The human touch: consumers who treat their pets as well as themselves are changing the dynamics of the pet category. Both retailers and suppliers are working to capitalize on the opportunity

Perhaps it was inevitable. After years of pampering themselves with everything from finer meats to beauty care products, tribe are starting to do the same for their fondlings

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The ramifications for retailers and suppliers are many. Among the greatest in quantity important is that retailers must render certain they expand their mix to stock the harvests these more finicky consumers are looking for. That means more space for fondling products at the same time that many other categories--nonfoods and otherwise--are also seeking to boost their space in groceries stores.

Second, both retailers and suppliers have to do their homework