December 8, 2023 • 30 mins
Ever wonder how a pet supply company stands out in an overcrowded market? That's exactly what we're unraveling in today’s conversation with Erin DeAngelis and Betsy Weakland from Pet Supplies Plus. As a beacon in the pet industry, Pet Supplies Plus distinguishes itself through an uncommon approach that revolves around infusing local flavor and personal experiences. From shaping the company's ethos around community involvement to valuing customer feedback, Erin and Betsy pull back the curtain on their roles in the company, the strategies they implement, and how they drive the company's private brand products.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Welcome to the Retail Wire podcast, your go-to source
for all things retail.
Whether you're a seasonedindustry veteran or just dipping
your toes into the world ofretail, our podcast is your
one-stop-shot for the latesttrends, insights and discussions
that are shaping the future ofretail.
Just dive into today's episode.
We're here, joined by AaronD'Angeles and Betsy Weaklin from
(00:35):
Pet Supply Plus.
Very happy to have you on theshow.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
There's something unique about Pet Supply Plus and
I thought why don't we justdive straight into it?
How is Pet Supply Plusdifferent than other pet
retailers in that category?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah.
So I think the biggest thing isthat Pet Supply Plus focuses on
local.
So we are your neighborhood petstore and we create an
experience that's much morepersonal than in the big box
retailers.
So we are corporate andfranchise-based.
The majority of that isfranchise.
(01:13):
So our owners really have astake in their business and they
want to make a difference inthe community.
So you'll see our storesparticipate in local events.
You'll see a tent at an artfair or at a local high school
football game passing outcoupons, just really feeling
(01:34):
part of that community, like Isaid, which a lot of bigger box
retailers just can't executethat.
So we have owners who areinvested, who can take that time
, and it's easier to coordinatewhen it's on a one-off basis
versus trying to send somethingdown corporately.
So I think that's really wherewe win, because it makes our
(01:56):
neighbors feel connected to ourstore and want to shop with us,
versus the competition.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah to Erin's point.
One of the things that we do iswe refer to our consumers as
our neighbors, because that'sliterally what they are.
We are your neighborhood petstore and the folks who shop in
our stores our neighbors to thefolks who own and work in the
stores.
So it's a very local, verycommunity-based feeling.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I caught that word, but I didn't know who you were
talking about.
I heard our neighbors and Ithought other people who live
around the store.
But yes, but you actually partof your company culture is you
have different terminology forcustomers than other retailers.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yeah, because we put such an emphasis on our
neighbors or customers.
We couldn't be where we're atnow today without them.
So we think that we have aspecial loyalty with them.
So just to call them a customerdoesn't feel right.
We just feel like there areneighbors, there are friends,
there are people within ourcommunities that it's just not a
(03:06):
business interaction.
We all have the best interestsof their lives and their pet's
lives, right?
So we think neighbor is aperfect way to label a customer
because we're going to be therefor them when they have
questions or need help withtheir pets.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Have you seen that mindset really spread to the
different franchise owners?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh for sure, I think that's what attracts people to
joining our pet supplies, plusfamily there's another word.
Yep, the family neighbors.
You're picking up a theme here,but that's just something that
they want to be a part of and itmakes it fun.
(03:53):
So the pet industry is a funplace to be in the first place,
but it's just taking it thatnext step further that they're
not just in the daily grind ofstocking their shelves, filling
orders, checking out at point ofsale, but they can do fun
things to get outside of thestore, even if it's just an
event in the parking lot, totalk and interact and help make
(04:16):
recommendations and help ourneighbors find the best products
for their pets.
So it's definitely a greatplace to be and everyone who
joins sticks around for a longtime because, like I said, it's
a family and we all love workingtogether.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Speaking of this, I hear a lot of local community
involvement and I'm sure you'regetting feedback about products.
Is there a process that you'vebuilt into this that you can
take that feedback from thedifferent owners and make
adjustments and make decisions?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Yep, yep.
So we have an internalcommunication system, so our
owners are required to followour planograms.
However, if there's somethingthat maybe it's a certain flavor
of food that we don't carrythat someone's asking for, or a
different color leash like maybewe carry the brand but we don't
(05:09):
have it in orange there is aprocess where an owner or store
manager can make a request andthen the buyer reviews it and
determines whether or not we'reOK with them adding it into
their assortment.
So we're always keeping ourears open.
That is actually one of the bigways that we find new products
(05:31):
is listening to our store owners, because they're right there on
the front line the owners, themanagers, our team members.
They let us know what ourneighbors are asking for.
And it's funny because a lot oftimes I'll see a request come
through for a certain flavor andsay, oh yeah, I was just
talking with a pet partner aboutthat.
(05:53):
I think, yeah, I'll definitelyconsider that, or I will add it
in the next reset.
So I think we all are prettylike-minded.
But it's always nice to getthat reinforcement from the
store teams that an item will dowell.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Before I go further, I wanted to ask a little bit
more about your specific rolesin the company, because I think
that your role will have aunique perspective on what's
happening here.
And, erin, you're talking aboutmerchandising and choosing
products, and so, erin and Betsy, I just wanted to give you a
(06:30):
chance to explain your role inthe company.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, so I am a category manager.
I manage cat food and litter,so category manager, buyer, kind
of interchangeable Work on somehigher strategic things.
But overall, when you get downto it, it's finalizing the
assortment for those categoriesfor all of our stores, as well
(06:54):
as pretty promotional plans inplace.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And I am our director of private brands, so my role
here is to help develop strategyand guide the development
process for the private brandbrands that we carry and the
individual products within them.
And in addition to doing that,we work very closely with the
merchants to make sure that thestuff we're developing works in
(07:19):
their set, or if there'ssomething that they are missing
from their set that they reallyhaven't been able to find from a
national brand, that's anopportunity for us to build one
of our own, and so we workreally closely with them as well
to develop all the privatebrand products that we carry in
our stores.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
That sounds like a good segment.
