30 minute read
• Q&A Interview: Shari White, Petco, The Health + Wellness Co
Leading Women in Pet
r From Pg. 41 mistakes and fortunately they were not big costly ones. Be creative, be proactive, add value, recognize pet owners’ needs, fulfill a niche and most of all be persistent as it pays in the long run. I started out knowing nothing about the industry and learned about it along the way.”
Marian with Green Juju advises other women to be passionate and introduce original products and ideas to the industry all the while supporting one another. “You have to truly, wholeheartedly love and believe in what you’re doing,” she said. “There will be uphill battles, but when you believe in your product, you keep climbing. You’ll find others that believe in you and help push you up. And you push them up, too. Like any industry, it’s all about connections. When you focus on innovation, people want to collaborate with you because you’re working together rather than competing. One of the things I love about the industry is that we are all in it because we are passionate about our pets, we are all loving people, and by helping each other it ultimately helps meet our collective goal of creating healthier options for our pets.”
“The advice I would give someone is to really look at trying to get a job somewhere you can have exposure to larger pieces of the business and be able to absorb the industry,” Horn said. “So many times people want to be in pet, and they don’t know where to start. They may be in a store, which is a great place to be, or they may be in a rescue group or other things. I would say no matter where it is you’re starting, to make sure you’re wanting to be exposed to the parts of the business and wanting to be exposed to how that strategy works, to elevate within pet and to go into different roles. Often times the more exposure you have; the business would be better. Everybody loves being on the front end and playing with the kittens and the dogs, but where they’re really going to have the chance to learn and have a long career and have a lot of opportunity for growth, is by finding a business where they can learn different pieces of the puzzle and become a well-rounded expert. That’s really what is going to give them a long career path and journey in pet.”
“Whether it’s this industry or anything, what is your passion? What gets you excited? I always ask the question: What makes your days go by quickly? And find that energy where you say: Oh man, I could do this all day,” Morris said. “Find yourself a mentor and if it’s a nontraditional role, if you’re a female and that is something that intrigues you, then get yourself into it like there’s no reason to say, ‘Oh it’s not traditional.’ I love the ability to have a company like Phillips, that offers you the ability to get well rounded exposure to all of those things so that you can find what makes your days go fast. A lot of times you don’t know until you get a little feeling for it, or you get exposure to it. I’d say get exposure to a company that has all of those different options, is supportive, when you start to feel a little passion about something, jump into it a bit more and explore it and see if it’s something that you want to go into.”
Regardless of how long they have served the pet industry, these women continue to achieve their goals and collect a string of accomplishments, be it developing and expanding their categories or bringing original products to pet owners that promote their pets’ quality of life on a daily basis.
“I am most proud of the fact that every day I get to help people and their pets,” Sterling said. “I’m always proud of every product that I’ve sold. I’ve always been of the mindset that I’m not going to sell you something that I wouldn’t give to my own dog or cat. Working for FoodScience with the Pet Naturals and the VetriScience side of things, it’s products that are going to help your pets, and I’ve seen it happen firsthand. I’m a firm believer in these products because I’ve seen the results. Being able to go out and get that to as many people as many pet parents as possible to help their pets, that’s what I’m so proud of. I’m so proud of every day I’m taking the time to make animals’ lives better. In turn, that also helps the pet owners. That helps them too because their pet isn’t in pain, their pet has more mobility, their pet may possibly live longer. I’m all about extending the quality of life and the care of these animals that we have.”
“When I started at Skout’s Honor, they found me on LinkedIn and they interviewed me with four empty bottles of product and had a vision of what they’d like the company to become,” Morlas said. “I had to dig deep to find the will to want to take on that kind of endeavor. I’d been in the pet industry close to 20 years at that point and starting a company from the ground up, was going to be quite an undertaking. I took a leap of faith and here we are 24 employees later with our own distribution facilities with a globally recognized brand.”
“On a personal level, mentoring and educating young professionals who share the same passion for the pet industry as I do, that’s something I enjoy and something I am proud to say that I’ve put multiple young people into motion getting their careers started in the pet industry and watching them succeed,” she added. “Finding young professionals who want to join an industry that will provide abundant opportunities to grow and succeed makes me feel like I’ve helped better another person. I enjoy that immensely.”
