What the Pets+ Retailer’s Choice Awards tell us about what sells in pet

Industry-focused product awards can tell us a lot about the ways pet owners are shopping. | Giorgio Trovato, Unsplash

Trends in the pet space continue along familiar lines on retail store shelves, with convenience, eco-friendliness and premiumization making appearances.

BY Lindsay Beaton, Founder/Principal
Beaton Path Communications LLC

Earlier in 2026, Pets+ kicked off its inaugural Retailer’s Choice Awards to give the industry a chance to vote for its top pet products. Voting bgean in the organization’s May-June issue and winners across 35 different product categories were announced just before SuperZoo. In early October, after the dust had settled and pet retailers had time to consider the winners, Pets+ reached out to ask why the winning products got their votes. The answers, unsurprisingly, say a lot about what pet customers want, both for their pets and from retailers specifically.

What pet owners want: Convenience, eco-consciousness and the premium experience

Convenience

Many of the products chosen in their respective categories make life easier for both pet owners and their animals. Tooth & gum wipes from earthbath (which won in the Dental category) are “the easy and convenient solution to keeping your pet's mouth clean from plaque, tartar and odor-causing bacteria,” according to earthbath’s website. Dental issues in pets are a constant conversation between veterinarians and pet owners, and an animal’s overall health can be significantly affected by dental problems. However, pets are not thrilled with having their teeth brushed and dental treats alone don’t fix the whole problem. Enter a product that is quick, safe for daily use and easy to store, and retailers are likely to stock it for their customers’ use.

Backyard bags from The Original Poop Bags (which won in the Waste Products category) hones in on convenience purely for the pet owner. This product has an arm access slot built into the bag, meaning a single bag can be used to clean up multiple yard messes without having to fumble with gloves or more than one bag. Bonus points go to this, and several other products on the Pets+ winners list, for its sustainability features: the bags themselves are made out of 38% plant-based materials and are USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Certified Biobased.

Eco-consciousness

Speaking of eco-friendly features, pet food customers are looking for sustainability in all sorts of ways, judging by retailers’ votes. For example, Open Farm’s GoodGut Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe (which won in the Complete & Balanced Kibble category) uses Ocean Wise-certified wild-caught salmon as an ingredient, meaning if customers are paying attention to ethical sourcing, this is an option. Honest to Goodness brand Upcycled Horse treats use rescued fruit that would have otherwise gone to waste in both Apple and Banana flavors.

Cat litter is another excellent segment to highlight sustainability; there was a tie in the Litter, Litterboxes & Accessories category between ökocat’s Original Premium Wood Clumping cat litter and Dofu Cat’s plant-based cat litter. ökocat’s packaging is recyclable (on top of the materials used to make the litter being sustainable), and Dofu Cat’s litter uses upcycled, food-grade ingredients as its materials.

The premium experience

Perhaps one of the longest-lasting trends in the pet space, premiumization still shines through in the choices pet owners make and the products retailers stock. Smallbatch Pets cleaned up in several categories showcasing premium options: Smallbatch Raw Frozen Dog Food from won the vote in the Complete & Balanced Frozen Food category, the company’s Freeze-Dried Sliders for Dogs came out on top in the Complete & Balanced Shelf-Stable Food category, their SuperBoosters Freeze-Dried Bites won in Toppers & Broths, and their Single Ingredient Freeze-Dried Heart Treats won in the treats category. Since Smallbatch Pets focuses on humanely raised and harvested proteins, whole food-delivered vitamins and minerals, organic produce, and of course small-batch production, their place in the premium segment cannot be denied.

Even the Tall Tails Cuddle Bed, which won in the Beds category, shows how much pet owners want to pamper their pets — these beds retail at around US$49.99, while the company’s most expensive bed option tops out at US$119.99. The beds also play into the convenience trend, as they’re machine washable.

How the industry can make the most out of these insights

Paying attention to the product sellers should be a no-brainer. Retailers are on the front lines when it comes to customer connection, and if they say a product is at the top, it bears noticing. The trends that emerged in the Pets+ Retailer’s Choice Awards aren’t new, but it is good to know they’re still around. It becomes, then, about the nuance within the trend: Convenience isn’t just technology, it’s found in the everyday needs of pet owners. Eco-friendliness isn’t just recycling, it’s also upcycled ingredients and responsible farming. Premiumization isn’t just whole-food ingredients, it’s high-end manufacturing formats.

So, pay attention. Take what retailers say to heart. Scan industry awards to see what clicks. And, maybe, find a new direction along the way.