Both of you work together.
What is that process when youhear requests from the store
owners and you're hearing theneighbors?
See what I did the neighborsare saying they want a certain
type of product, and now yourjob is to find that.
(07:56):
If you can't find, it is thatwhen you look at doing private
label or what are the, what arethe strategies behind that?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
so a lot of times, some of the deciding factors as
to whether or not we're going tobring in a branded product
versus build our own privatelabel product depends on
Availability, depends on costing, depends on quality.
If there are things out therebut we're not super satisfied
with the way somebody else isdoing it, private label is an
(08:28):
excellent opportunity for us tokind of take those reins and
make sure that whatever productwe're bringing in is exactly
what we want it to be in termsof features and benefits, but
also from a consumable side, interms of ingredients and
formulations and things likethat as well.
It's a great opportunity for usto make sure that we're really
tapping into what the neighborsare asking for and and reacting
(08:50):
to that feedback to provide themwith the best possible product.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, an example I can think of.
So prior to managing cat food Iwas on apparel and a lot of
times after each season we wouldget requests saying hey, we
didn't you know why don't wecarry dog dresses and size 3xl.
Well, we didn't think thatpeople wanted to put you know
(09:15):
their rot-wilders and dresses.
But okay, if you're gettingrequests like, let's, let's add
that to the next season so thatI think a lot of that comes into
the seasonal play as well,where maybe we missed something,
overlooked something, and thenwe can make sure again like
getting that feedback from ourneighbors that we have at the
following season.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
What would be a difficult choice to put a
private go, private label.
It sounds like there's sometimes where it's an easy choice
let's do it, but there are othertimes where it might be more
difficult.
There's a lot more involved.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, for sure.
Sometimes it's a matter ofreviewing the set as a whole and
the merchants will kind of dosome analysis to figure out If
there are branded products thatjust aren't performing and if
they have an idea as to whythose aren't performing.
And if we could, you know,essentially build a better
mousetrap ourselves and putsomething in that slot that
(10:08):
might be better performing.
And and like you said,sometimes sometimes we weigh the
options and it turns outbranded really is the right way
to go.
So if there's a lot of thoughtand intention that goes behind
Whether or not we we bring in aprivate brand item or or a
national branded item, yeah, Ithink.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Just one other thing I'd add to what Betsy said on
the consumable side, we reallyneed to consider the quality and
you know the ingredients thatis going into that product,
right?
So if we're just creating, youknow, a bigger size of a dress
or a different color of a ball,that's pretty easy to execute.
But if we're thinking aboutwhat is actually going into A
(10:52):
pets you know stomach like, youknow how's it gonna affect their
health there's definitely moreof a process, more testing, and
you know we're not gonna messaround with anything that's not
the right quality.
So if we don't feel like we areAre able to provide, you know,
a superior option, then you knowwe'll pass on it and and lean
on the branded side.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
How do you compare when you're selecting products?
How do you end up comparing tosome of your competitors?
You mean how we select theproducts, or when you're looking
at your own selection versusothers, is there a certain lane
that you're in versus them?
I you know.
Yeah, I would say a littledifferent.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, I would say, and you know, when it comes to
the branded side, we like tolook for those independent
brands, things that you're notgonna find In mass retailers.
Like, don't get me wrong, youknow, we have those brands that
you're gonna see everywhere, butwhen we're looking for newness,
we're looking for things thatyou know could be a
differentiator, that you're notgonna see everywhere, and then
(11:58):
we like to work with thosebrands and then help them grow
and then they, in turn, you know, become really important To our
, to our owners, to our teammembers and to our neighbors.
So that's Definitely a bigfactor that we consider, whereas
I think, you know, some of thecompetition kind of just goes
(12:18):
after things that are alreadyblowing up.
They're already, you know, inMany doors and are already
proven winners, and we're notafraid to and I don't want to
say take risks, but, you know,take a chance on a brand that
might be lesser known, becausewe know that it'll, in the end,
be a differentiator for us.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, and to Aaron's point, that's actually one of
the One of the retail benefitsof having private label as well.
In addition to being able tocontrol the quality and the
assortment ourselves, it alsobuilds loyalty with our
neighbors, because our privatebrands Are technically
standalone brands, they're justmore like house brands, and so
(13:02):
when the neighbors fall in lovewith a Private brand dog food or
a private brand cat food orsomething like that, people tend
to be very loyal to the brandsof food that they feed their
pets, with good reason, and welove that, because then they
have to come back to PetSupplies Plus stores to get
those brands and it really helpsus out in terms of building
(13:24):
that community and that sense oftrust and loyalty with our
neighbors.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
The classic way was well, we were the generic brand
right.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Like.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
I remember growing up it was like Target had the
generic brand and now it soundslike there's this advantage that
you've tapped into when youmake a quality private label
brand.
It builds loyalty becausethere's nowhere else that these
neighbors can buy the product.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
That's right.
Yeah, and we've actually hadpeople, neighbors, and we've
gotten feedback that they don'tnecessarily even realize that
it's a private brand, because itlooks like a fully fleshed out
brand with marketing and withimagery and merchandising, and
the ingredient listings arecomparable, if not better, than
the national brands, and so theydon't even necessarily realize
(14:14):
that it's a private brand untilthey try to find it in another
store and then they have to comeback and they're like I looked
all over for it, I can't find it.
Really.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
That's where you'll find like in Google search terms
.
Who'd be like?
Is this brand owned by?
And I'm guessing those would bemore custom fit for your exact
type of customer as well.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
They are.
Yeah, I mean, we definitely.
We do a lot of research aboutwho our target demographics are
and who our neighbors are.
It's certainly not everybody.
There certainly are people whojust prefer to shop at those big
box stores or who don't havetime to go to a specific pet
store and just shop at a massstore for their pet food or
whatever.
