Here's what just happened
Oma's Pride, a fourth-generation Connecticut raw pet food manufacturer, just signed a multi-year partnership with Pet Supplies Plus that puts its frozen products into nearly 200 franchise locations this summer. The deal brings nine frozen SKUs to store freezers initially, with the treat line expanding as the partnership grows. Pet Supplies Plus will stock the line through three distributors, PFX, Frontier, and ADMC, meaning the franchise operator doesn't carry the inventory risk alone. Oma's Pride makes everything in small batches at its USDA-inspected facility in Avon, Connecticut, using antibiotic-free, USA-sourced proteins with no additives, fillers, or grains.
Why this is actually a big deal
Pet Supplies Plus didn't pick the DTC brand with the Instagram following or the raw line every trade show attendee already knows. They picked a family operation most independents have never heard of and locked it in for multiple years before the spring reset. That's a bet on supply chain stability, consistent fill rates, and direct brand support, the stuff that actually keeps a freezer full when a supplier's growth outpaces their production capacity. When a 200-door franchise commits multi-year shelf space to a raw brand, it's signaling that frozen is a category worth planning around, not just testing quarter-to-quarter.
The deal also changes the competitive map. Oma's Pride now sits in the same distribution weight class as the established raw brands in the franchise channel, which means independents negotiating their own raw partnerships just lost a little leverage. If Pet Supplies Plus is locking in multi-year terms with a supplier that promises consistent supply and no big-box or online distribution, your short-term relationship with your current raw brand might be worth revisiting.
What this means for the shelf
For the store owner: If a 200-door chain is signing multi-year deals with raw suppliers, your short-term, order-by-order relationship with your current raw brand is worth examining. Multi-year terms can change the economics of the category, ask your raw rep what a longer commitment gets you that your current terms don't. If they can't answer, you're talking to the wrong brand.
For the buyer/category manager: This deal puts Oma's Pride in the same distribution tier as the raw brands you're already stocking. The brand now has franchise-scale distribution, direct support through three major distributors, and a supply story (fourth-gen family manufacturer, USDA facility, no online or big-box) that plays well on the floor. If you're planning your spring reset and haven't looked at Oma's Pride yet, you should, not because the product is revolutionary, but because Pet Supplies Plus just committed 200 doors to a brand that can consistently deliver.
For the brand/DTC operator: Pet Supplies Plus chose a fourth-gen family operation with production experience and a clear distribution strategy. That's a signal. The pitch that matters in specialty distribution isn't just growth metrics or social following. It's production capacity, channel discipline (Oma's Pride president Adam DeJulius explicitly said the company avoids Amazon, Chewy, and big-box), reliable fill rates, and direct retail support. If you're a DTC brand trying to land independent shelves and you're leading with your social metrics, you might be pitching the wrong story.
How we're thinking about it
The most interesting part of this deal isn't the brand, it's the structure. Multi-year partnerships change the relationship between retailer and supplier, and Pet Supplies Plus clearly sees frozen as a category worth that kind of commitment. If frozen is becoming a planned assortment rather than a rotating trial category, the retailers who treat it that way will have better terms than the ones who don't.
When a franchise locks in multi-year frozen deals, your short-term terms with raw suppliers are probably worth revisiting.
We're also watching the "no Amazon, no Chewy, no big-box" positioning. Oma's Pride president Adam DeJulius said it explicitly in the announcement: the company has spent years intentionally building growth around neighborhood retail and avoiding online and big-box channels. That's not a product claim, it's a distribution promise. For an independent retailer, that promise has value, because it means the customer who buys Oma's Pride in your store isn't comparison-shopping it online while standing in your aisle. Pet Supplies Plus clearly valued that positioning.
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What to do about it
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If you stock raw but don't have a multi-year deal with any supplier... call your top-selling raw brand this week and ask what a 12-month or 24-month commitment gets you. If the answer is "nothing," you're working with a brand that doesn't value your shelf space enough to lock in better terms. Consider rotating them out.
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If you're a buyer planning your spring reset... add Oma's Pride to your comp list, even if you've never heard of them. Pet Supplies Plus just committed 200 doors and gave them franchise-scale distribution through three major distributors. That makes them a credible option worth evaluating against your current assortment.
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If you're a DTC brand pitching independents... rewrite your pitch deck. Lead with your production story (who makes it, where, how consistently), your distribution promise (which channels you're NOT in), and your retail support. The Oma's Pride announcement explicitly highlighted production capacity, channel discipline, and distributor partnerships, that's what won the deal.
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If you run a single-location store and can't negotiate multi-year terms... at least ask your distributor whether they're carrying Oma's Pride yet. If PFX, Frontier, or ADMC is stocking it for Pet Supplies Plus, they might offer you access to a brand with proven supply reliability that smaller independents couldn't reach directly.
The Bottom Line
Pet Supplies Plus didn't pick the raw brand with the best story. They picked the one that could fill 200 freezers consistently for multiple years. If you're still choosing raw brands based on the pitch deck instead of the production capacity, you're solving for the wrong variable.