Petco Pours Its 'Heart' into Dog Food

Petco last month rolled out WholeHearted, a new premium private label comprising 12 grain-free wet and dry dog food SKUs.In stores, the products are merchandised in the dog food aisle. Shelf signs dangle a free can of WholeHearted wet food with purchase of a bag of the brand's dry food and double rewards for Pals loyalty cardholders from Aug. 21 to Nov. 5. Ceiling and stanchion signs support."We know our customers are looking for a high-quality food with natural ingredients for their dogs, and by creating our own line we're able to offer just that, at a great price point," Petco senior vice president, merchandising Rebecca Frechette said in a media release. "WholeHearted features life-changing stories from real Petco customers on every bag, celebrating the special bond they share with their pets and the important role high-quality nutrition plays in their daily lives together."The retailer is promoting the launch with a contest running from Aug. 22 to Sept. 18. One winner each week gets a $100 store gift card and the chance to have their story appear on a package of WholeHearted food. Consumers enter by sharing "how their pet transformed their lives" on Instagram with the hashtag #WholeHeartedPets. An Aug. 22 Instagram update introduced the sweeps and Petco has been posting the winning pictures and stories each week on Facebook and Twitter.A home page display ad on petco.com links to a brand showcase. A feature on the front page of the retailer's Aug. 21 circular promoted the Pals incentive. A TV spot (see below) and display ads on websites such as al.com round out the campaign.The launch comes as Petco is scaling back its Unleashed by Petco format, which has a greater focus on premium SKUs. The retailer will be converting 31 Unleashed by Petco locations — mostly in Colorado, Georgia and Texas — into small Petco stores this month based on insights about where the format performs best. This year, the retailer has opened 34 Petco stores but only one Unleashed by Petco location. There will be 85 Unleashed by Petco stores following the transition, though Petco says the format remains part of its growth plan.WholeHearted is the second dog food private label the retailer has launched this year. Petco added a line of 10 wellness-focused SKUs in June under the Doctors Foster + Smith name.

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