But we have found that ourneighbors tend to be people who
(14:56):
are really focused on their petsand who treat their pets like
family, and their pets are partof the community too and part of
our neighborhood, so they tendto be a little bit more involved
and a little bit so we like togear our private brands toward
those neighbors because we havean idea of what they're looking
for.
But we also have the advantageof having a really close-knit
(15:20):
communication channel with ourstore owners and the people who
work at the stores, the teammembers, so that if there is
anything that the neighbors arestill asking for, we can react
to that as well.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yeah, and we know that there's not a
one-size-fiddle option,especially when it comes to food
for our neighbors, right?
So we've developed a few brandsto make sure that we have
something for everybody, andthat has really served us well.
So we have our more openingprice point brands, like in Cat,
(15:51):
for example, that's like ourMittens morsels and Mittens
pickens.
And then we have our morenatural brand for natural food
customers and that's our RedfordNaturals.
And then we recently launched,in the past year, Optin Plus,
which is like a functional,science-based dog and cat food
and, you know, just to giveoption to those neighbors who
(16:13):
are focused more on thosefunctional benefits.
So, again, like keeping theneighbor first, we're not going
to force them into any one lane.
So we want to make sure that wehave a well-rounded assortment
so you know there's somethingfor the type of food or even the
price point that someone'slooking for and they can give a
quality product to their pet.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Those are three very clear segments.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Yes, yeah, yeah, I mean that's kind of what we've
seen, you know, kind of pop interms of the way that our
neighbors are shopping.
So, you know, as we've seendifferent categories grow, we
just want to make sure thatwe're playing on, you know, the
private label side.
I mean we'll always have thoseamazing branded options, but we
(16:57):
just want to make sure that, aswe're growing our private brand,
that we have, you know, thedifferent price points of what
we see people looking for andagain, the different solutions
that I mentioned and it's workedvery well, like they've all
been very successful in terms oflaunches and it's been fun to
see the brands grow and ourstore team members get behind it
(17:19):
and, you know, the neighbors,you know, eventually become
really loyal as well.
So I think we have a reallynice balance between our private
label and our branded product,which, you know again, I think
is a nice way or a nicedifferentiator to the
competition, because we don'twant to have a year too heavy
(17:40):
either way, because we don'twant to force the neighbor to
choose what we think they shouldchoose.
We know that ultimately, it'stheir decision.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
I'm curious about the trends that you've seen over
the years.
When you first started, whatwas wildly different than today?
Is there anything?
Consumer behavior or the waythat people are shopping?
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me so I've
been with the company a littlebit longer than Betsy, so I've
been here about eight years andI think it's really in the way
that the neighbor shops has beenthe biggest change.
I mean, you're always going tosee, you know different food
brands or different toys.
(18:27):
You know go through peaks andvalleys, right.
But I think the biggest changenow is you know the different
way the neighbor wants to shop.
So you know, before, like whenI first started, our website was
just kind of a place where youcould browse but you couldn't do
anything in terms of commerce.
(18:48):
And now we have buy online,pick up in store and we have
delivery from store, and I thinkthat that's been a really big
win for us.
We were able to kind of launchthat right when the pandemic hit
and it really helped us staycompetitive during that time and
(19:08):
we did really well.
And now even you know that.
You know that's well behind us,but people may still choose to
shop that way.
You know our people don't wantto spend time browsing the store
and you know they just theywant to have that order ready
for them.
So again, kind of going back towhat I was saying about the
brands or the type of you knowfoods that we have.
(19:30):
We're not going to force theneighbor to shop a certain way.
They now have options.
So I think that's really greatand that's probably the biggest
change that I've seen.
I mean, we're still primarily,you know, an in store retailer
and that's where the majority ofour businesses, but I think
it's great that we have thatoption for our neighbors.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
That is really good to have the option, even with a
franchise model.
Yeah one of the things thatwe've talked about at retail
wire is you know, while it'sgreat to have the all the
options, you know there's thisyou always want people walking
in the store because there'sdiscovery of new products.
Is there any ways that you'vecounteracted that and to find
(20:12):
ways to still help yourneighbors?
I'm like I'm going to getbrainwashed into the cult.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
It's fun.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Lean in.
It's great, yes, so anyways,that you can help those
neighbors discover the newproducts.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Yeah, for sure you know we'll have things highly on
our website.
But for those for pickup,orders are in deliveries.
Sometimes we'll do thingscalled a surprise and delight,
so it might be already like.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
I already like this.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Yeah.
So that'll be things, you know.
We'll work with our pet partnersand get samples.
So maybe they'll get a, andevery order that has dog food in
it will they'll get a sample ofa dog treat, or maybe it's a
tennis ball, or sometimes it'llbe a coupon for you know, a new
product or something that wewant them to come back in for.
So that's kind of a fun way forthem to hopefully get inspired
(21:09):
to say, oh hey, I didn't ask forthis, but this is a cool treat,
like I want to go check thisout and buy this the next time.
Another fun thing that we do,which I forgot to mention in the
beginning of our chat in termsof kind of our local aspect, is
that for every pickup order, ourstore managers leave a
handwritten thank you note, justfor a way to still get that
(21:31):
connection.
So even though that person is,you know, maybe doing their
shopping online and running inand grabbing their bag, there's
still that local, personalconnection and we our hope is
that that makes that neighborwant to come back in and spend
some time, because it's a fun,friendly place to be.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, another thing that's a huge part of our
business model that reallydrives folks into the store is
that we A huge majority of ourstores have in-store dog wash
machines, where neighbors canbring their dog in and wash them
in our bathtubs and use ourblow dryers and our shampoo and
everything, so they don't make amess of their bathroom.
(22:09):
And then a lot of our locationsalso have grooming services.
So those are two things thatyou can't do online, and so
those two service options forour neighbors tend to bring a
lot of folks into the store andespecially with the grooming, a
lot of people while their dog isgetting groomed, they just
wander the aisles because whatelse are you going to do.
