High-Growth Pet Food Brand, Walmart Team Address Cat Consumer Needs, Expand Reach

Healthy cat food maker I and love and you has an expanded assortment at Walmart to offer additional ultra-premium products to more cats than ever before The I and love and you cat portfolio at Walmart includes a robust variety of pates, stews, shreds, kibble and treats in more than 1,400 Walmart stores nationwide and online

This expansion also includes the exclusive Walmart launch of Treat Meow Squeeze & Thank You, a premium, lickable cat treat for pet owners to interactively show their love for their cats while delivering purpose, flavor and complete and balanced nutrition

According to a sur vey by Packaged Facts, the majority of cat owners believe that felines are treated as second-class citizens in the pet industry compared to their canine counterparts Today, only 8 percent of cat food and treat sales come from ultrapremium products, compared to 24 percent of dog food and treat sales, a stat I and love and you is on a mission to change

By dedicating equal attention to ultrapremium products for both cats and dogs with a 50/50 split of the brand’s products and sales volume, I and love and you offers a customizable portfolio that caters to the unique needs and preferences of both cats and dogs With this Walmart expansion, I and love and you will be able to serve its cat food and treats to more cats nationwide

“If you walk down any grocery pet food aisle today, the quality and variety of prod-

Lotus

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304 stainless steel conical fermenters, brew kettles, IBC totes, multi-capacity tanks, mash tuns, brite tanks, canning systems, automation and control systems, packaging, thermal processes and sanitation equipment, raw ingredient supply, parts and more

In another industr y first, Lotus intro- ucts offered for dogs versus cats is striking,” said Michael Meyer, CEO of I and love and you “We know cat consumers are searching for products by benefit, flavor and variety and our robust line offers them high quality food with functional benefits in every product, plus an amazing variety of flavors, textures and packaging types With this exciting expansion and collaboration with Walmart, we are delivering to cat consumers – full stop!”

Exclusive to Walmart, Treat Meow Squeeze & Thank You lickable cat treats are one of the fastest growing pet treat formats (more than 98 percent annual growth) in the market

According to Mintel, more than two thirds of cat owners purchase treats and more than half give their cats treats daily Of these cat owners, a large margin of them, 70 percent, prefer to give their cat a variety of treats and 40 percent are interested in purchasing treats with functional ingredients that address specific health concerns

Treat Meow Squeeze & Thank You is the first function-for ward, lickable treat that puts cats’ nutrition first – just how it should be I and love and you saw an opportunity to meet the needs of this consumer and to fill a whitespace for premium cat treats with a priority on nutrition The new cat products provide premium, holistic and accessible cat food and treats with the flavors that felines crave, closing the duced a proprietar y financing program that offers customers affordable financing options, removing cost barriers for startups and smaller beverage producers Credit approvals typically take less than 24 hours to provide clients with maximum flexibility

“What a bold vision to pull together such well-respected leaders of each of their respective craft beverage supplier channel segments The result of this merger for craft beverage makers is sure to be exponential gap between current offerings and consumer desires

Available in three purr-worthy recipes, Immune Support with sustainably sourced seafood, Digestion Support with savor y cage free chicken and Skin & Coat Support with wild caught tuna, these treats are crafted with prebiotics, pumpkin, zinc and added vitamins and minerals including Omega 3 and Omegas 6 oils to improve pets’ systems and functions They contain households, I and love and you is also introducing Irresist-A-Bowls, a pantry-fresh skillet meal for dogs, at select Walmart stores and online Irresist-A-Bowls contain real, non-GMO, fresh protein and produce With real meat always at the top of the ingredient list, these recipes contain farm-raised, grass-fed beef and cage-free chicken, alongside a healthy dose of prebiotics to support healthy digestion

Irresist-A-Bowls are carefully crafted in small-batch recipes, as if they came straight from the skillet, for hearty and wholesome nutrition pet owners can feel good about Available in two lipsmacking varieties, Chicken + Beef Recipe and Chicken + Duck Recipe, these shelf-stable recipes can serve as your furr y pal’s main course, or as a tasty topper no grains or fillers and nothing artificial for a truly clean treating experience

The product is available in single-flavor packs of four single-serve sticks and a Variety Pack format including 12 single-serve sticks with four of each flavor All packaging is 100 percent recyclable through Terra-Cycle

The Treat Meow Squeeze & Thank You line will be coming to grocery stores and online retailers nationwide later in the year

Continuing the brand’s mission to deliver high-quality nutrition to multi-pet growth and continued beverage innovation,” said Banjo Bandolas, director of advertising and sales at ProBrewer com “Lotus appears to be a first-mover by creating a one-stop-shop for craft brewers and companies moving into ‘beyond beer’ products I look forward to seeing where it evolves ”

Lotus has implemented an employee ownership program, at no cost to the employees Employee ownership has been extended to every single employee throughout the organization Research has shown that

Based in Boulder, Colo , I and love and you is sharing the love with all the food and treats pets would make for themselves if they could In partnership with their own pets and a holistic veterinarian, I and love and you creates a variety of meals and snacks made with quality meat and vegetables that contain zero fillers, preservatives or artificial junk – or as they say, “nothing weird!” The fast-growing brand delivers to both dog and cat equally and can be found at retailers nationwide including Walmart, Albertsons, Kroger, Sprouts, Publix and online GN broad-based employee ownership programs improve worker retention, reduce income disparity and result in higher margins, as well as improved growth and operating efficiencies across various aspects of a business Lotus collaborated with Ownership Works in this employee ownership program’s creation

The Lotus merger was facilitated by Ronin Equity Partners, a New York-based investment firm with a long-term growth focus Ronin is also an investor in Lotus GN