You've probably noticed the gap where rawhide used to sit. Endcaps. Checkout. The impulse fixtures that used to move fast. Bully sticks filled some of it, but fish chews have mostly stayed in the natural aisle, formatted as single-serve, not built for the peg.
Momentum Carnivore Nutrition, the Wisconsin manufacturer, just launched four new peggable multipack SKUs in its Icelandic fish chew line. The company now has nine cuts total. The products are available through Momentum distributors and reps, and the expanded line is showing at SuperZoo in the New Product Showcase and at the Momentum booth.
Here's what just happened
Momentum added four peggable multipack fish chew SKUs to its Icelandic line, bringing the total to nine cuts. Every chew is single-ingredient, wild-caught fish from Icelandic waters, processed the same day, air-dried at low temperatures. No fillers, no preservatives. The fish are fully traceable back to the fishery.
Iceland manages its fisheries with science-based catch quotas and ongoing monitoring designed to protect fish populations and support the marine ecosystem long-term. The cold North Atlantic waters provide the environment; the responsible fishing practices are what keep the supply stable.
Rob Mellem, co-owner of Momentum, said the first five SKUs in the line have been very well received, and the expansion gives independent retailers more options and a story around traceable sourcing and sustainability to share with customers.
Why this is actually a big deal
The format is the story here. Fish chews have existed in the category, but getting them formatted for impulse fixtures, peggable multipacks that hang where rawhide used to, is what changes the merchandising equation. Single-serve doesn't peg well. Bulk bins require labor and create shrink. Peggable multipacks solve both problems.
The Icelandic sourcing plays into the clean-label trend, traceability, sustainability, single-ingredient, but it also introduces supply chain concentration. One country, one set of fisheries, one regulatory environment. That's the trade-off for the story.
What this means for the shelf
For the store owner: If you've been wondering what to do with the endcap space rawhide left open, this is a format worth testing. Peggable multipacks move differently than single-serve natural chews, they're easy to restock, and the Icelandic story gives your floor staff something to say when a customer picks one up. Give it a trial run on a high-traffic fixture and track turn rate.
For the buyer: Nine SKUs is a broad lineup. You need to know which formats your customers actually want before you stock the full set. Start with two or three cuts, different sizes, different textures, and let sell-through tell you which ones earn the slot. The peggable format should make velocity tracking cleaner than bulk ever was.
For the brand/DTC operator: The format move is worth watching if you're trying to land fish-based chews in specialty. Peggable multipacks are what get fish chews onto the fixtures that drive volume. If you're pitching single-serve, you're fighting for a slot that doesn't turn as fast. If you can package for impulse, you're pitching for the space rawhide left open.
If this is the kind of operator-level read you want every week, subscribe to PetRetailNews.
How we're thinking about it
The peggable multipack format is the actual innovation here, not the fish or the sourcing story. What makes this worth watching is that Momentum figured out the packaging problem, how to get fish chews formatted to sit where rawhide used to and merchandised for impulse.
The Icelandic story is compelling, traceability, sustainability, clean waters, responsible quotas, but it's also a single-source risk. If something disrupts Icelandic fisheries or freight, the whole line has to pivot or pause. For now, the story is strong enough to justify the risk. Just know it's there.
Peggable multipacks are what finally get fish chews out of the natural aisle and onto the fixtures that drive volume.
What to do about it
-
If you've been holding rawhide space open waiting for the right replacement... call your Momentum rep or distributor and ask for samples of two or three cuts in the peggable multipack format. Test them on a checkout endcap or high-traffic fixture and track turn rate.
-
If you already stock fish chews in single-serve... compare the velocity of your current SKUs against what a peggable multipack format might do in impulse. If single-serve is turning slowly in the natural aisle, the format might be the problem, not the product.
-
If you're a buyer stocking multiple locations... start with the cuts that match your customer base, smaller cuts for apartment-dwelling dog owners, larger cuts for bigger breeds, and let sell-through tell you which ones earn the full rollout. Test a few before committing to the full lineup.
-
If you're at SuperZoo... stop by the Momentum booth or the New Product Showcase and ask about turn rates from early retail partners. Mellem said the first five SKUs have been very well received, ask what that looks like in concrete velocity terms.
The Bottom Line
Momentum just made fish chews peggable, and that format change matters more than the fish. If it works, it's the margin play that finally fills the space rawhide left open.