Every story we've run.
72 stories on the business of pet retail. Browse by section.
Private Label in Pet Retail, 2016-2026: The Margin Play That Won
Chewy, Petco, PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus all built house brands into their biggest margin lever over the past decade. Here's what the numbers actually show, and what's left for a store that can't build one.
6 min read · Jul 20
The DTC Pet Brands That Came Back to Wholesale, 2019-2026
Bark, Jinx, Ollie, Native Pet, and now The Farmer's Dog have all left DTC-only behind for retail shelves since 2022. Here's the dated, sourced timeline and what it means for the store that stocks them.
6 min read · Jul 20
Tug-E-Nuff Just Launched a Foam Frisbee. Here's Why Indies Should Actually Watch This One.
A foam frisbee that floats and tugs is either a quiet win or dead inventory, depending on whether someone can sell the 'why.'
4 min read · Jul 20
Zoetis Just Bought the Radiology Platform 1,800 Vet Clinics Use. Here's Why That Changes What Shows Up in Your Store.
When the pharma company owns the diagnostic moment, the 'try this supplement first' conversation shifts. Here's the retail read.
5 min read · Jul 20
What VetnCare's Holistic Clinic Acquisition Just Changed About Your Best Vet Referral Partner
The holistic clinic that sends customers your way for supplements and therapeutic products just got acquired by a PE-backed rollup.
4 min read · Jul 20
Vet Clinics Just Automated the Front Desk. Your Grooming Calls Now Compete with AI.
VetRec's new AI answers vet clinic calls 24/7. Here's what that means for the after-hours traffic you've been counting on.
4 min read · Jul 20
RAWZ Just Published a Playbook for How You Should Run Your Store. Should You Read It?
A brand just handed you a guide on staff training, merchandising, events, and marketing. The question isn't whether the advice is sound.
5 min read · Jul 18
Jollyes Grew 8.7% on Frozen Raw and Private Label While Others Chase Premium
A discount chain just posted 8.7% growth by leaning into categories most indies reserve for the high end. Here's the margin math.
6 min read · Jul 18
SitStay Just Landed Van Den Bosch Distribution. Here's What That Says About the Treat Aisle.
When a distributor stacks another minimalist chip SKU, they're reading velocity data most store buyers don't see yet.
4 min read · Jul 18
VETRESKA Bets F1 Branding Moves Product in Specialty. Here's the Test.
A pet brand just partnered with a Formula 1 driver to sell leashes. The question isn't whether it's smart branding, it's whether it moves off your shelf.
5 min read · Jul 18
Vermont Distributor Bet Signals What Indie Cat Buyers Actually Want
When a regional distributor adds a new cat line, it's a signal about what specialty shoppers expect. Here's what Vermont Pet Food's Giddy Kitty bet means for your shelf.
6 min read · Jul 18
AI Is Rewriting Your Customer's Purchase Path Before You Update Your POS
A customer walks in asking for a product you don't carry. She didn't ask her vet or a Facebook group. She asked ChatGPT.
5 min read · Jul 18
Phillips Just Opened Fall 2026 Registration. Here's What That Timeline Actually Tells You.
The distributor just opened registration for September 2026. The timeline matters more than the show itself.
4 min read · Jul 18
Marleybones Just Handed Pets at Home the Shelf-Stable Fresh Category
Nine SKUs, national distribution, no indie warm-up. The move sets pricing and merchandising for everyone else.
5 min read · Jul 17
ADMC Just Put Calming Supplements on the Same Fulfillment Rails as Your Core SKUs
Moodify Pet landed national distro with ADMC. For a category that was mostly DTC two years ago, that's the signal buyers have been waiting for.
6 min read · Jul 16
Credit Unions Are Betting on Pet Wellness Plans. Here's What Breaks First.
A fintech collective just invested in a pet wellness platform. If your customers start getting reimbursed through their credit union, your margin conversation changes overnight.
5 min read · Jul 16
UK Flea/Tick Rx Shift Hits Low-Income Owners Hardest. Here's What Specialty Can Do.
New poll shows Rx-only flea/tick policy would force vet visits low-income owners can't afford. What that means for your category mix.
5 min read · Jul 16
BetterBone Just Cut Wholesale Prices 20% Without Touching Retailer Margin. Here's the Catch.
Plant-based chew brand says manufacturing changes let them eat the cost. If true, it resets the premium chew set. If not, it's a margin sacrifice play with a timer.
7 min read · Jul 16
Jollyes Just Handed Specialty Stores a Private Label Playbook
A UK chain with 100+ stores just launched house-brand nutrition with breed formulas and functional claims. That's not discount filler.
5 min read · Jul 16
Scottish Indie Pet Store Quadruples Footprint With Daycare Bolt-On
Most stores scale by opening location two. Empawrium is scaling by turning location one into four businesses under one roof.
5 min read · Jul 16
Why Chains Are Racing Into Second-Tier Markets While DTC Brands Wait
Chains are opening stores in Wrexham and Kidderminster, not London. If you run a regional store, your competitive moat just got narrower.
6 min read · Jul 16
Phillips Locks Bil-Jac National. Here's What It Costs Smaller Distributors.
The super-premium brand consolidated all 10 centers under one distributor. That's leverage someone just gained, and someone else just lost.
5 min read · Jul 16
Royal Canin Just Drew a Line Around Therapeutic Fresh. Here's What That Means for Your Shelf.
Mars made its fresh therapeutic line vet-exclusive from day one. That's a channel strategy signal with real implications for your assortment.
5 min read · Jul 16
WayCrafted's GoTether Launch Tests Specialty's Appetite for Gear Unknowns
An emerging brand debuts a 'go-anywhere' tether system in August. The pitch is vague. The category is tight. Here's the math.
5 min read · Jul 16