Man’s (& business’s) best friend

The June cover of GRAPHICS PRO is one we look forward to throughout the year. Good covers come easier when you can lead with a picture of an adorable dog. As many of our readers have found, a growing trend in people purchasing more products specifically for their pets can lead to an increase in your bottom line. According to online retailer Crown & Paw, spending on pet products in the U.S. hit $152 billion in 2024 and was projected to increase by another $5 billion last year.

The booming interest in pet products is no doubt due in part to the fact that, as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) research shows, nearly one in five Americans acquired pets during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ASPCA points out that, contrary to popular belief, return rates were quite low, with roughly 90% of dogs and 85% of cats remaining in their homes. That’s a lot of pets who were able to spend a lot of time with their new families during the pandemic.

My family is proudly part of these statistics. We brought Henry, our black lab/Golden retriever/Great Pyrenees mix, home as my work-from-home office companion. And, though he’s often caught sleeping on the job, he’s one of the best coworkers I’ve ever had (no offense, Marie). All this is to say that since the pandemic, there seems to be a shift toward how more people pamper their pets, and, as you’ll find in Shelly Windhalm’s article on page 18, graphics shops are making the most of the trend.

Also in this issue, sign industry veteran Paul Ingle shares what he saw at this spring’s International Sign Association Expo, and points out that the key to more sales is likely in your sign shop’s back room (page 10).

For our apparel decorating readers, don’t miss Jennifer Cox’s advice on pricing embroidery projects — especially those who took her pricing survey shared in last month’s issue. On page 30, Jennifer shares how to best price projects for profit.

And speaking of profit, both Aaron Montgomery and Marshall Atkinson share in this month’s issue ways in which systematic processes in your shop will increase efficiency in operations and training that will, no doubt, lead to increased profits as well.

As always, we appreciate your readership. If there’s anything you’d like to see us cover more in GRAPHICS PRO, just drop us a line.

James Anderson

Editor-in-chief