PHILLIPS EXPANDS AVAILABILITY OF PLATO
TREAT BRAND AND STELLA & CHEWY’S
Phillips Pet Food & Supplies recently expanded the availability of
the Plato Pet Treats brand to five of its Western United States distribution centers. Plato’s treats are now stocked at Phillips distribution centers in Anaheim, Calif., Denver, Portland, Ore., Phoenix
and Sacramento, Calif.
Plato makes wholesome dog treats in its own facility in California. The company uses responsibly sourced ingredients, and the
proteins used in Plato treats are natural, organic or wild caught.
“The expansion of Plato to our western distribution centers
aligns with our national focus on offering our customers a variety
of pet treats,” said Elizabeth Thibodeau, vice president of merchan-
dising for Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, which has headquarters in
Easton, Pa. “Treats are a major growth category, and companies
like Plato are meeting the market demand for natural dog treats.
Phillips is excited to bring this premium brand to our customers
in the west.”
The distributor has also expanded its strategic partnership with
Stella & Chewy’s throughout the Western United States. Phillips has
begun offering the Stella & Chewy’s line of products to the regions
served by the company’s distribution centers located in Billings,
Mont., Denver, Portland, Ore., Phoenix and Sacramento, Calif. This
expansion supplements the partnership and strong growth Phillips
has realized in its East Coast markets, said company officials.
Crafted in the USA, Stella & Chewy’s pet food emphasizes nutrition, palatability, safety and convenience. The brand uses grass-fed,
cage-free and wild-caught meats along with 100 percent organic
fruits and vegetables. All products are grain free, gluten free and
enhanced with probiotics, officials added.
“Fresh, frozen and freeze-dried products are increasing in popularity with pet parents and are driving significant growth for our
retail customers. Phillips expanded fresh and frozen distribution
capabilities earlier this year, and we are proud to expand our strategic partnership with Stella & Chewy’s,” Thibodeau said. “The
brand’s focus on nutrition, innovation and quality reflect our mutual commitment to create an exceptional retailer experience with a
highly relevant brand that pet parents know and trust.”
BRISTLY GAINS DISTRIBUTION AT PETSENSE
Bristly, a functional chew toy, has launched its DIY dog
tooth brushing stick in major pet retailer PetSense. The company has also finished its Kickstarter campaign by breaking
records in the pet category, said company officials.
PetSense, a national retailer based in Arizona, now offers
Bristly in the HABA (dental health) aisle.
“This is exciting because this is our first time in a ma-
jor pet retailer,” said Petros Dertsakyan, creator and CEO
of Bristly in Los Angeles. “We have worked very hard to
make a product that helps both dogs and dog parents.”
Bristly’s Kickstarter campaign finished at more than
3,000 percent funded, totaling more than $400,000 pledged.
Officials said the company was 100 percent funded in only
one day. Between crowdfunding through Kickstarter and
Indiegogo, Bristly has raised more than $820,000, making
it the campaign with the highest number of backers ( 10,692
through Kickstarter, 7,329 through Indiegogo and 18,021 to-
tal) and highest amount raised on crowdfunding of any pet
campaigns, officials added.
Acting as a functional toy, Bristly features a dog-centric design that offers easy-to-hold paw
pads for independent dog use. The two-sided bristle lines clean teeth down to the gum line, while
the flavored bristles promote chewing, according to the company. Side nudges provide an added
brushing surface for optimal brushing. The product has a self-dispensing toothpaste reservoir,
and adding toothpaste can help enhance cleaning. The Bristly brushing stick is available in three
sizes to withstand even the toughest chewers, according to the company.
GREEN GORILLA
APPOINTS UNITED
PACIFIC PET AS
DISTRIBUTOR
Green Gorilla, a
Los Angeles-based
manufacturer and
brand of cannabidiol (CBD) products, has appointed
United Pacific Pet,
a 100-year-old pet
products distributor, to distribute
the full Green Gorilla line of CBD
products for pets
to its extensive
customer list in
the four states the
distributor serves:
California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii.
Green Gorilla offers a line of pure CBD oil products for pets as well as
a whole plant oil and freeze-dried lamb flavor dog treats.
Green Gorilla CBD products are USDA NOP Certified Organic, non-GMO, vegan, paleo, and free from gluten, sugar and THC. The products
are formulated with organic 99-plus percent pure cannabidiol along
with GG BioEnhanced Complex, Green Gorilla’s proprietary blend of
certified organic botanicals, herbals and essential oils to further optimize
bioavailability.
ENDCAP
NEW SIZES AND PACKAGING
FOR WIZSMART
New York-based Petix has
launched two new products—WizSmart Super and
WizSmart Ultra XL—to complement the company’s original WizSmart pad, which is
relaunching as WizSmart Ultra. Available in retail stores
and on Amazon, the extended product line will offer more options in regard to pad size and
package quantity, while continuing to offer the same features and benefits that have become the
hallmark of the eco-friendly WizSmart brand.
While the packaging for WizSmart has the recognizable orange background, bright bands of
color now draw attention to the new variety in the line, Super ( 5 cups absorbency, turquoise),
Ultra ( 8 cups absorbency, purple) and Ultra XL (more than 8 cups absorbency, green). The front of
the package now specifically shows product benefits with a revealing diagram as well as helpful
information about the pads. One side of the package offers recommendations on the best way to
potty train dogs as well as information on how to use WizSmart. The other side of the package
demonstrates the value of using WizSmart.
WizSmart Ultra is available in a 30-count bag. WizSmart Super is available in a 50-pad pack
and a 14-pad pack. WizSmart Ultra XL comes in a 14-pad pack.
HIGGING GETS A NATURAL NEW LOOK
Miami-based Higgins Premium Pet Foods has redesigned its inTune, Vita Seed, Sunburst and Safflower Gold brands of companion bird and small animal
foods with larger product windows, clearer benefits
messaging and a graphic emphasizing the food’s naturally sourced colors. The graphic states “Colors Sourced
From Seeds, Spices & Vegetables,” assuring pet owners
that no artificial colors were used in the product. This
was designed to better define the brand identity in response to increasing pet food trends to move away from
artificial, chemical dyes and ingredients in pet foods.
“Today’s pet parents are highly informed about
nutrition and want to make the healthiest choices for
their pets,” said Dean Reyes, director of marketing and
sales. “Our commitment is to develop and maintain relationships with pet parents based on trust, by formulating foods centered around the health and well-being
of their pets.”
DISTRIBUTION NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
