down, then you can remember the feeling of impending change. Empty booths, quiet whispers, and the questioning looks when you saw someone sporting a mask as they walked through the aisles. We didn't know at the time, but everything was about to change.

Local neighborhood pet stores have accounted for approximately 4-5% of the estimated $38 billion dollars spent on pet food and treat sales sold so far in the U.S. in 2020. However small that might seem, independent pet stores still represent the best source for information, premium products, and services for consumers and their pets. One of the biggest challenges in growing independent pet’s share of the industry pie is customer acquisition. Meaning, how many customers businesses are able to gain and maintain walking through their doors, or shopping online with them on a regular and prolonged basis.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It’s the mantra we’ve all heard, and while the first two are words in the mantra may be easy to understand, recycling just feels…gosh... so much more complicated. What can be recycled, and what cannot? And if not, why the heck not? We’ve seen headlines that China is rejecting recycling from around the world, that municipalities are cutting programs...so can we still recycle? Is it just wishful thinking if we do, or are we really making a difference? And since COVID-19 has basically infiltrated every single snapshot of our lives today, how has it impacted recycling?

As the local neighborhood pet store, you know that the pet parents in your community count on you for all of their pet’s needs. With the recent surge in pet food buying, it is more vital than ever to give your faithful customers the opportunity to support your business both in store and digitally, if they so choose. Having a solid e-commerce option to give customers an omni-channel buying experience increases the chances they will choose to shop with you over big box stores and online retail giants. It also opens up the door for curbside pick-up and local delivery options as your community and communities everywhere navigate through the coming weeks.

2019 has come to an end, it’s time now to look ahead to the new pet industry trends and opportunities that will be brought by the new year. Since 1994, American pet spending has continued to rise every single year – even during the 2007-2009 recession – reaching an estimated $72.13 billion in 2018 and is now projected to hit almost $100 billion by the end of the decade. which is, well... now. This continued increase in industry growth means an increase in opportunity for your pet business to grow as well. It also means lot more new innovation and more competition to keep customers happy and shopping with you all year long.