“While the logical answer might be related to a financial numbers of sorts, what I am most proud of is the journey,” Bartz-Soppa said. “Starting out at Chuck & Don’s as a part time team member simply loving animals, not really knowing what was ahead, to being part of that success as well as the success with IPP, is all part of the journey. While the journey has provided some great moments and many experiences to be proud of, it’s the industry, the partnerships and often times lifelong friendship that are all part of the proudest journey.”
“My initial and continued work as one of the founding members of IndiePet is one of my top accomplishments,” Wilson said.
During her time with the APPA, Stewart has influenced and shaped the tradeshow experience the majority of exhibitors and attendees rave about and commend the APPA for each year. “I am extremely proud of my more than decade-long journey with APPA and Global Pet Expo, and my role in helping shape the future of the association and trade show,” Stewart said. “From work-
Leading Women in Pet
r From Pg. 42 ing with more than 1,000 exhibitors during the show each year, to overseeing booth sales and assignments, floor plan management, exhibitor recruitment and retention and more, I have had the chance to learn and influence so many things during my time with APPA. I am excited to enter into this new leadership position and see all that is to come for my career, the organization and the pet industry as a whole.”
“First, I’m proud of all our associates and customers for the trust they’ve placed in our company,” Stout said. “We’ve built an amazing business that serves not only our industry, but our local Alliance, OH community. Second, I’m very pleased to support programs to enhance the quality of our lives with pets, including Pets In the Classroom, Morris Animal Foundation and Leader Dogs for the Blind. There are many good works to sponsor in the pet industry. We align with these organizations’ purposes based largely on their science-based approach, longevity and their impact to others’ lives.”
Waite created a company that did more than provide treats for dogs and cats. She wanted to challenge the status quo and disrupt the habit of wasting food which has been the accepted norm for too long. “The core of Shameless Pets’ mission is to upcycle food, the sustainable solution to food waste,” Waite said. “We transform misfit or surplus food into high quality pet treats that are packed with superfoods, and when we started in 2017, we thought it would be amazing if we could save 1 million pounds of food from going to waste. Recently, we surpassed our goal and are so proud of the team and all the work that has gotten us to this size to be able to upcycle more and more food, to ultimately have a positive impact on the planet. With 100 percent of our everyday items officially being Upcycled Certified, we are honored and humbled to be leaders of this movement in the pet space with a new goal of 3 million pounds by 2025!”
Frudakis takes pride in her determination to start a business and going on to not only succeed but thrive in an industry she was unfamiliar with. “I knew nothing about other then I knew I loved pets of all types,” she said. “Spearheading the development, production and distribution of innovative trend setting products that saved and enhanced millions of animals lives, serving multiple channels of distribution and making these products available where all consumers like to shop are some of the top achievements.”
“I had a lot of barriers to break through in the beginning!” Marian said. “Back in 2013, people laughed in my face when I suggested they feed vegetables to their dogs. But I did my research, I talked to holistic vets, canine herbalists, canine nutrition specialists, and I saw firsthand the results in my own dog. I was sure that this was the way, so I kept pushing. Then I noticed others starting to promote the same studies that I was basing my work off. Before long, the idea of feeding dogs plants became more mainstream. Today, in 2022, more pet parents than ever are adding some kind of fresh food to their bowls. I feel proud to be a part of that movement because I know what an impact it is making.”
“Besides my family, I am proud of the jobs that we create and the team that we have built,” Kershner said. “Having a successful company does not happen in a vacuum or on my own. I have wonderful team members, including my husband Mike, that bring fresh, new ideas to the table, are problem solvers and big thinkers. I could not do this on my own!”
“I am also most proud of our Huxley & Kent Rescue Fund,” she added. “We are just about to top 100 rescue organizations that we have helped with donations throughout the years. Each month our retailers help us pick a name of their favorite pet-related charity and we make a monetary contribution. Learning about the good works of these selfless volunteers makes me happy.”
