Groom Expo West 2025 Recap & Must-Know Pet Industry Trends

From Clippers to Clicks: Takeaways from Team Gingr's Time in Pasadena 

The Pasadena Convention Center was positively buzzing this past weekend as thousands of groomers, stylists, and pet-care pros gathered for Groom Expo West 2025, the world's second-largest pet grooming trade show and conference. Team Gingr was on site, connecting with pet business professionals and absorbing the latest insights, trends, and insider information that the experts had to offer.

The global pet-care market is set to reach $340.71 billion by 2029, and the energy at Groom Expo West confirmed one thing: The industry is booming, evolving, and more opportunity-packed than ever. With more than 40 educational sessions led by veterinary professionals, grooming enthusiasts, educators, and globally recognized creative stylists, there was plenty to learn during an amazing four days of connection.  

Here are our top takeaways.

1. Grooming Goes Premium: Clients Want Luxe for Their Pets

Pet parents are prioritizing health and pampering, driving demand for premium food, hypoallergenic shampoos, ergonomic tools, and personalized grooming. Sessions like Chris Anthony's "Doodles, Doodles Everywhere!" and Olga Zabelinskaya's "Dog Emoji" emphasized how boutique-quality care and precise, perfect cuts are now baseline expectations.

High-end grooming isn't just about fluff and flair. It's about comfort, skin health, breed-specific trims, and creating a stress-free experience for pets. Clients now look for businesses that offer specialized packages, from oatmeal baths to facials to pawdicures.

Pro Tip: Easily upsell spa-worthy services with dynamic pricing, report cards, and online add-ons that delight pet parents — while boosting your revenue.

2. Creative Grooming Is a Must-Have Service

Creative grooming is having its moment, from rainbow mohawks to Pokémon-inspired trims. Rockstars like Angela Kumpe, Alyssa Kasiba, and Adriane Pope packed their sessions, proving that artistic flair builds brand buzz and revenue.

Creative grooming helps differentiate your business in a saturated market. Even quick touches like bows, feathers, stencils, or temporary color can set your salon apart and become social media gold.

Pro Tip: Use pet grooming software to store pet parent preferences, attach before-and-after photos, and automate custom add-ons that show off your creative edge. 

3. Tech Is the Newest Grooming Tool

Software is now as essential as scissors. In the "Tech-Savvy Grooming" session, Awesome Paws Pet Salon Owner Denise Heroux showed how pet business software, AI, and social media fuel salon growth. From scheduling, to marketing and payments, pet-care pros are automating more to do less.

Technology is also addressing labor shortages and burnout by making operations more efficient. Automation tools,and analytics are like virtual assistants helping groomers stay focused on pets, not paperwork.

Pro tip: Gingr's online booking, PreCheck, automated texts, and integrated payments streamline your day, increase average ticket size, and deliver a friction-free client experience. Get a sneak peek. 

4. Transparency Builds Trust with Pet Parents

Our integration partner, iDogCam, was out on the floor showcasing their mobile grooming camera system, which brings HD pet monitoring to brick-and-mortar salons and vans alike.

With our integration, pet parents can check in on their pups in real time, straight from their customer portal. It's a high-tech way to build loyalty, boost transparency, and offer something competitors don't.

This system is especially helpful for anxious clients or first-time visitors. They can see their pet being cared for, building trust that results in repeat bookings and referrals. It's a win for pet parents and a major differentiator for your brand.

Pro Tip: Pet parents love to share their furry friend's spa day. Live access or video clips from iDogCam give them content to post—and your business gets free exposure. That's added value for your grooming biz!

5. Mobile Grooming Continues Gaining Traction

More groomers are going mobile. Brands like Barkbus and Wag'n Tails are even scaling fleets, and iDogCam's innovations prove that mobile grooming is a serious business. Mobile sessions like "Salon vs. Mobile" and "Marketing and Pricing for Mobile" confirmed that convenience is king.

Mobile grooming is particularly appealing for elderly clients, busy professionals, and pets with anxiety. It's also an exciting opportunity for groomers looking to reduce overhead and expand service areas.

Pro Tip: Thinking about expanding your services? Check out our starter guide to know when the time is right.

6. Business Education Is Essential At Every Step

From newbie groomers to experienced professionals looking to evolve as client needs change, you don't have to navigate business alone. There were numerous seminars at Groom Expo West designed to help pet-care pros elevate operations, pricing, hiring, and growth.

Sessions covered topics like:

• Pricing strategies that reflect your value.
• Effective marketing tactics, from local SEO to social reels.
• Hiring, training, and retaining top grooming talent.
• How to protect your brand, time, and sanity with policies and boundaries.

Pro Tip: Leverage your pet business management tools to access real-time analytics, employee time tracking, training videos, and smart automation tools that help you make data-backed decisions every day. 

7. The Industry Needs More Trained Groomers

With skilled labor shortages impacting quality and capacity, it's clear the future belongs to businesses investing in training and certification.

We saw sessions like "Want To Be A Groomer?" that were a hit with interested groomers and pet-care pros looking to add salon services to their facilities. Topics included essentials like:

• Tool safety and maintenance.
• Breed-specific grooming techniques.
• Anatomy and coat structure.
• Building confidence as a new stylist.

8. Grooming is a Global Opportunity

With pet adoption growing worldwide and emerging markets exploding in countries like Asia and Latin America, the global pet industry is scaling fast. Innovation, education, and empathy are the keys to staying ahead.

Pet services are the fastest-growing product segment. In North America and Europe, sustainability and premiumization are leading trends, while tech-forward grooming tools and mobile services are gaining ground worldwide.

Groom Expo West proved that this industry is more than thriving—it's transforming. Whether you're a solo groomer, a multi-location brand, or a mobile fleet on the move, the time to innovate is now.

Lead the Pack with Tools Designed for Pet Grooming Professionals

We had an absolute blast at Groom Expo West, connecting face-to-face with passionate groomers, creative stylists, mobile mavens, and multi-location leaders who are shaping the future of pet care. Every conversation at the Gingr booth reaffirmed what we already knew: Groomers are juggling a million tasks and need smart, reliable tools to simplify operations and stay ahead of trends.

From booth demos to backstage chats, the recurring themes were clear — more automation, fewer no-shows, easier payments, and better ways to delight pet parents. Groomers told us they’re ready to stop spinning their wheels on paperwork and start focusing on what they love—pets, people, and polished grooms. We couldn’t agree more.

Whether it was a solo stylist overwhelmed with scheduling or a growing team struggling with commissions, we loved showing attendees how Gingr can help.

Ready to simplify, scale, and stand out? Book a demo to see how Gingr helps grooming businesses save time, boost revenue, and build loyal clients for life.