(22:30):
So it's a really great way toget folks in the store as well
and an opportunity for us to getsome great signage and some
great deals in front of theireyes while they're just there,
and we have like a captiveaudience.
It's great.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You were fully prepared for that question.
We didn't even plan that.
No, yeah, to get people intothe store, there's so many
things you can do.
We're seeing that as a trend aswell.
Is that retailers are poppingup services that are related and
just trying to serve their fulljourney?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yeah, definitely and like the one thing you know,
going kind of continuing on thistopic of getting people in the
stores and tying it back intothe local piece, we will try and
do events monthly.
So you know we're getting theholiday season, so all of our
(23:24):
stores have assets to set uppictures with Santa, so you know
we can have Santa and peoplecan come bring their pets and,
you know, get a picture of Santa.
And we've done costume contests.
My personal favorite as the catbuyer is in May we do an event
called the go-day meow and it'svery focused on the cat because
(23:47):
sometimes I think you know thecat neighbor gets ignored a
little bit.
So it's just like an attest.
So we got to have something forBetsy, right?
So, yeah, it's just, you know,we'll have demos focused on, you
know, cat food or different catproducts and really showing
that cat neighbor some love, andit's just like a fun way to
(24:09):
interact with the product andcome into the store.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Yeah, I'm sure the individual owners love that too.
Yeah, so you're able to providethose ideas and materials and
basically the whole plan to makethat event happen for each of
the local sites.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Exactly, yeah, we'll provide, you know, best
practices for them to follow howthe day should run.
We also support at a corporatelevel the marketing behind it.
So you know we'll havetemplates.
You know, if they want to printout posters or send emails from
their account or post somethingon their individual Facebook
page, we do all that heavylifting for them, so you know
(24:51):
they just have to make it happen.
But we make it easy to bringthese things to life at their
store.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Are there any future trends that you're starting to
see the hints of Any anythingcoming up that you know others
in the category would beinterested to hear about, or
maybe just general retailertrends that other retailers
would be interested to hearabout?
Speaker 3 (25:20):
You want to take that one.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
I don't know what you guys are looking at in terms of
product development.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
It's like do we want to share that?
Speaker 1 (25:29):
I hear, cats are psychic too.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
So I think one thing that we're noticing is that
recently and everybody isnoticing this, of course
inflation is a word that's oneverybody's lips, and so one
thing that we have done as anorganization is to really try to
make sure that our price pointsare as sharp as they possibly
(25:55):
can be, and doing a lot ofprivate brand.
We have a lot of control overthat as well.
We're in the driver's seat interms of how these things are
costed and making sure thatwe're delivering quality
products at a great value to ourneighbors, and it's something
that, again, because of ourmodel given our model, we have a
lot of control over the costingof a lot of our goods, and
(26:17):
we're able to be really mindfulof that and make sure that we're
providing value products forour neighbors as another way to
show them that we are aware ofthe things that are going on for
everybody, and we'resympathetic to it, and we're
doing what we can to make surethat they can still get the high
quality products that they'reused to and that their pets
deserve at a price that won'tbreak the bank.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
That's really important.
You're right.
It is on everybody's minds,especially in the food and
grocery.
It's often forgot about that.
Pet food would also be impactedby that.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Let's see if you want to talk a little bit about what
your team is working on now,because you're right in the
thick of developing already fornext year right, I mean seasonal
, yes.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Yeah, we're actually wrapping up our Holiday 24
programs that we're puttingtogether.
We typically run a developmentcycle that's approximately nine
to 12 months ahead of when it'sgoing to hit stores.
So we are working on Holidayand we are wrapping up Halloween
and fall as well, so it's allthe fun stuff.
(27:25):
This is the most fundevelopment that we get to do
all year and we are reallyfocusing next year on trying to
make sure, like I said, thatwe're delivering those values
but that we're using still highquality fabrics for the apparel
and that we're really leaninginto some design elements that
(27:46):
make things look like they're agreat value.
So a little bit higher end look, but maybe not a higher end
price tag that goes along withit.
We're leaning into toughmaterials for dogs that are
heavy tours.
We're leaning into high qualitycatnip for our cat friends, and
so trying to make sure that allof that comes to life for our
(28:08):
neighbors so that everybody canhave a happy holiday season
again without stressing theirwallets.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
It's great that you've been able to take the
feedback and put it right intoyour plans, and I bet you're
patiently waiting for that stuffto release.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
That's right, absolutely no-transcript.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, I just always find it so interesting that you
know, I think that people whoaren't in retail I'm sure
everyone who's listening is usedto it.
But it's just crazy to me thatyou know we're working on
holiday 2024 and you know it'snot even Thanksgiving yet.
So it's always just kind of funto think ahead, and there are
(28:50):
some days where I'm working allday and I think it's 2024
because I'm already thinking sofar ahead.
So it's a pretty unique thingabout retail, I feel like.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
You're lining up with what you're living through
right now and then putting thatinto plans next year.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I've absolutely told peoplethat you know we're in November
of 2024 and they just kind oflook at me 23, 23.
It's 2023.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
I'm sure many people can relate to that.
I'm sure, yeah, this has beenso great.
I think that I've learned a lotabout your unique position and
I think a lot of retailerslistening would be able to hear
this and maybe apply it to theircategory, because you had so
many great ideas that came out.
We didn't have a lot of bulletpoints planned here.
(29:42):
We knew that we were getting tosome stuff and I think that we
found a lot of golden nuggets,of lessons to take away Great.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Awesome, it's been really great talking to you
Definitely.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Thank you again so much for having us on.
This has been fun.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Same here.
This was so fun and I'm glad Icould be.
Am I in the neighborhood?
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Of course.
Yeah, you're a neighbor, you'rean official neighbor.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Okay, cool, I'm going to have to get some toys for my
daughters.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Perfect.