Morris was with Phillips for 14 years before a 4-year hiatus and now that she’s back, “the relationships are still there, and this industry is very relationship driven,” she said. “I’ve got a genuine interest in those people, and it’s just not about business. When you can share in that passion, and you can communicate that through your relationship and have that come through your actions and the way you go about business and the relationship that you have with your customers and your vendors, it makes for a harmonious ecosystem within my role. I’ve got vendors and customers that I’m constantly with and networking with, and I’ve got good relationships there that are genuine, they’re all mutually beneficial and we’re all driving towards the same goals. Being able to communicate that genuinely here not just for the dollars but the betterment of us all, is key. I’m happy to be a part of the Phillips executive team and be able to be somebody that also others can look to because I did work my way up, put the time in and got the exposure and have a good view of the company. Being able to show others the path and what it takes is great as well. It takes time and it takes passion. I’m happy here. It’s got to radiate, and it’s got to be genuine. That’s big. My days fly by.”
“I’m most proud of is I started at an entry level career where I was making $31,000—it was a very entry level career, I knew absolutely nothing and through hard work, dedication and luck I was able to move into the position where I am today,” Horn said. “I’m most proud of that transition. Really, it’s all about what we’re doing for the pets. It wouldn’t be very rewarding and exciting if we weren’t doing so much better for the dogs and cats today than we were 15 years ago. The great thing about pet, is it’s about doing the right thing for the right reason. If you work hard, stick with it, push yourself and constantly ask what else can I learn and be part of, the industry is ready for that. There are so many opportunities that if you’ve got someone that’s hungry to learn more and experience new things, it is out there for the taking. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and always push to learn new things.”
“We’re so lucky,” she added. “Anyone who works in this industry should feel lucky anytime they get to sell a product or be part of a product or make a product that is truly better for a pet. They can have better health and that means something to every person that loves that animal. It’s a very rewarding industry to be in. We should all consider ourselves lucky.”
Shari White, SVP Merchandising— Consumables, Petco, The Health + Wellness Co.
Tell us how your career path led you to the pet industry?
I grew up very passionate about animals. I wanted all the pets as a kid. We had a family dog that I begged for for a long time; I had fish, I had birds, I had hamsters, I had gerbils, all the things. Just because of that I grew up wanting to be a veterinarian. That was a really big part of who I was as a person. When I got to college it was pretty clear to me, fairly quickly, pre-med was not the path that I was going to take. No, I’m not going to be a veterinarian. I felt much more comfortable in business classes and economics and statistics. I pivoted away from the dream of becoming a veterinarian. I’ve always been really interested in human behavior and animal behavior and that’s what led me into my first job out of college, which was market research.
My first role was at information resources onsite at Frito-Lay, and for me that was a fun way to get into the business world in a space where I could still be learning about consumers, consumer behavior and how people make decisions. That was a really nice way for me to tie in what I’m passionate about with a business career. That job led me into learning about CPG marketing. Working for some of the marketers at Frito-Lay was phenomenal because they were very talented people. I came to love the consumer product world, and that is why I decided to go back to business school so that I could pivot into brand management. I loved the research side but to be honest it wasn’t entirely fulfilling for me because I knew I was making recommendations, I was influencing decisions, but ultimately, I wasn’t the decision maker. I wanted to be driving the bus. That’s why I decided to go to business school for marketing, and I was at Kellogg for two years full time. I interned for Unilever in between my two years; I had an amazing experience there and decided to go back there full time after business school. As a marketer, I was thinking about my brand, my brand, my brand, but I wasn’t thinking about that impactful moment of the shopping moment. I became curious about retail, and I ended up doing a shopper marketing role at Unilever and started to explore that space.
It was around that same time that Target reached out to me out of the blue and asked if I was interested in being a buyer, which I had not considered at all. The opportunity at Target was interesting A) because I respected them a ton as a marketer just based on what a strong marketing organization they were and the amazing brand they had built. B) I was intrigued that I could build a career in one place and have a lot of opportunity to learn and grow and develop within a company that was all based in Minneapolis. And I also was excited about the idea of learning more about retail. At the end of the day, there was a lot of parallels between how the marketer at a CPG company is the hub and the merchant at a retailer is the hub. There’s a lot of parallels in terms of the work that gets done. It felt like a really natural shift for me, and when I moved to Target, that is when I fell in love with retail and realized I truly am a merchant. That is what I am through and through. For me that’s when I realized that retail is a true passion for me. It’s very dynamic. I love the pace. I love the scope of thinking about categories. That’s what led me to retail.
