Market Research: Dog Food Brand

[nick_j007]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

IMHO you could look at it from the other end of the spectrum.

My aforementioned local Feed / bulk chap running out of an industrial unit has done (or bullsts very well ) an amount of animal Nutritional courses, and as such 'knows' what is good for different breeds, ages, lifestyles and such.

The Brands IMHO are not best and often best for the Sheeple, but if you can stand proud with useful knowledge, selling what is 'right' will stand you far better business as a trusted and knowledgeable supplier - versus a commercially competitive supplier. (Which you will always loose out on compared to the BIG retailers.)

Sorry to thread drift.

IF I were to sell dog food this would be my personal approach (not sure if it would be profitable however as many folk will just get the cheapest/latest advertised food on the telly).

Sell what you believe in. i.e. foods 'free from' and based on good nutrition. Some may wade in with RAW diets shortly, but you are looking to sell commercial dried feeds that are better than your average kibble. Maybe?

I did this course a while back and can recommend it: http://www.sheilaharper.co.uk/canine-nutrition-wor...

I also liked the USP that was raised. As with any USP -you'll need to bang your drum proudly!

Good luck!

[jaybirduk]

I love my dogs but I still buy on price, my vets sells JWB cheaper that the local Pets at Home so I buy from them. Every now and then Pets at Home do a two for on on JWB so I bulk stock when they have the offer on.

Knowledge is nice to have about products but price is king for me (and I suspect many others)

[Turn7]

We use Wellbeloved, but I believe Burns is on the increase in popularity, and as you are rural, a good working breed type food, I think Skinners do one ?

[eco21]

Thanks for the links - yeah, a few skinners seem to be tailored to working dogs.

I do believe that a 'good' price will get people in the door and will look t the course to increase my knowledge.

[Mubby]

Royal Canin lab/retriever diet was what we used £36 for 15kg

[Flat6time]

Wainwrights puppy, (pets at home brand) and Naturediet wet pouches.

Welbeloved if no Wainwrights in stock.

[pikeyboy]

NathanJones said:

http://www.goldenacres.co.uk/privatelabelforbrands...

Golden Acres produce for Arden Grange, James Wellbeloved and Burns Pet Nutrition

Didnt know this, I use breeder bags of Arden grange 15kg is 28 quid - 0 vat rated. What price is the golden acres?

edsited to add a few people I know use BARF also might be worth while stoicking proper tripe etc as they do at my local farm shop. The dogs love it but we dont as they fart like troopers, its a pointer trait.

Edited by boy on Friday 4th November 09:35

[SGirl]

Natural Instinct for our dog.

She was originally on Arden Grange, but she always used to eat it with an air of "well, if there's nothing else..." about her! Since we swapped to Natural Instinct, she's been eating really well and looks forward to mealtimes. And she's a lot less "windy" now, so travelling in the car with her is no longer the ordeal it used to be.

[therealpigdog]

Iams for our girls.

I know it gets a bad press, but Cassie has been on it all her life, and as a 12 year old black lab who will regularly (twice or three times a week) go on a five mile run (owner, heaven knows how far the dogs run) she seems to be doing well on it.

They'll occasionally get Bakers when we can't get hold of Iams.

We buy in sacks - especially when there are offers on. Price is important.

[RB Will]

I buy the 15kg bags of Arden Grange. Wellbeloved gave her the runs as did scienceplan stuff and she didnt want to eat Fish 4 dogs

[Sway]

Raw meat blocks for working dogs.

Normally 1lb frozen blocks of meat/bone/organ all crushed up. Basically a carcass in a block.

Bloody cheap as I believe its vat exempt, and you can appeal/educate those who don't want to spend a fortune to pay for massive ad campaigns.

Can't remember the name, but when we had a collie we used an online wholesaler for ours, used to fill a chest freezer every six months delivered to our door. Most people won't want to buy in such bulk.

USP? It's what the doggie's digestion system has evolved over millenia for (unlike cereals/ash/veg), and so our collie went from a st factory to one st a day. Made a massive difference to her energy/looks/demeanor too.

[NathanJones]

boy said:

Didnt know this, I use breeder bags of Arden grange 15kg is 28 quid - 0 vat rated. What price is the golden acres?

edsited to add a few people I know use BARF also might be worth while stoicking proper tripe etc as they do at my local farm shop. The dogs love it but we dont as they fart like troopers, its a pointer trait.

Edited by boy on Friday 4th November 09:35

Positive they do not sell in single 15kg bags, but call Ann Bamford - Customer Service Manager, (01772 607612) have a chat with her.

[Moo27]

Personally, i think Bakers, Beta, Pedigree are all rubbish... BUT they are so well advcertised people fall for their lines....

Have a look on here: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Its a FANTASTIC site rating each food by star quality!

I now will only feed Orijen or Acana, and have recently found out about a food called Ziwi Peaks, but at £80 for 5kg is a tad over budget for me!! But it is basically air dried completely natural no additive food.

Good luck with your venture though!

[TimCrighton]

We use Science Plan puppy till 12 months and after that they get a high protein working dog food. Right now we are using 'Fold Hill Essential Working Dog Food'

Bear in mind that you don't pay VAT on working dog food (agricultural allowance) and therefore its automatically 20% cheaper. Most the working dog food brands range from about £9-12 for a 15kg bag - the same thing you'd pay £40+ for if it was science plan.

We also feed raw chicken carcases which are a good solution to high protein and seem to be a very popular choice with the dogs! The dogs love to chew through the raw meat and bone and it does them wonders, I'm always spectical of feeding purely cooked food - its not what they are supposed to have!!

This company has just opened locally to us and seem to growing in popularity and will probably be something we try - its also focused on feeding raw. http://www.darlingsrealdogfood.com/index.php

[eco21]

WOW, that is a great site, certainly opened my eyes. Alarming there are 96 pages of 1 Star food and only 3 of 6 star food.

I think looking at brands 4 - 1 to get a spread - especially as cost is an issue

[Moo27]

Eco21 - its brilliant isnt it! I was Feeding mine on Royal Canin bulldog specific, which i originally thought was one of the best foods out there.... how wrong was i!

[LordHaveMurci]

Our local chap told us that Bakers is rubbish so we switched to Burns, my brother is a doggie shrink & he recommends Burns too. However, local supplier has just switched us to a Burns alternative, because it is for 'working' dogs it is VAT free & hence is much cheaper - £33.00 per 15kg rather than £48 for Burns.

[eco21]

It does seem that some poorer nutironally are popular and ingrained in people minds and want to buy them.

Would you as a dog owner be willing to try Brand B if Brand A whilst not nutrionally as 'good' seems to do perfectly well?

I think most people would be unhappy to change? Maybe look at getting small bags made up in 50g etc and allow people to feed their dog and see if A) the dog ate it and b) was there a positive/negative effects

[Mrs Grumpy]

I would not feed anything that contained additives.

I would not feed the cheaper foods as they contain fillers. Crap in. Crap out.

I understand JWB is now owned by Pedigree and subsequently quality has slipped.

Food can be linked to both behavioural and medical issues. Burns has been anecdotally liked to weight loss and ear infections, for instance. As for Bakers...

There is a lot more to feeding dogs than just price! Many people do not make a link between behaviour or medical issues and food. Amount of protein. Source of protein... Hell of a lot to it!

[IrrElephant]

Bakers made our dog fart. A lot