A decade of big changes

Who would have thought it when the first issue of the now internationally respected trade magazine appeared on the market in January 2002? At that time, PET worldwide was still called PET in Europe and reported primarily on the developments and events in the European pet supplies sector. “A decade of big changes” was how the proprietor of a leading speciality chain described the last ten years in his greeting to mark the anniversary of PET worldwide. Much of the activity in the sector is no longer happening in Europe but on other continents around the globe – for example, in China and India. These countries now occupy a leading position as manufacturing locations for pet products. Or take the USA, which continues to set trends that spread later to other countries. Or Latin America: this market looks set to develop into one of the world’s key markets, especially with regard to pet food. PET in Europe was renamed PET worldwide in 2009. This decision was an important and forward-looking move in the still early history of the trade magazine, not only because the magazine has since enjoyed a much higher circulation worldwide, but also because the step up from PET in Europe to PET worldwide has significantly influenced the contents too. The reporting now has a much broader international scope. A lot has happened in the last ten years. In this anniversary issue, we take a look at the key events of the last ten years. We remember the most striking developments, the personalities that have shaped our sector to a significant extent in the last ten years, and the emergence and demise of companies, because even in the pet sector not all companies last indefinitely. Our special anniversary feature starting on page 22 highlights dominant trends from recent years and focuses on developments that could also markedly influence the future of the pet supplies sector. 10 years of PET worldwide – this is also a good opportunity to thank all our regular readers who have remained loyal to us and who give the editorial team sterling support in their daily work with ideas, tips and information. We hope to raise a glass with some of them at the International PET Conference in Prague on 13 and 14 November! Here’s to the next few decades and to the continued satisfactory development of the international pet supplies sector! Yours Ralf Majer-AbeleDownload: A decade of big changes (PDF file)