Over time I worked in different categories at Target. I had a passion for all of them, but when the opportunity came up at Petco, it was a culmination of I can work for a company where I can do what I love as a merchant, but I can do it in the pet industry which I have had such a passion for ever since I was a kid about doing what’s best for pets. It became ‘Is this a real thing? I actually get to do this?’ That’s what led me to join Petco and it’s been a really phenomenal five years.
You’ve mentioned in the past that one of the more fulfilling aspects of working in the pet industry, and at Petco in particular, is the strong support of the human-animal bond. What else about the pet industry that makes working in it fulfilling?
I’ve always been passionate about my work. It’s just the kind of person I am. I’ve cared a lot about the businesses I’ve run in the past. I’ve been in the hair care category, bedding, school supplies, greeting cards, you name it. I’ve always been passionate about them, but what I found about the pet industry is that the emotional connection that I have to this industry is very different than how I’ve ever felt about categories I’ve worked in before. Ultimately for me, that comes back to being a lifelong animal lover, being a pet rescue supporter, being a mom of several rescued pets throughout my lifetime. It means a lot to me to be working for a company that shares my values around animal welfare, that authentically cares about doing what’s best for pets, and so for me, what makes this industry even more fulfilling than industries I’ve worked in in the past is that. It’s that emotional connection that I feel that a lot of people who work in this industry feel. It’s just a little bit different because the way we love our pets is so meaningful to us, that it just gives the work that extra meaning for me that I haven’t experienced that kind of connection although I’ve been passionate about the work before, I haven’t experienced that kind of connection to it in the past. That’s what gives it that extra bit of meaning which is really awesome.
What aspect of your work ethic has helped you to become successful?
What fuels my success is a very high level of accountability and a willingness to acknowledge I have areas of opportunities and I absolutely make mistakes and I don’t know everything. That willingness to show vulnerability, to show humanity, has fueled my ability to learn and develop and therefore, advance throughout my career. A lot of people work hard and that’s really important. I work hard. But there’s that extra level of acknowledging we’re all a work in process and we all have things that we’ve r Cont'd on Pg. 47
r From Pg. 45 not done quite as well as we wish we would have. I’ve had to say, ‘That wasn’t my finest moment, and I’m sorry about that. I was frustrated, I was stressed out in the moment,’ and I’m willing to acknowledge that because none of us are perfect. That has helped me advance because I learn faster because of that.
How have your experiences informed your industry leadership— several of your stops have been at more forward-thinking retailers.
I’ve been incredibly lucky to learn from some of the most talented people in some very talented organizations like Unilever and Target. I probably learned more about leading teams at Target than anywhere else in my career. They really invest in training and forming really great leaders. For them, what I learned at Target, it’s very much about the business results, of course, but it’s not just about the what that you do, it’s equally as much about how you do it, how you lead your team, how you get the results. It’s not good enough to get the results if the way you’re getting the results is de-motivating for people and crushing your team. That’s not OK. I really benefited from role models and training in top tier organizations that have helped me understand there is equal importance on both. That’s hugely motivating for me as well. It’s one of the things that I said earlier; I’m fulfilled by leading teams and coaching and developing people and seeing them succeed. When you work for organizations that don’t just say that, but they really practice it and they invest behind it, it really makes the difference. It’s motivating and that has shaped me a lot as a leader in terms of how I coach my own leaders on my team to become leaders themselves. That had a major influence on how I grew up as a leader. The really cool thing about having come from a combination of backgrounds, both the brand management side as well as the retail side, is that I understand and value and appreciate the importance of both. The importance of building a category, growing the business in total but also respecting brands and the equity of those brands and how important those brands are to consumers. I have a unique perspective as a merchant having come from that brand building background that allows me to think about and balance both—the building of brands and the building of categories. That’s one of the things that’s different for me than maybe some of my peers, having come from that background. It helps to have had a seat at the table in those different roles. You can really emphasize and understand what matters to those people. So now as a merchant when I’m working with manufacturers, I have a good understanding of what matters to them and what metrics they’re measured on and how they’re looking to grow and how we can mutually work together to drive a successful business.