The dog toys do double reallywell as child toys.
My son sleeps with a bunch ofour dog toys.
It's fine.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, they have.
I'm sure if we walk in they'regoing to find a pet that they
want.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
That's right, they certainly could.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Thank you so much.
It's been so great.
I appreciate you coming on theshow.
Welcome to the Retail Wire podcast, your go-to source
for all things retail.
Whether you're a seasonedindustry veteran or just dipping
your toes into the world ofretail, our podcast is your
one-stop-shot for the latesttrends, insights and discussions
that are shaping the future ofretail.
Just dive into today's episode.
We're here, joined by AaronD'Angeles and Betsy Weaklin from
(00:35):
Pet Supply Plus.
Very happy to have you on theshow.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
There's something unique about Pet Supply Plus and
I thought why don't we justdive straight into it?
How is Pet Supply Plusdifferent than other pet
retailers in that category?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah.
So I think the biggest thing isthat Pet Supply Plus focuses on
local.
So we are your neighborhood petstore and we create an
experience that's much morepersonal than in the big box
retailers.
So we are corporate andfranchise-based.
The majority of that isfranchise.
(01:13):
So our owners really have astake in their business and they
want to make a difference inthe community.
So you'll see our storesparticipate in local events.
You'll see a tent at an artfair or at a local high school
football game passing outcoupons, just really feeling
(01:34):
part of that community, like Isaid, which a lot of bigger box
retailers just can't executethat.
So we have owners who areinvested, who can take that time
, and it's easier to coordinatewhen it's on a one-off basis
versus trying to send somethingdown corporately.
So I think that's really wherewe win, because it makes our
(01:56):
neighbors feel connected to ourstore and want to shop with us,
versus the competition.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah to Erin's point.
One of the things that we do iswe refer to our consumers as
our neighbors, because that'sliterally what they are.
We are your neighborhood petstore and the folks who shop in
our stores our neighbors to thefolks who own and work in the
stores.
So it's a very local, verycommunity-based feeling.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I caught that word, but I didn't know who you were
talking about.
I heard our neighbors and Ithought other people who live
around the store.
But yes, but you actually partof your company culture is you
have different terminology forcustomers than other retailers.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yeah, because we put such an emphasis on our
neighbors or customers.
We couldn't be where we're atnow today without them.
So we think that we have aspecial loyalty with them.
So just to call them a customerdoesn't feel right.
We just feel like there areneighbors, there are friends,
there are people within ourcommunities that it's just not a
(03:06):
business interaction.
We all have the best interestsof their lives and their pet's
lives, right?
So we think neighbor is aperfect way to label a customer
because we're going to be therefor them when they have
questions or need help withtheir pets.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Have you seen that mindset really spread to the
different franchise owners?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh for sure, I think that's what attracts people to
joining our pet supplies, plusfamily there's another word.
Yep, the family neighbors.
You're picking up a theme here,but that's just something that
they want to be a part of and itmakes it fun.
(03:53):
So the pet industry is a funplace to be in the first place,
but it's just taking it thatnext step further that they're
not just in the daily grind ofstocking their shelves, filling
orders, checking out at point ofsale, but they can do fun
things to get outside of thestore, even if it's just an
event in the parking lot, totalk and interact and help make
(04:16):
recommendations and help ourneighbors find the best products
for their pets.
So it's definitely a greatplace to be and everyone who
joins sticks around for a longtime because, like I said, it's
a family and we all love workingtogether.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Speaking of this, I hear a lot of local community
involvement and I'm sure you'regetting feedback about products.
Is there a process that you'vebuilt into this that you can
take that feedback from thedifferent owners and make
adjustments and make decisions?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Yep, yep.
So we have an internalcommunication system, so our
owners are required to followour planograms.
However, if there's somethingthat maybe it's a certain flavor
of food that we don't carrythat someone's asking for, or a
different color leash like maybewe carry the brand but we don't
(05:09):
have it in orange there is aprocess where an owner or store
manager can make a request andthen the buyer reviews it and
determines whether or not we'reOK with them adding it into
their assortment.
So we're always keeping ourears open.
That is actually one of the bigways that we find new products
(05:31):
is listening to our store owners, because they're right there on
the front line the owners, themanagers, our team members.
They let us know what ourneighbors are asking for.
And it's funny because a lot oftimes I'll see a request come
through for a certain flavor andsay, oh yeah, I was just
talking with a pet partner aboutthat.
(05:53):
I think, yeah, I'll definitelyconsider that, or I will add it
in the next reset.
So I think we all are prettylike-minded.
But it's always nice to getthat reinforcement from the
store teams that an item will dowell.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Before I go further, I wanted to ask a little bit
more about your specific rolesin the company, because I think
that your role will have aunique perspective on what's
happening here.
And, erin, you're talking aboutmerchandising and choosing
products, and so, erin and Betsy, I just wanted to give you a
(06:30):
chance to explain your role inthe company.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, so I am a category manager.
I manage cat food and litter,so category manager, buyer, kind
of interchangeable Work on somehigher strategic things.
But overall, when you get downto it, it's finalizing the
assortment for those categoriesfor all of our stores, as well
(06:54):
as pretty promotional plans inplace.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And I am our director of private brands, so my role
here is to help develop strategyand guide the development
process for the private brandbrands that we carry and the
individual products within them.
And in addition to doing that,we work very closely with the
merchants to make sure that thestuff we're developing works in
(07:19):
their set, or if there'ssomething that they are missing
from their set that they reallyhaven't been able to find from a
national brand, that's anopportunity for us to build one
of our own, and so we workreally closely with them as well
to develop all the privatebrand products that we carry in
our stores.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
That sounds like a good segment.
Both of you work together.
What is that process when youhear requests from the store
owners and you're hearing theneighbors?
See what I did the neighborsare saying they want a certain
type of product, and now yourjob is to find that.
