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RETAILERS LEARN NEW WAYS TO IMPROVE BUSINESS AT SUPERZOO Pet Store Owners Flock to Las Vegas for Pet Industry’s Biggest Event, July 22 – 24

MONROVIA, CA (May 7, 2014) —The biggest industry event for independent pet store retailers, SuperZoo, is slated to showcase four intensive days packed with educational seminars and brand-new products and ideas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from July 22–24. The National Show for Pet RetailersTM focuses on providing the best sales strategies and tools available to help retailers expand their customer base and improve their bottom line in this expanding industry. With more than 13,000 pet stores pulling revenues of $15.9 billion in 2013 alone (IBIS World), the demand for SuperZoo’s education and training in the pet products and service industry is higher than ever. SuperZoo University delivers the biggest and best educational program in the industry, boasting a comprehensive curriculum twice the size as any other pet retail trade show. Back by popular demand, this year will offer special Monday pre-show seminars including: a four-hour Fast Growth Bootcamp led by Bob Negen of WhizBang! Training, which gives store owners and staff proven retail techniques for increasing sales and improving marketing immediately, as well as Making SuperZoo Work for You: Tips and Tactics for Maximizing Your Time and Improving Profits While at the Show, presented by Lynn Switanowski. “SuperZoo gets bigger and better every year, and our show floor is always sold out,” said Doug Poindexter, World Pet Association President. “Everyone in the industry knows that SuperZoo has all of the resources they need to be successful. If pet retailers only go to one trade event of the year, this is the one they choose.” SuperZoo U features top experts in retailing, business and animal wellness coaching on how best to respond to market changes and consumer trends, as well as how to keep store operations on the leading edge. With over sixty sessions available, SuperZoo U provides storeowners and their staff with a variety of training equivalent to weeks’ worth of instruction. These sessions fall into three core modules:

Staff and Business Development seminars provide managers and store owners with effective tools and techniques to expand their business. Topics include: sales strategy development, how to rejuvenate and inspire your workforce, how to shorten sales cycles and more.

Animal Wellness seminars focus on animal health and nutrition for a variety of species; the latest products and trends in pet food ingredients and labeling are also covered.

Technology/Internet seminars delve into ecommerce for pet retailers and explore effective ways to engage customers online using a company website and social media channels.

The Groomer SuperShow at SuperZoo also features sessions covering grooming techniques such as how to shear different dog breeds, detangle fur, operate a successful dog salon, groom difficult pets and other topics of interest to groomers. Show attendees will also find two special features on this year’s show floor:

Presented by Phillips Pet Food & Supplies and Pacific Store Design, the Idea Pet Store offers great ideas for attendees’ own store when they experience the Idea Pet Store; attendees can compare this retail “gold standard” to their own operation to see how to boost sales. Education such as “The Newest in Pet Store Design and Merchandising with ‘The Idea Pet Store’ Guided Tour” with Chris Miller of Pacific Store Designs will cover pet store design and merchandising session, which will reveal the inner secrets of “The Idea Pet Store.”

The School of Animal Wellness, sponsored by Horn, will showcase a group of on-point seminars with the latest information and expert advice from a panel of top animal wellness pros—delivered in short, concise sessions held right in the Expo Hall. From “Freshwater Health & Husbandry Tips for Your Fish Room Crew” to the impact of the “Food Safety Modernization Act” and how ingredients impact today’s pet foods, topics are relevant and sessions are free.

SuperZoo U classes are $10 for World Pet Association members and $19 for non-WPA members; day passes for 1, 2 and 3 days are also available. For the full curriculum, see the full SuperZoo University schedule. Here’s a sampling of SuperZoo U sessions:

How to Find, Hire & Train a Team of Retail Superstars

Inexpensive Yet Incredibly Effective Ways to Market Your Pet Store

How the Independent Retailer Can Compete with the Big Guys

Using Data to Love Your Customers, Spend Less & Make More SuperZoo U also shows other retailers—such as gift shops, hardware and feed stores, Internet retailers and many more—how they can add pet products to their merchandise mix and see immediate benefits for their business. The keynote speech will be delivered by Daymond John, founder & CEO of FUBU and co-star of ABC’s Shark Tank—his proven ability to build successful brands make him an in-demand speaker, and his insights will help pet store retailers discover how to improve their own operations.

### ABOUT SUPERZOO SuperZoo is the most popular trade show for the pet store industry, attracting thousands of retailers, product suppliers and service providers every year. SuperZoo 2014 will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 22–24. Produced by the World Pet Association (WPA), the show is an important annual event that provides independent pet store owners with the knowledge and resources they need to be successful. WPA is the oldest industry organization promoting responsible growth and development of the companion pet and related products and services. WPA works to inform and educate the general public in order to ensure safe and healthy lifestyles for our animal friends. In addition to producing SuperZoo, WPA is the host of America’s Family Pet Expo, the world’s largest consumer pet and pet products expo, held annually in Costa Mesa, California, the Atlanta Pet Fair and the Aquatic Experience, held in Chicago, Illinois.