In our past conversations, you’ve mentioned one of your proudest achievements thus far was guiding Petco toward eliminating artificial ingredients from the products you carry. Has there been something new to supersede that since?
That was a big moment and when we made that announcement in late 2018, it was a big bold move. And the reality is I was doing it in an environment where my business was struggling. The consumables business at Petco wasn’t healthy in 2018. When we made that decision, that was one step in the journey of what we think is going to be a big turnaround of this business. But it wasn’t the whole journey. Since then, we’ve made a lot of changes to our pricing strategy, to our loyalty strategies, to our assortment, to the way we merchandise, to the way we develop an omnichannel experience for our consumers. The way we use data to inform and fuel how all of that works together. It’s been a lot of work to just really change the way we go to market and show up for consumers in this category. While that move in 2018 was exciting, public and motivating, what’s been even more satisfying for me is seeing the impact of all of the changes and then the many others I’ve talked about and how those have impacted our business and turned around our sales and turned around our customer growth. To me that is truly the big accomplishment. It’s been a full turnaround of the business. We’ve been gaining share in the market for the last year and a half or so. That’s amazing to see. In spite of the fact we took all of these brands out of the assortment, we have been able to together with all of these other activities to really turn around and drive this business to be healthy and successful.
We’re not just selling products. We’re educating consumers on how to be better pet parents and how to do better for their pets. It’s awesome to see the impact on the consumer, the impact on pets and then of course the impact on the business. Every pet parent thinks they’re doing right. They really want to do right and so it’s an important part of how we train our PCC partners, is that pet parents really earnestly want to do the best thing for their pets and so it’s never about judging their decisions, and just more about providing education. We have partners in our stores that are not just passionate but trained and educated and really earnestly engaged in helping pet parents figure out what is right for their pet because the reality is it’s not a one size fits all solution for all pets. Every pet is different like every person is different. Our partners like Petco to invest in talking to pet parents about their pets and really taking the time to help them figure out what does your pet need and how can we make life better for you and your pet together, and that is very unique to pet specialty.
How would you describe the current state of the pet industry?
In a lot of ways I would say it’s been accelerating in terms of the way consumers feel so passionate about the role pets play in their lives. It’s been that way for quite some time. Before I joined Petco, pet parents were passionate about their pets and the roles they play in their lives. It’s been accelerating and then you take Covid and the experience that so many people had being isolated from the world, pets played an even bigger role in the mental health of so many humans during that time period for companionship, for emotional support, for connection, for warmth and affection. That moment in time even further accelerated how pet parents see pets as a critical part of their family and a critical part of their mental
r From Pg. 47 health. That’s the biggest difference in the last few years is it’s just accelerating how we think about our pets and the roles they play in our lives.
What is the role of pet specialty retailers in the pet industry? Why is it important to facilitate a community of pet owners to promote education and the pet/pet parent bond?
What’s really unique about pet specialty is the education that we bring to pet owners that most retail does not and cannot. This is what we do all day long, 24 hours a day seven days a week, is live and breathe what’s best for pets. You can come to a Petco and understand and learn about what’s best for your pet in a way that you can’t in most other retail environments. Why is that important? Pet parenting is hard. Pets are hard. They’re stressful, they’re scary, they can’t talk to you about what’s wrong with them, there’s training challenges, there’s potty challenges, there’s health challenges. It’s stressful and it’s hard and what we don’t want to see is pet parents give up and surrender pets. The role of pet specialty is crucial in helping pet parents solve very real challenges with their pets with the ultimate goal of making sure those pets stay in loving homes and have good lives. We are able to provide a service there that is unique to a lot of retailers that hold themselves to their pet products. We really are solution focused and education focused and that helps pet parents address challenges that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to address whether it’s a training challenge, a behavioral issue, a health problem; we’re equipped with what they need.
What do you attribute to Petco’s continued success?