(07:56):
If you can't find, it is thatwhen you look at doing private
label or what are the, what arethe strategies behind that?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
so a lot of times, some of the deciding factors as
to whether or not we're going tobring in a branded product
versus build our own privatelabel product depends on
Availability, depends on costing, depends on quality.
If there are things out therebut we're not super satisfied
with the way somebody else isdoing it, private label is an
(08:28):
excellent opportunity for us tokind of take those reins and
make sure that whatever productwe're bringing in is exactly
what we want it to be in termsof features and benefits, but
also from a consumable side, interms of ingredients and
formulations and things likethat as well.
It's a great opportunity for usto make sure that we're really
tapping into what the neighborsare asking for and and reacting
(08:50):
to that feedback to provide themwith the best possible product.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, an example I can think of.
So prior to managing cat food Iwas on apparel and a lot of
times after each season we wouldget requests saying hey, we
didn't you know why don't wecarry dog dresses and size 3xl.
Well, we didn't think thatpeople wanted to put you know
(09:15):
their rot-wilders and dresses.
But okay, if you're gettingrequests like, let's, let's add
that to the next season so thatI think a lot of that comes into
the seasonal play as well,where maybe we missed something,
overlooked something, and thenwe can make sure again like
getting that feedback from ourneighbors that we have at the
following season.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
What would be a difficult choice to put a
private go, private label.
It sounds like there's sometimes where it's an easy choice
let's do it, but there are othertimes where it might be more
difficult.
There's a lot more involved.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, for sure.
Sometimes it's a matter ofreviewing the set as a whole and
the merchants will kind of dosome analysis to figure out If
there are branded products thatjust aren't performing and if
they have an idea as to whythose aren't performing.
And if we could, you know,essentially build a better
mousetrap ourselves and putsomething in that slot that
(10:08):
might be better performing.
And and like you said,sometimes sometimes we weigh the
options and it turns outbranded really is the right way
to go.
So if there's a lot of thoughtand intention that goes behind
Whether or not we we bring in aprivate brand item or or a
national branded item, yeah, Ithink.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Just one other thing I'd add to what Betsy said on
the consumable side, we reallyneed to consider the quality and
you know the ingredients thatis going into that product,
right?
So if we're just creating, youknow, a bigger size of a dress
or a different color of a ball,that's pretty easy to execute.
But if we're thinking aboutwhat is actually going into A
(10:52):
pets you know stomach like, youknow how's it gonna affect their
health there's definitely moreof a process, more testing, and
you know we're not gonna messaround with anything that's not
the right quality.
So if we don't feel like we areAre able to provide, you know,
a superior option, then you knowwe'll pass on it and and lean
on the branded side.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
How do you compare when you're selecting products?
How do you end up comparing tosome of your competitors?
You mean how we select theproducts, or when you're looking
at your own selection versusothers, is there a certain lane
that you're in versus them?
I you know.
Yeah, I would say a littledifferent.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, I would say, and you know, when it comes to
the branded side, we like tolook for those independent
brands, things that you're notgonna find In mass retailers.
Like, don't get me wrong, youknow, we have those brands that
you're gonna see everywhere, butwhen we're looking for newness,
we're looking for things thatyou know could be a
differentiator, that you're notgonna see everywhere, and then
(11:58):
we like to work with thosebrands and then help them grow
and then they, in turn, you know, become really important To our
, to our owners, to our teammembers and to our neighbors.
So that's Definitely a bigfactor that we consider, whereas
I think, you know, some of thecompetition kind of just goes
(12:18):
after things that are alreadyblowing up.
They're already, you know, inMany doors and are already
proven winners, and we're notafraid to and I don't want to
say take risks, but, you know,take a chance on a brand that
might be lesser known, becausewe know that it'll, in the end,
be a differentiator for us.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, and to Aaron's point, that's actually one of
the One of the retail benefitsof having private label as well.
In addition to being able tocontrol the quality and the
assortment ourselves, it alsobuilds loyalty with our
neighbors, because our privatebrands Are technically
standalone brands, they're justmore like house brands, and so
(13:02):
when the neighbors fall in lovewith a Private brand dog food or
a private brand cat food orsomething like that, people tend
to be very loyal to the brandsof food that they feed their
pets, with good reason, and welove that, because then they
have to come back to PetSupplies Plus stores to get
those brands and it really helpsus out in terms of building
(13:24):
that community and that sense oftrust and loyalty with our
neighbors.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
The classic way was well, we were the generic brand
right.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Like.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
I remember growing up it was like Target had the
generic brand and now it soundslike there's this advantage that
you've tapped into when youmake a quality private label
brand.
It builds loyalty becausethere's nowhere else that these
neighbors can buy the product.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
That's right.
Yeah, and we've actually hadpeople, neighbors, and we've
gotten feedback that they don'tnecessarily even realize that
it's a private brand, because itlooks like a fully fleshed out
brand with marketing and withimagery and merchandising, and
the ingredient listings arecomparable, if not better, than
the national brands, and so theydon't even necessarily realize
(14:14):
that it's a private brand untilthey try to find it in another
store and then they have to comeback and they're like I looked
all over for it, I can't find it.
Really.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
That's where you'll find like in Google search terms
.
Who'd be like?
Is this brand owned by?
And I'm guessing those would bemore custom fit for your exact
type of customer as well.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
They are.
Yeah, I mean, we definitely.
We do a lot of research aboutwho our target demographics are
and who our neighbors are.
It's certainly not everybody.
There certainly are people whojust prefer to shop at those big
box stores or who don't havetime to go to a specific pet
store and just shop at a massstore for their pet food or
whatever.
But we have found that ourneighbors tend to be people who
(14:56):
are really focused on their petsand who treat their pets like
family, and their pets are partof the community too and part of
our neighborhood, so they tendto be a little bit more involved
and a little bit so we like togear our private brands toward
those neighbors because we havean idea of what they're looking
for.
