In this episode, Dr. Megan Sprinkle and Dr. Mary Cope along with Nate Thomas and Seth Kaufman talk with Todd Dittman (Executive Director at IndiePet) and Al Puntillo (President of IndiePet and Co-CEO for Mud Bay). In this episode, they discuss behind-the-scenes challenges for independent pet store retailers, how IndiePet uses collaboration to give strength to their members, and why working with the Pet Sustainability Coalition is good for business.
About IndiePet
IndiePet's purpose is to empower independent and neighborhood pet retailers to work together as peers for the well-being of North American pets and pet owners as they maintain a strong, sustainable, and growing place at the heart of the pet industry. The company began as a small group of retailers meeting in conference rooms at SuperZoo from 2016 to 2019. In 2020, the company was formally established as the Independent & Neighborhood Pet Retail Association (IndiePet).
Recent/Relevant Articles:
Indie Pet
1. Indie Pet – Who Are We
2. New Year Brings More from IndiePet to You – Learn about IndiePet’s growth in 2022, and company plans for 2023
3. LinkedIn – Todd Dittman
BSM Partners
BSM Partners is a multidisciplinary team of PhDs, board-certified veterinarians and nutritionists offering 400+ years of cumulative technical experience, supporting the development of thousands of products per year. From R&D to replenishment, we have you covered.
BSM Partners offers a wide range of services including research, product innovation, FSQAR, nutrition services, veterinary services, transformation, operations support, and engineering.
Learn more at https://bsmpartners.net/
1. BSM Partners – What We Do
2. Pet Age Honors 2022 Best Places to Work in the Pet Industry
Show Notes:
(02:49) How a chance meeting created an organization for good
(04:58) Why big box is threatening independent pet retailers
(06:32) Two powerful reasons independent pet retailers are better than big-box
(07:34) How Service Plays a Critical Role to Independent Pet Retailers
(08:59) Turning Business Competitors Into Category Collaborators
(11:11) Success with Customers: How Indie Pet trains employees to provide top-notch service
(12:33) How gamification plays into a high level of employee training
(13:32) The twofold approach Mud Bay takes to help pet parents and their pets that online retailers can’t
(15:04) IndiePet unlocks the mystery of delivering consistent recommendations
(16:53) How the Independent Pet Retailer becomes a curator to provide excellent customer service
(19:49) What IndiePet offers to its membership
(21:02) Two exciting programs (and 1 Event) that are coming to IndiePet members
(24:45) The Biggest Challenge in Pet Food Industry
(25:22) Myth: Online is cheaper
(27:57) Sustainability: the super fuzzy math
(30:59) How big box falls shorts with sustainability
(33:34) Sustainability guidelines created with Pet Sustainability Coalition
(34:58) The Partnership between IndiePet and BSM
(37:09) Mindshift: how veterinarians are evolving in pet nutrition
(38:13) How IndiePet is promoting collaboration between retailers and veterinarians
(40:53) The True Mission of IndiePet
(41:48) Connecting retailers directly to manufacturers