For me it’s a simple answer: it’s the people and the purpose. That’s why Petco is successful. Our team is amazing both in the support centers and out in the field in our 1,500 pet care centers. The people at Petco are so talented and so driven and so passionate about what they do, it really fuels the company. It’s all tied to a purpose. The partners at Petco genuinely care about the mission and the purpose of the organization and because of that they take that energy, they take that passion, they take their skills and they put it to work in a way that is always striving to make the company better. And so it is truly a unique place in that regard.
The company has really been aggressive in searching out new formats and partnerships—how are things progressing with Reddy SoHo and the Lowe’s partnership?
Really well. Reddy SoHo has exceeded expectations. We love that store. I would say it’s a great representation of the Reddy brand. To be in SoHo around consumers who are out with their dogs all the time and experiencing life with their dogs, that’s what the Reddy brand is all about. It’s about how do we give you what you need to be out experiencing life with your pet on that journey. SoHo is a place where pet parents have really bought into that and really want to be able do that. The brand connects with that environment but also the partners in that store have connected with the community in SoHo. I was there earlier this week, and we visited the Reddy store—I was only in the store for half an hour and while I was there, there were three pets that came in that are “regulars in the store.” They came in for their little puppaccino and treats. The store has really become a part of the local community which is exactly what we had hoped would be the case. It’s been really phenomenal to see, and we are hopeful there will be more Reddy locations in the future because we think that brand really does resonate with so many consumers and we’re really excited about the future for Reddy.
On the Lowe’s front, we’re really happy with the results we’ve seen so far. The research we’ve done suggests there’s a lot of mutual benefits for Lowe’s and Petco in that model. We’re continuing to explore what that could look like in the future.
What is the impression that Petco wants its staff to leave on pet owners during and after they visit a Petco store?
The most important thing we want shoppers to leave a Petco care center feeling is trust. Trust that Petco truly cares about what’s best for you and your pets. Trust that we have the expertise to help you figure out what that is. Trust that we have the products and services that will fulfill those needs. That is the most important thing we want pet parents to know. Trust that we’re not selling you anything. We don’t sell anything in our stores that we don’t genuinely believe is good for pets. That’s why we removed artificial ingredients from our shelves. Trust that when you come to a Petco, we have your and your pets’ best interests in mind, and we are going to do everything we can to help you get what you need to improve the wellbeing of your pet and strengthen that connection and give you more years with your pet. That’s the goal.
How would you characterize the pet owners who shop at Petco?
I would say they are engaged pet parents. Pet parents who have a problem and need help solving it or are just trying to figure out how to do more, do better for their pets. We have a consumer segmentation that we use to guide how we assort products, how we go to market, how we communicate. Our core target we call the adoring nurturer, and that consumer is the one that really does want to do the best for their pet. They really believe in the importance of products and services that help amplify the health of their pet and they do research to understand what the best products and services to use are. And so we really want to make sure we are speaking to that consumer who is looking for the best. That said, it’s important to acknowledge that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to spend a lot of money. We understand that a lot of pet parents are—especially in today’s world in the inflationary environment—looking for ways to save money. It’s important to us at Petco that we make pet parenthood and pet health and wellness easy and affordable and achievable for all pet parents. We make sure our stores represent all the needs of pets at every budget. The guests that shop at Petco ultimately share a desire to do what’s best for their pets. They’re looking for answers for solutions for education and support. But they need to be able to do that regardless of what the budget looks like. We want to make sure that we are speaking to the needs of all of those pet parents.
Pet owners are not content to just throw their dog a bone. They want their animal to enjoy premium health and wellness products that rival those made for humans. Many provide the best care for their pet without breaking the bank by reaching for store brands. Over the last 52 weeks, store brand pet care sales grew 7.3% in dollar sales to $4.2 billion, making it one of the leading trends at PLMA’s 2022 Private Label Trade Show.
The two-day show is spread out in separate halls so that exhibitors can be found more easily. Health and beauty, household goods, kitchenware and general merchandise are located in the South Hall. Food, snacks, beverages, refrigerated and frozen products are in the North, South and Sky Halls. Retailers, join us at PLMA’s 2022 Private Label Trade Show to see how store brand suppliers are responding with innovation in every food and non-food category, including pet care.
