Why Enrichment Is Key to Building a Pet Toy Assortment

Dog and cat toys are more than fun and games to today's pet owners. They see toys as an opportunity to provide enriching playtime with their pet—and even strengthen their bond. This means owners have high expectations for the toys that they buy.

"Enrichment for dogs and cats continues to gather momentum in the U.S. market," said Adam Baker, president of SodaPup, a manufacturer in Boulder, Colo. "As a result, we see enrichment-related toys and food puzzles trending."

It's a natural extension of the macro-level humanization trend, Baker said. Today's pet owners want a better-quality life for their animals, and that includes better playtime opportunities.

As consumers shop for toys, Baker said that they seek out products that are durable and therefore provide good value for their investment.

"Durable toys are also considered safer because there is less chance of choking on bits and pieces that come from toy destruction," Baker continued. "Additionally, consumers have a growing preference for American-made toys because these are considered safer than products made in China and other Asian countries."

To meet the growing demand for more options, SodaPup introduces new products every month, Baker noted. The company introduced four treat-dispensing toys at Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Fla., in March. These include the Flower Pot Treat Dispenser, Ice Cream Cone Treat Dispenser, Penguin Treat Dispenser and the Love Cube.

Jerry Moffett, vice president of sales and marketing for Ruff Dawg, a manufacturer in Worcester, Mass., agreed that durability and safety are key features that pet owners seek. He added that toys that are eco-conscious and made in the USA are also considerations.

"Pet parents are looking for safe, fun and durable toys that look great but also actually perform," he said. "The days of buying dog toys that are designed to be cute for five minutes, and then thrown away are over. We also believe that made in the USA is still very important to customers when selecting products for their best friend."

At press time, Moffett said the company had plans to introduce a new lifetime-guaranteed solid rubber dog toy in the shape of a heart.

"It will come in bright neon colors and in two sizes—regular for dogs under 40 pounds and XL for dogs over 40 pounds," he added.

Sarah Johnson, account manager at P.L.A.Y. (Pet Lifestyle and You), a San Francisco-based manufacturer, agreed that pet owners expect more out of toys. The trends driving the pet toy industry right now remain centered around style and interactivity for "maximum playtime enrichment," she noted.

"Plush toys are still favorites, and there is a great variety of designs and styles available," she said. "P.L.A.Y. is well-known for our themed plush collections, and we’ve continued to evolve our plush toys to offer options within each collection to meet dogs’ different play preferences so we know every pup can find a toy that suits them."

P.L.A.Y. has teamed up with HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP, to release a gaming-peripheral-inspired pet accessories collection.

"This new line features a Pulsefur Mat based on our best-selling Chill Pad mat and three toy shapes designed from miniature versions of HyperX's gaming peripherals," Johnson said. "Now pet parents and their dogs can game together."

As far as cat toys are concerned, Johnson said the category is steadily growing.

"Customers are increasingly willing to spend more on their cats, so there's a growing variety of available toys," she said. "The cute factor that previously mostly only dog parents were willing to pay for plays a bigger role in cat toys now. Consumers like products that not only are engaging for their cats but are going to be adorable to see them play with and maybe snap a photo or video with during playtime."

Alison Schwartz, general manager of All Pets Considered, a retailer with two stores in Greensboro, N.C., said that she loves all the new automated toys that have come on the market for cats.

"The movements of things like the Flippin’ Fish [from Ethical Products] keep cats engaged and stimulated," she said. "I also love the battery-operated toys that are more engaging. We try to rotate the cat toys we carry to offer a variety of new products while keeping classics like [Cat Dancer Products’] Cat Dancer and the Go Cat products in-stock at all times. Another more recent favorite is the Doc & Phoebe's The Hunting Snacker [from Ethical Products]. It is an awesome toy and activity set."

Even as the category expands, Kim McCohan, chief happiness officer for Bend Pet Express, which has two stores in Bend, Ore., said that there will always be a place for classic cat toys such as furry mice and wands.

"The old standbys aren't going away," McCohan said. "Simple toys that engage a cat's hunting instincts will always sell well—even as new options come out."

Because toys are sometimes an impulse buy, it can help to draw customers’ attention to creative displays in the store.

Baker said creating a theme can tell a story on the shelf.

"It is more powerful than single items and encourages multiple purchases," he said. "For example, we have a honey theme which includes a honeycomb slow-feeder bowl, a honeycomb lick mat, and honey pot treat dispenser, a honey bear treat dispenser, and several honey dipper-inspired nylon chew toys. Each item stands on its own, but when you merchandise them together, it's pretty irresistible."

Johnson agreed that merchandising plays a big role in catching shoppers’ attention, even when their minds are on other things.

"Offering creative and eye-catching displays can draw customers in when they might otherwise be planning to make a beeline through the store to grab essentials," she said. "Adding toy displays in areas outside of a toy wall by making dedicated endcaps or adding floor displays in high-traffic areas outside of the toy section can be helpful."

Johnson also suggested keeping inventory fresh to help drive sales in this category.

"While it's important to keep a strong assortment of best-sellers, shoppers like to see a variety, and by regularly having something new on offer, a retailer can build that element of shoppers looking forward to coming into the store to find fresh toys they haven't seen yet," she said.

Moffett said that two phrases are often all customers need to hear to make a toy sale. That includes "Made in the USA" and "Comes with a lifetime guarantee."

Cindra Conison, owner of The Quirky Pet, a retailer in Montpelier, Vt., said that she only carries made in the USA toy brands. She often displays plush toys in baskets and said this makes them an enticing choice for shoppers to consider as an impulse buy.

Stocking a wide variety of options stimulates sales as well, she added.

"It's important to carry a nice assortment so that you have plenty of choices for all of your different customers," Conison said. "It helps to really know your customer base as you choose what to carry."

Schwartz noted that she encourages staff to engage with customers and ask about their pet's playing habits.

"Are they seeking rubber toys or plush toys? And is their pet a destroyer or just likes to tote toys around? I find the more tailored we can make the toy to their pet's needs, the more satisfied they will be with their purchase," Schwartz said. "It gives us a chance to also head off return requests for chewed up or destroyed toys."

Jennifer Rosenberger, director of product management for Petshop by Fringe Studio in Culver City, Calif.

Staying at the forefront of fun has always been important to Petshop by Fringe Studio. We strive to keep our pet toy designs colorful, humorous and packed with multi-feature fun. We know each pet is unique and has its favorite ways to play, so we work to capture the best features for each toy to really maximize value for the retailer, pet and pet parent.

Having funny and iconic toys that stand out from the sea of other pet brands with special details and features to promote interactive play along with a variety of types of toys at varying price points is a great way to help retailers really drive sales in the plush dog toy category.

Petshop by Fringe Studio not only offers a great variety of everyday dog toys to carry throughout the year, but also has really fun seasonal assortments to help freshen retailers’ shelves.

Our 2023 Halloween assortment has a great variety of toys for retailers to easily put together a merchandised collection with a variety of types of toys at those varying price points. The collection includes burrow toys, two-piece and three-piece multi-packs, durable plush toys and premium plush toys, with some toys that slide on a rope. New this year, we’re also offering Wear Then Play toy sets that have a hat and dog toy curated into a Halloween theme for those pups or pet parents that love capturing those Instagramable moments with their pets.

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