Every story we've run.
285 stories on the business of pet retail. Browse by section.
Sparkle Is Turning Its Own Members Into Franchise Owners
Robert Inman groomed his dog there for three years. Then he bought a franchise. That conversion path is the real story behind the 600.
4 min read · Jul 27
WAUDOG Replaced the Carabiner With a Magnet. Will You Pay for It?
The company says the magnetic buckle is the feature. Your leash wall is where that claim gets tested.
2 min read · Jul 27
FieldStack Thinks There Is a Middle Tier of Pet POS Buyers Left
FieldStack's new platform targets stores outgrown basic POS but wary of enterprise. The question: does that tier still exist?
3 min read · Jul 27
What 20+ Pet Store Owners Actually Say Keeps Them Sane (And Why It Matters for Retention)
Gardening, dog walks, oceanside evenings, the specifics vary, but the pattern underneath is the same.
3 min read · Jul 27
Just Because Your Dog Likes It - Doesn't Mean You Should Build It
Who is the last person who told you this was a bad idea???
4 min read · Jul 27
Massachusetts Stripped Its Retail Pet Ban. That Is a Deferral.
The committee stripped the language, but the legislative risk has not changed. Store owners should model it anyway.
3 min read · Jul 27
Momentum Made Fish Chews Peggable, and Impulse Is the Whole Point
The Wisconsin manufacturer solved the packaging problem that kept fish chews out of impulse. Nine cuts, all peggable.
4 min read · Jul 27
Purina's 15th European Plant Is Wet Food Capacity You Cannot Match
When a supplier drops half a billion on production capacity, they've already done the math on where margin moves next.
5 min read · Jul 27
Pets in the Classroom Grants Are Open for the 2026-2027 Year
The program funds classroom pet setups for teachers, which feeds straight into your small animal section.
4 min read · Jul 27
What the 'Coolest Store' Winners Actually Did to Stand Out This Year
Nine stores won. None competed on product assortment. What they built instead is the lesson.
4 min read · Jul 26
NVM Pet's Succession Plan Makes Vendor Stability a Buying Criterion
A planned handoff with internal promotions signals something most pet suppliers lack: a bench.
5 min read · Jul 26
Skiptown Is Pre-Selling Daycare Capacity Before the Doors Open
The franchised dog care brand proved membership-first services economics scale. If you built out daycare on walk-in demand, that changed.
5 min read · Jul 26
Cabot Greenlit Wave Two of Its Cheese-Themed Dog Toys
When a CPG brand expands a pet licensing deal after launch, someone made a decision on more than PR.
4 min read · Jul 26
Four States Redrew the Compliance Map on Four Different Timelines
Colorado, Maryland, Alabama and Washington enacted changes affecting pet sales, telehealth, and kennel standards, on three different timelines through mid-2027.
6 min read · Jul 25
June Calming Spike Proves Pre-Event Stocking Beats Reactive Ordering
Nearly half of Brain Squad retailers reported higher June revenue. The difference came down to who merchandised calming early.
5 min read · Jul 25
ASPCA Bets Vet School Debt Is Killing Shelter Medicine
41 students got up to $100K to work shelters, not clinics. The stores near those shelters feel it.
5 min read · Jul 25
What a 90-Year Distributor Sees in Jolly Pets That You Might Miss
When a distributor with a reputation for curation over catalog bloat adds a toy line, it's worth asking what changed.
4 min read · Jul 25
What Petland's Top Store Did in Year Two That Most Franchises Miss
Fort Myers won in year two. The move list that got them there says what actually drives performance.
4 min read · Jul 25
Mars Handed North America Pet Nutrition to a Coca-Cola Operator
Leadership hires are tea leaves. This one says a lot about where support and innovation dollars flow next.
5 min read · Jul 25
Private Label Sourcing Show Targets Pet Retailers Squeezed by Brand Discounting
New York show built for low-MOQ sourcing arrives as branded products get discounted harder and pet owners prove willing to switch.
5 min read · Jul 25
Play9's Second National Listing Shows How Unknowns Actually Break Into Specialty
The enrichment brand went from Pets Corner to Jollyes. That path tells you about category timing and the discovery advantage.
5 min read · Jul 25
Natural Dog Company Went National, and Balm Pricing Follows
The wholesaler added the DTC balm brand to its full footprint. If you buy direct or through a regional, your terms changed.
3 min read · Jul 24
Private Equity Bought the Middleweight Brands Your Shelves Depend On
Outward Hound, Nina Ottosson, Best Friends by Sheri: the brands you reorder without thinking are now PE-backed.
7 min read · Jul 24
Phillips-Bil-Jac Deal Signals Fresh Pressure on Regional Pet Distributors
A family-owned brand with its own U.S. production went national through Phillips.
4 min read · Jul 24