But we also have the advantageof having a really close-knit
(15:20):
communication channel with ourstore owners and the people who
work at the stores, the teammembers, so that if there is
anything that the neighbors arestill asking for, we can react
to that as well.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yeah, and we know that there's not a
one-size-fiddle option,especially when it comes to food
for our neighbors, right?
So we've developed a few brandsto make sure that we have
something for everybody, andthat has really served us well.
So we have our more openingprice point brands, like in Cat,
(15:51):
for example, that's like ourMittens morsels and Mittens
pickens.
And then we have our morenatural brand for natural food
customers and that's our RedfordNaturals.
And then we recently launched,in the past year, Optin Plus,
which is like a functional,science-based dog and cat food
and, you know, just to giveoption to those neighbors who
(16:13):
are focused more on thosefunctional benefits.
So, again, like keeping theneighbor first, we're not going
to force them into any one lane.
So we want to make sure that wehave a well-rounded assortment
so you know there's somethingfor the type of food or even the
price point that someone'slooking for and they can give a
quality product to their pet.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Those are three very clear segments.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Yes, yeah, yeah, I mean that's kind of what we've
seen, you know, kind of pop interms of the way that our
neighbors are shopping.
So, you know, as we've seendifferent categories grow, we
just want to make sure thatwe're playing on, you know, the
private label side.
I mean we'll always have thoseamazing branded options, but we
(16:57):
just want to make sure that, aswe're growing our private brand,
that we have, you know, thedifferent price points of what
we see people looking for andagain, the different solutions
that I mentioned and it's workedvery well, like they've all
been very successful in terms oflaunches and it's been fun to
see the brands grow and ourstore team members get behind it
(17:19):
and, you know, the neighbors,you know, eventually become
really loyal as well.
So I think we have a reallynice balance between our private
label and our branded product,which, you know again, I think
is a nice way or a nicedifferentiator to the
competition, because we don'twant to have a year too heavy
(17:40):
either way, because we don'twant to force the neighbor to
choose what we think they shouldchoose.
We know that ultimately, it'stheir decision.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
I'm curious about the trends that you've seen over
the years.
When you first started, whatwas wildly different than today?
Is there anything?
Consumer behavior or the waythat people are shopping?
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me so I've
been with the company a littlebit longer than Betsy, so I've
been here about eight years andI think it's really in the way
that the neighbor shops has beenthe biggest change.
I mean, you're always going tosee, you know different food
brands or different toys.
(18:27):
You know go through peaks andvalleys, right.
But I think the biggest changenow is you know the different
way the neighbor wants to shop.
So you know, before, like whenI first started, our website was
just kind of a place where youcould browse but you couldn't do
anything in terms of commerce.
(18:48):
And now we have buy online,pick up in store and we have
delivery from store, and I thinkthat that's been a really big
win for us.
We were able to kind of launchthat right when the pandemic hit
and it really helped us staycompetitive during that time and
(19:08):
we did really well.
And now even you know that.
You know that's well behind us,but people may still choose to
shop that way.
You know our people don't wantto spend time browsing the store
and you know they just theywant to have that order ready
for them.
So again, kind of going back towhat I was saying about the
brands or the type of you knowfoods that we have.
(19:30):
We're not going to force theneighbor to shop a certain way.
They now have options.
So I think that's really greatand that's probably the biggest
change that I've seen.
I mean, we're still primarily,you know, an in store retailer
and that's where the majority ofour businesses, but I think
it's great that we have thatoption for our neighbors.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
That is really good to have the option, even with a
franchise model.
Yeah one of the things thatwe've talked about at retail
wire is you know, while it'sgreat to have the all the
options, you know there's thisyou always want people walking
in the store because there'sdiscovery of new products.
Is there any ways that you'vecounteracted that and to find
(20:12):
ways to still help yourneighbors?
I'm like I'm going to getbrainwashed into the cult.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
It's fun.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Lean in.
It's great, yes, so anyways,that you can help those
neighbors discover the newproducts.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Yeah, for sure you know we'll have things highly on
our website.
But for those for pickup,orders are in deliveries.
Sometimes we'll do thingscalled a surprise and delight,
so it might be already like.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
I already like this.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Yeah.
So that'll be things, you know.
We'll work with our pet partnersand get samples.
So maybe they'll get a, andevery order that has dog food in
it will they'll get a sample ofa dog treat, or maybe it's a
tennis ball, or sometimes it'llbe a coupon for you know, a new
product or something that wewant them to come back in for.
So that's kind of a fun way forthem to hopefully get inspired
(21:09):
to say, oh hey, I didn't ask forthis, but this is a cool treat,
like I want to go check thisout and buy this the next time.
Another fun thing that we do,which I forgot to mention in the
beginning of our chat in termsof kind of our local aspect, is
that for every pickup order, ourstore managers leave a
handwritten thank you note, justfor a way to still get that
(21:31):
connection.
So even though that person is,you know, maybe doing their
shopping online and running inand grabbing their bag, there's
still that local, personalconnection and we our hope is
that that makes that neighborwant to come back in and spend
some time, because it's a fun,friendly place to be.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, another thing that's a huge part of our
business model that reallydrives folks into the store is
that we A huge majority of ourstores have in-store dog wash
machines, where neighbors canbring their dog in and wash them
in our bathtubs and use ourblow dryers and our shampoo and
everything, so they don't make amess of their bathroom.
(22:09):
And then a lot of our locationsalso have grooming services.
So those are two things thatyou can't do online, and so
those two service options forour neighbors tend to bring a
lot of folks into the store andespecially with the grooming, a
lot of people while their dog isgetting groomed, they just
wander the aisles because whatelse are you going to do.
(22:30):
So it's a really great way toget folks in the store as well
and an opportunity for us to getsome great signage and some
great deals in front of theireyes while they're just there,
and we have like a captiveaudience.
It's great.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
You were fully prepared for that question.
