Special Report Convenience in Pet

As the last few years have shown, consumers love convenience. Countless meal delivery companies that have sprouted since the onset of the pandemic illustrate many people’s consent to paying more for a meal if we don’t have to leave our doors to enjoy it. That appreciation for convenience has also translated seamlessly into how consumers shop for their pets. While the focus on convenience in pet has centered around online functionality, industry leaders maintain there is still great value in supporting pet owners who choose to shop in their local brickand-mortar stores in helping them make their trips as efficient and fruitful as possible.

One way pet CBD and supplement brand Austin and Kat supports shoppers in considering their pets’ needs when they go to a pet store is by providing trial sizes of its more popular products, which also helps its retail partners bolster their incremental sales via impulse buys. “A lot of manufacturers have had to consider: how can you get right in front of the customer as they’re leaving the store or if they’re not familiar with a product,” said Founder Kat Donatello. “So, we developed, we call them travel packs, but it would be like a small sample-sized product that allows the consumer to not have to spend $45 or $60 on a product, and they can try it. A lot of times they’re eager to try CBD but maybe they’re not sure if their dog or cat is going to find the product palatable. So, we developed three of our top sellers into products that were under $10. It’s an opportunity to buy and try.”

In addition to encouraging trial and supporting return purchases, Austin and Kat has also been fastidious about ensuring its packaging information can not only grab attention in the aisles but can provide comprehensive information for the pet owner who these days may sometimes have trouble flagging down a sales associate at their local store. “That’s one of the messages we’ve always prided ourselves in because right now, stores are limited with the number of employees they’re able to get,” Donatello said. “A lot of times it’s owners running their stores by themselves, and for us our packaging messaging needs to be very clear and very easy to read for consumers. Manufacturers really need to consider how their messaging reads on packaging so it is easy for the consumer, and you’re not solely relying on staff.”

Loving Pets has continued to understand the need for clear information. “Since the human pet parent is making the purchasing decision, retailers want to offer a variety of solutions that their customers can easily relate to and understand the ingredients and benefits,” said Founder Eric Abbey. “Eye catching packaging to clearly call out what’s ‘in’ and sometimes what’s ‘out’ is an education tool to not be forgotten. Loving Pets, for instance, uses easy to understand icons such as Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, etc. so pet parents can easily identify the benefits or confirmation of the absence of allergens they may be looking to avoid.”

Sometimes it’s all about an eye-catching display. “At Woof Gang, we pride ourselves on being the best place for treats and our customers love the convenience of finding their furry friend’s favorite treats in our stores,” said CEO Richard Acevedo. “We have such a diverse range of treats, between our proprietary Woof Gang treats and the highest quality treats and chews brands, our treats portfolio is unique and easily accessible to our customers. Our special Treats Table and pink buckets make shopping for treats an easy and exciting experience in our stores.”

Supplementing its partnerships with retailers, Austin and Kat also has provided a direct-to-consumer online shop. “There’s a lot of reasons why I have a direct-to-consumer website,” she said. “One of the main reasons is not everyone has access to an independent pet store to purchase products. Not every pet store in the US carries Austin and Kat. You may live in remote Montana and the closest store is two hours away, so you need to have the ease of being able to have the website. Another reason is there are consumers who are going to only purchase online. There is an entire generation who only use their computers to purchase things. That’s how they research and learn and then it just becomes second nature to them.”

For shoppers like this who’ve become accustomed to ordering restaurant food for delivery from the convenience of their own homes, they can also now do so for their pets. Petco and Freshpet in March announced a new endeavor to provide customized fresh pet food delivered straight to pet parents’ doors. Called Freshpet Customer Meals, these meals are crafted for optimal nutrition by veterinary nutritionists for dogs and are the result of increasing consumer interest in direct-to-doorstep fresh, personalized pet meal plans. “This exclusive, customized home-delivered product is a breakthrough in the way pet parents can provide their pets with the very best nutrition,” said Amy College, Petco’s CMO. “We’re thrilled to partner with Freshpet, the leader in fresh pet food, to bring Freshpet Custom Meals to life through our differentiated, seamless omnichannel ecosystem, as part of our ongoing commitment to pets’ high-quality nutrition and complete health and wellness.”

After completing a short questionnaire on their dog’s attributes, sensitivities and health goals, pet parents will receive a personalized meal plan with specific feeding guidelines based on the pet’s breed, age, body type, activity level and more.

While Petco and Freshpet are able to embark on this first-of-its-kind endeavor, most independent pet retailers don’t have the resources to provide customizable fresh pet food for delivery. Still, Donatello suggests retailers look into adopting a subscription program for its loyal shoppers. “That would make things easier for their consumers too,” she said. “If they’re doing an online program and maybe they have Astro in store, maybe they have a promo where if a customer signs up for a subscription through purchasing through that store, they can get the same benefits they get through Astro with buy a certain amount of product and then they get X free. Retailers need to get creative now when more and more consumers are spending a lot of time shopping online.”