ButcherBox, a direct-to-consumer meat and seafood brand, has announced its move into the pet space with its ButcherBox For Pets line of dry food, treats, and hip and joint supplements for dogs.
Mike Salguero, founder and CEO of ButcherBox said the ButcherBox For Pets line is developed within a clinical vet environment with the same high quality standards as ButcherBox by sourcing humanely raised, sustainably sourced beef and chicken who are never given antibiotics or additional hormones.
“What we learned in this process, is that most food or meat companies do not want to put their branding on the label of the pet food, or treat, that they sell,” Salguero said. “We’re proud of the work we put into sourcing quality, humanely raised meat for this line of products and we want consumers to know that by seeing our brand front and center on the package means they can trust where and how it came from.”
While ButcherBox For Pets treats and hip and joint supplements were available exclusively to ButcherBox customers last year, with sales for those products reaching $750,000, this launch marks the complete line as well as a new way to buy on the standalone ButcherBoxForPets.com website.
Dry food will be available via subscription at launch while treats and supplements will be available as add-on purchases.
“Nearly 60% of ButcherBox customers have a dog in their home, which was the first pull in the pet market for us,” said Bobby Quirk, president of ButcherBox For Pets. “Customers tell us they are equally interested in feeding their pets, particularly dogs, a quality product similar to their own diets.”
The line is expected to expand in the coming year complete with additional treats, supplements, meal toppers, additional food products, and product offerings for cats.
E-commerce pet subscriptions are beginning to shift purchasing behavior
According to a a recent PYMNTS report, The Replenish Economy: A Deep Dive of Household Supplyrevealed that of the 15% of retail subscribers participating in the Chewy’s Goody Box pet food and toy subscription program, 53% now shop in stores more often while 11% of program participants no longer shop in stores for these items.
According to PYMNTS, e-commerce players are increasingly seeing the pet food space as an opportunity. Some examples:
- In summer 2023, HelloFresh announced its new dog food subscription, The Pets Table, promising “human-grade” foods as part of the company’s push to become the world’s leading “fully integrated food solutions group” .
- British eGrocer Ocado is branching out into pet food, launching “fine dining” foods, including lamb with mint and salmon, designed “for younger, urban, thoughtful owners” who want choice and variety for their pets.
- In September, UK direct-to-consumer brand Butternut Box, which sells dog food subscriptions, announced that the tit had raised £280 million (US $353 million) in its latest funding round.
The report cited the rise of digitally native subscription services in the pet supply industry as indicative of a shift in consumer behavior, which poses a challenge to traditional brick-and-mortar stores as convenience and automation is redefining the retail landscape.
