# Need suggestions for new brands



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

The store I work at (holistic pet boutique) is looking to bring in new brands and the owner wanted my input. I have some in mind, but I'm just not sure how well they sell. 
Right now we have acana, orijen, merrick (regular and grain free), evangers, california natural, blue buffalo wilderness, by nature, nutri-source, back to basics, fromm, halo, natures variety, zignature, nutrisca and darford. 

We're going to get rid of halo, darford (hard to get it in), and most likely NV prarie since it's not a good seller. 

We mostly sell merrick grain free, nv instinct and fromm. 

Basically we need something that's good quality and fairly affordable, since it's a boutique the prices are a bit higher than online or chain stores, so even something like nutrisource which normally sells for $45 at a feed store nearby, we sell for $55. I don't think there's a food in the store under $50. 

Anything suggestions? 

I suggested pinnacle grain free, victor grain free, hi tek naturals, earthborn, precise and dr tims. I really wanted to get horizon legacy, but none of the suppliers have it. Also, we won't sell anything made by Diamond. 

thanks!


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Now : Great alternative for those who do not want any rendered products what-so-ever
Canine Caviar : Not my cup of tea but it does got a market and could be something different


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

yeah, the owner is going to bring in canine caviar, but they have so many varieties that it's hard to gauge whether people will buy it, especially their grain free line, pretty expensive stuff.

I have mixed feelings about Petcurean, like that it's Canadian made, its similar to horizon since I'm not entirely sure where the bulk of the protein comes from, eggs? peas? 

De-boned turkey, potato, whole dried egg, pea, flaxseed, apple, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), natural flavor, coconut oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), tomato, salmon, de-boned duck, sundried alfalfa, carrots, pumpkin, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, papaya, pineapple, grapefruit, lentil beans, broccoli, spinach, cottage cheese, alfalfa sprouts, dried kelp, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, lecithin, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, dried seaweed meal, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), niacin, inositol, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, beta-carotene, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), taurine, DL-methionine, L-Lysine, algae extract, chicory extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, yeast extract, yucca schidigera extract, marigold extract, parsley, peppermint, green tea extract, L-carnitine, dried rosemary.


I would probably only go wit this one
http://www.chewy.com/go-fit-free-grain-free-adult-dog/dp/40447


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

It have two big sales arguments. No rendered meals and no rendered chicken fat. Rendered meals and fat always come with question marks in terms of meal quality and fat contaminants. So this is two things those who look for less processed alternatives want. The bulk of the protein comes from turkey and eggs. The turkey will still be no 1 ingredient after moisture is removed. That's much of the reason it is expensive. They could have done like Orijen an split protein sources among multiple major sources and added rendered meals but instead they do as Dr Tim's and instead add one major animal source. Potatoes and peas contribute very little protein. Fit+Free is also a good food but not in the same league as Now. Fit+Free is more in line with other foods you already got in the store. Similar to Orijen.


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## domika (Jul 15, 2012)

DaViking said:


> It have two big sales arguments. No rendered meals and no rendered chicken fat. Rendered meals and fat always come with question marks in terms of meal quality and fat contaminants. So this is two things those who look for less processed alternatives want. The bulk of the protein comes from turkey and eggs. The turkey will still be no 1 ingredient after moisture is removed. That's much of the reason it is expensive. They could have done like Orijen an split protein sources among multiple major sources and added rendered meals but instead they do as Dr Tim's and instead add one major animal source. Potatoes and peas contribute very little protein. Fit+Free is also a good food but not in the same league as Now. Fit+Free is more in line with other foods you already got in the store. Similar to Orijen.


The only reason I think it won't do as well is isn't that Halo's big argument? No rendered meals, just "fresh" meat? Granted they're not the same in my eyes, but isn't that their biggest claim? If so, I wouldn't get NOW if Halo didn't work out well in the store. Too bad no suppliers have Horizon Legacy, but that's one of the reasons I was never able to feed it, couldn't find ANYWHERE!


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## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

Earthborn Holistics and Nutrisource.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Earthborn grain free, Nutrisource grain free, and Hi-Tek Naturals Grain Free


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

domika said:


> The only reason I think it won't do as well is isn't that Halo's big argument? No rendered meals, just "fresh" meat? Granted they're not the same in my eyes, but isn't that their biggest claim? If so, I wouldn't get NOW if Halo didn't work out well in the store. Too bad no suppliers have Horizon Legacy, but that's one of the reasons I was never able to feed it, couldn't find ANYWHERE!


Halo still use rendered chicken fat and add pea protein to achieve their protein level. No comparison.
If you want no rendered fats food grade canola oil (preferably organic) is the way to go since it is comparable to animal fats and contain ready available n-3 fatty acids as opposed to an abundance of n-6 fatty acids found in other plant oils. Flaxseed oil is inferior.


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## Egarth (Nov 6, 2012)

Solid Gold green tripe, Dave's 95%premium and Grainfrees


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## Jace (Oct 3, 2012)

The other thing that is the difference between the NOW and the Halo, is that Now is entirely grain free. Alot of people like the idea of grain free. The Coconut Oil I like too, from a dog perspective for pancreatititis (or other "digestive" issues), as it absorbs differently than "regular" fats.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Now flies off the shelves in the two stores I work out of. 

I would for sure get Earthborn in there, especially for people that feed TOTW. That's another HUGE seller here. 