We didn't even plan that.
No, yeah, to get people intothe store, there's so many
things you can do.
We're seeing that as a trend aswell.
Is that retailers are poppingup services that are related and
just trying to serve their fulljourney?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yeah, definitely and like the one thing you know,
going kind of continuing on thistopic of getting people in the
stores and tying it back intothe local piece, we will try and
do events monthly.
So you know we're getting theholiday season, so all of our
(23:24):
stores have assets to set uppictures with Santa, so you know
we can have Santa and peoplecan come bring their pets and,
you know, get a picture of Santa.
And we've done costume contests.
My personal favorite as the catbuyer is in May we do an event
called the go-day meow and it'svery focused on the cat because
(23:47):
sometimes I think you know thecat neighbor gets ignored a
little bit.
So it's just like an attest.
So we got to have something forBetsy, right?
So, yeah, it's just, you know,we'll have demos focused on, you
know, cat food or different catproducts and really showing
that cat neighbor some love, andit's just like a fun way to
(24:09):
interact with the product andcome into the store.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Yeah, I'm sure the individual owners love that too.
Yeah, so you're able to providethose ideas and materials and
basically the whole plan to makethat event happen for each of
the local sites.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Exactly, yeah, we'll provide, you know, best
practices for them to follow howthe day should run.
We also support at a corporatelevel the marketing behind it.
So you know we'll havetemplates.
You know, if they want to printout posters or send emails from
their account or post somethingon their individual Facebook
page, we do all that heavylifting for them, so you know
(24:51):
they just have to make it happen.
But we make it easy to bringthese things to life at their
store.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Are there any future trends that you're starting to
see the hints of Any anythingcoming up that you know others
in the category would beinterested to hear about, or
maybe just general retailertrends that other retailers
would be interested to hearabout?
Speaker 3 (25:20):
You want to take that one.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
I don't know what you guys are looking at in terms of
product development.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
It's like do we want to share that?
Speaker 1 (25:29):
I hear, cats are psychic too.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
So I think one thing that we're noticing is that
recently and everybody isnoticing this, of course
inflation is a word that's oneverybody's lips, and so one
thing that we have done as anorganization is to really try to
make sure that our price pointsare as sharp as they possibly
(25:55):
can be, and doing a lot ofprivate brand.
We have a lot of control overthat as well.
We're in the driver's seat interms of how these things are
costed and making sure thatwe're delivering quality
products at a great value to ourneighbors, and it's something
that, again, because of ourmodel given our model, we have a
lot of control over the costingof a lot of our goods, and
(26:17):
we're able to be really mindfulof that and make sure that we're
providing value products forour neighbors as another way to
show them that we are aware ofthe things that are going on for
everybody, and we'resympathetic to it, and we're
doing what we can to make surethat they can still get the high
quality products that they'reused to and that their pets
deserve at a price that won'tbreak the bank.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
That's really important.
You're right.
It is on everybody's minds,especially in the food and
grocery.
It's often forgot about that.
Pet food would also be impactedby that.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Let's see if you want to talk a little bit about what
your team is working on now,because you're right in the
thick of developing already fornext year right, I mean seasonal
, yes.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Yeah, we're actually wrapping up our Holiday 24
programs that we're puttingtogether.
We typically run a developmentcycle that's approximately nine
to 12 months ahead of when it'sgoing to hit stores.
So we are working on Holidayand we are wrapping up Halloween
and fall as well, so it's allthe fun stuff.
(27:25):
This is the most fundevelopment that we get to do
all year and we are reallyfocusing next year on trying to
make sure, like I said, thatwe're delivering those values
but that we're using still highquality fabrics for the apparel
and that we're really leaninginto some design elements that
(27:46):
make things look like they're agreat value.
So a little bit higher end look, but maybe not a higher end
price tag that goes along withit.
We're leaning into toughmaterials for dogs that are
heavy tours.
We're leaning into high qualitycatnip for our cat friends, and
so trying to make sure that allof that comes to life for our
(28:08):
neighbors so that everybody canhave a happy holiday season
again without stressing theirwallets.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
It's great that you've been able to take the
feedback and put it right intoyour plans, and I bet you're
patiently waiting for that stuffto release.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
That's right, absolutely no-transcript.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, I just always find it so interesting that you
know, I think that people whoaren't in retail I'm sure
everyone who's listening is usedto it.
But it's just crazy to me thatyou know we're working on
holiday 2024 and you know it'snot even Thanksgiving yet.
So it's always just kind of funto think ahead, and there are
(28:50):
some days where I'm working allday and I think it's 2024
because I'm already thinking sofar ahead.
So it's a pretty unique thingabout retail, I feel like.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
You're lining up with what you're living through
right now and then putting thatinto plans next year.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I've absolutely told peoplethat you know we're in November
of 2024 and they just kind oflook at me 23, 23.
It's 2023.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
I'm sure many people can relate to that.
I'm sure, yeah, this has beenso great.
I think that I've learned a lotabout your unique position and
I think a lot of retailerslistening would be able to hear
this and maybe apply it to theircategory, because you had so
many great ideas that came out.
We didn't have a lot of bulletpoints planned here.
(29:42):
We knew that we were getting tosome stuff and I think that we
found a lot of golden nuggets,of lessons to take away Great.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Awesome, it's been really great talking to you
Definitely.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Thank you again so much for having us on.
This has been fun.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Same here.
This was so fun and I'm glad Icould be.
Am I in the neighborhood?
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Of course.
Yeah, you're a neighbor, you'rean official neighbor.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Okay, cool, I'm going to have to get some toys for my
daughters.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Perfect.
The dog toys do double reallywell as child toys.
My son sleeps with a bunch ofour dog toys.
It's fine.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, they have.
I'm sure if we walk in they'regoing to find a pet that they
want.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
That's right, they certainly could.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Thank you so much.
It's been so great.
I appreciate you coming on theshow.
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