I would add Nutrisource, Precise, Verus.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

Earthborn was a HUGE seller when I worked at a holistic pet boutique. Nature's Logic, too. Petcurean also did very well (especially Now! Small Breed, we could hardly keep it on the shelves) but apparently they started having trouble getting it in. Could have just been that the owners sucked at keeping product in stock, though. I'd definitely say Earthborn, Natures Logic, and Now!


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## domika (Jul 15, 2012)

Ahh forgot about halo not being grain free. Thanks!


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

How about Timberwolf? Pet Foods the Way Nature Intended® They've reformulated most of their foods since I first tried them years ago. They originally weren't grain free and now they are as far as I know. I'm not sure who makes them but they look pretty good.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

My vote would be for Now, Victor and Earthborn. Those are the 3 brands I would buy that you don't carry.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Maybe also some of the Annamaets?


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I requested more info about Victor since I don't know much about it but it appears to be around $45 for a large bag which makes it a good option. Zignature has been selling pretty well just because of the price and the fact that it's potato free and seems to work well for dogs with allergies/yeast issues but I'm really not a huge fan of ingredients. 

I've looked at our suppliers and I don't think we can get annamaet or timberwolf.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

Victor just became available in my area and the store that is selling it has a hard time keeping it in stock it as it sells very fast. But it is getting better since they are working out how much they are going thru and ordering accordingly. I've used the grain free before with good results since I could order it online, but I'm using the grain inclusive and dogs are doing really well so far. I have 3 on the Ocean Blend and 3 on the Hi Pro Plus. I am paying about the same to feed all my dogs this food as it was costing me to feed one dog foods like Orijen. And so far I'm not noticing a difference in their overall appearance between the pricey foods and this food. Coats are good, poop is small/firm, weight maintenance is good, no allergy issues, energy level is good- no problems keeping up on our hikes either. My French Bulldog's coat is actually looking better on the Ocean Blend than it did on Orijen 6 fish. And so far Casper has no vomiting or diarrhea which is a plus too. Also the dogs love the food and dive right in whether it is plain or I put something over it. I plan on trying the Beef next since it is the only other grain inclusive w/o chicken for Casper. Maybe when I have the money switch to the Yukon as I could feed it to all the dogs and not have to buy 2 different foods.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

We had trouble getting timber wolf in way back when we used to carry it, and when we did it was always full of bugs.  plus they had to switch their name from "timberwolf organics" because apparently the ingredients they were claiming to be organic were not. Just my .02, that was a few years ago though so could be better now.


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## Kibblelady (Jul 13, 2012)

I would check into Blackwood's new lines. The family sold the company to the actual manufacturer and they are evolving. The only issue in the past for stores was the amount they required you to buy, this may have changed with the new situation. Annamaet is certainly another great product. Both are made at Ohio Pet Foods which is an APHIS and Euro approved facility.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Kibblelady said:


> I would check into Blackwood's new lines. The family sold the company to the actual manufacturer and they are evolving. The only issue in the past for stores was the amount they required you to buy, this may have changed with the new situation. Annamaet is certainly another great product. Both are made at Ohio Pet Foods which is an APHIS and Euro approved facility.


Carry all the foods made by Ohio Pet: Dr. Tim's, Annamaet, Regal & Blackwood. You will have very happy customers at all price points. Your store will also save money by shipping these foods direct.

By the way Victor's non-grain free foods, go for as little as $.75lb, even Hi Pro Plus 30/20. 

Also, Darford went bankrupt and is being shut down.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

Unosmom said:


> The store I work at (holistic pet boutique) is looking to bring in new brands and the owner wanted my input. I have some in mind, but I'm just not sure how well they sell.
> Right now we have acana, orijen, merrick (regular and grain free), evangers, california natural, blue buffalo wilderness, by nature, nutri-source, back to basics, fromm, halo, natures variety, zignature, nutrisca and darford.
> 
> We're going to get rid of halo, darford (hard to get it in), and most likely NV prarie since it's not a good seller.
> ...


If you want sales to increase, get Wellness.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

Jack Monzon said:


> If you want sales to increase, get Wellness.


We hardly sold any wellness at the store I worked at. Especially since its now available in PetSmart.


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## Jace (Oct 3, 2012)

> Also, Darford went bankrupt and is being shut down.


Have you seen the court documents for this, as I believe some of the investors will be stepping up once the dust settles..


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

The biggest sellers at the two independent stores I work at are Natural Balance, Now!, Earthborn, Taste of the Wild, Premium Edge, Nature's Variety.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Jace said:


> Have you seen the court documents for this, as I believe some of the investors will be stepping up once the dust settles..


Tough market for a tiny company with two formulas that aren't that different at the end of the day. Do you know by the way where Darford was made?


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

> If you want sales to increase, get Wellness.


yeah, wellness didn't sell well because you can get it just about anywhere now, we'll probably bring in earthborn and precise, but ultimately, it's not my decision. The store owner goes by what she can get for least amount of money at wholesale price and then mark it up


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## Jace (Oct 3, 2012)

> Tough market for a tiny company with two formulas that aren't that different at the end of the day. Do you know by the way where Darford was made?


 I believe Tuffys for the kibble, if memory serves me, but their historically they made treats in Vernon, B.C.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I would look into Annamaet and Earthborn. They both have gf and grain inclusive, one is more costly which some like (some think it must be better if it costs more) and EB can appeal to those on a budget. Neither company has had a recall, as far as I know.


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