Petco Vendor – How to become an approved vendor for Petco

Petco Vendor – How to become an approved vendor for Petco

2020 Vendor, Petco, Success

Petco suppliers help the company meet the needs of hundreds of millions of pet parents and pets each week with responsibly produced products and services. Want to join the thousands of other businesses around the world that proudly call themselves a Petco vendor?

Petco vendors offer products that are stocked in over 1,500 stores and listed on Petco.com. Some vendors are multi-billion-dollar companies, and some are small businesses with just a few employees.

To get started as a Petco vendor, join TradeBeyond as a supplier and begin setting up an account OR for more information on how to become a vendor for Petco and what it takes to become a vendor partner, read more below.

Getting Started

Ask yourself these three questions before you get started so you know you’re in the right place!

  1. Do you currently or have you in the past supplied store brand products to mass merchants?
  2. Does your manufacturing facility currently have or will have in the future the capacity to produce bulk quantities to fill mass merchandise orders?
  3. Does your company currently producing pet related products, ranging from dry & wet food, grooming, cleaning, apparel, aquatics, toys and accessories?

If the answer is “Yes” to all of the above then you’re in the right place! Please read below for more information on how to become an approved vendor for Petco’s!

About Petco

Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer with more than 50 years of service to pet parents. Everything Petco does is guided by their vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. Petco operates more than 1,500 Petco Stores and over 85 Unleashed by Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico; complete pet care services and veterinary advice through PetCoach; and petco.com. Separate from the stores, Petco also launched the Petco Foundation in 1999. As an independent nonprofit organization, Petco Foundation has invested more than $250 million since its creation, to help to promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, Petco works with and supports thousands of local animal welfare groups across the globe and through in-store adoption events. Petco helps to find homes for more than 400,000 animals every year.

Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World.

With more than 50 years of service to pet parents, Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that obsesses about delivering health and happy experiences for pets and the people who love them. We do this by providing the products, services, advice and experiences that keep pets physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged and emotionally happy.

Petco has a reputation for good quality products and value prices. They carry a variety of private label brands for different types of pet supplies and products that you can potentially get involved with. 

The retailer announced the introduction of an in-house veterinary center. It states, “To support the complete health and wellness of pets, we’re excited to announce the expansion of our full-service, in-store veterinary hospitals, and welcome our new vet partners Global Veterinary Partners.”

Become a Petco Vendor

As a supplier, you will need to think about what it will take you to become a Petco vendor, and that’s more than just providing pet product supplies. You should understand the business, each category and where your products fit, as well as understanding the store brands and each of their unique selling propositions. At the bottom of this article you will find a complete look at Petco’s current store brands and each of their brand propositions. This will give you a better understanding and grasp on how your products fit and what you need to do to sell products at Petco.

Are you Reading to Become a Petco Vendor?

There is always the danger of committing too much of your resources and time before you fully understand whether you have a good chance of selling your products to a retailer. However, we try to make selling products at Petco simple and easy.

Given Petco is such a large retailer in its respective industry, you know that there are thousands of suppliers just like you who want to become a Petco Vendor. Besides the fierce competition, there is a lot of responsibility in working with any retailer in general, let alone a big one. Collaboration between vendor and retailer is always the key to success. If you don’t deliver, the retailer will quickly move on and pick another vendor who can do better. As a small / medium scale supplier, one of the most common challenges will be to deliver the quantity without falling into financial difficulty. That said, here are things to consider before you begin to engage with Petco’s buyers, merchandisers and category managers.

Product Category Fit

Below we have listed all of Petco’s current private label brands. Petco sells its own brand products from pet food, apparel, toys, and aquatics to many other product categories. Check and see if any of them align with the products you currently produce. Pick one or two product categories you believe you will be a great fit for, and start to plan which assortments your products might fall into.

Market Demand

Do you have sell-through data analytics for the products you produce? OR if your products new do you have data for similar ‘like’ items? Are you products unique? Innovation is a great thing, buyers are always on the lookout for product innovation to help attract customers. However, you need to understand that these products pose a risk to the retailer. Think of how you can pitch new, unique products to Petco and demonstrate customer demand for these products.

Flexibility

How flexible is your company at change? If your current product lines do not fit the product styles at Petco, are you willing to make changes and are you capable of handling these changes? Customers change, trends change and buying habits change. Due to this, suppliers must be flexible and understand how to manage the retailer and supplier relationship. Ask yourself, are you merely trying to sell product to Petco, or do you want to become a true Petco vendor partner?

Scale

Petco is a large retailer with 1,500 stores and a strong ecommerce platform. When they adapt a product, it’s not going to be a few hundred pieces. Ask your company executives if can handle the production volume if you become a Petco Vendor and receive an order from Petco? 

Product Margin

Will your products provide enough profit margin for retail? Petco is known to keep prices low and prides their self on providing high quality products to their customers. Does your suggested retail price (MSRP) make sense to be including as part of the Petco store brand? Does your cost include shipping, commissions, marketing, wholesale, packaging etc.?

How to become a
Vendor at Petco

Petco works with suppliers, locally and across the globe, to deliver the highest quality products at the lowest cost for the customers who shop in their stores every day. If you are not a current Petco supplier, learn more about how to become a vendor to begin the process. Please note, registering as a supplier does not guarantee a supplier number or inclusion under Petco terms and conditions, but you will be allowed to post your products for the buyers to review and to participate in sourcing events that are relevant to your organizations products.

Below are a few different ways to become a Petco vendor without receiving an invitation directly from the retail team. Once you have done all your homework and decide Petco is the right place for your products, then it’s time to get started on the detailed steps to become a Petco vendor. Below are a few ways you can showcase your products to Petco buyers, merchandisers and category managers.

1. Sell Product at Petco Stores Directly

You can either pitch your current products directly or find a representative to present your products to individual Petco stores. This is a good way to get your product into a few stores or at a regional level to test out a new concept. Before you or your representative make contact at an individual store, make sure you have a comprehensive deck that includes all of the information they may ask you, including financial and logistics questions. Keep in mind the innovativeness and creativity of the product may spark interest, but it is ultimately everything else functional that will land you the contract. Keep in mind that it will be easier if your products are already popular in the local or regional market. 

2. Submit Your Product to Brokers

Sometimes it is easier to hire a broker to help you pitch your product to Petco. If the broker has good industry knowledge and or working relationship with Petco, your product will have a higher chance on getting through the door. However, since brokers work off of high commissions and associated fees this might be cost prohibited to your product and business.

3. The Most Effective Way to Become a Petco Vendor

How to become an approved vendor for Petco? Sign up through TradeBeyond and click on ‘Supplier’ to start setting up your account in the Petco sourcing portal. Petco buyers, merchandisers and category managers use TradeBeyond and are constantly browsing for verified suppliers and the products they produce. It takes about 15 minutes to set up the account.

Once you’re all set up, simply complete your company profile, upload your products and/or product catalog and get verified. With this simple mobile app, you can quickly curate your digital showroom. Your company name, category and products will be listed in the directory for Petco buyers, giving them full visibility to your past, current and most recently shared products. Buyers will also see any related information and attachments you may choose to upload. So you want to become a Petco vendor? TradeBeyond is a quick and easy way to get noticed.

Are Your Products a
Good Fit for Any of the
Petco Store Brands?

Imagitarium

Imagitarium is a trademark of Petco that was first introduced in 2014. This brand carries aquatic products such as, aquarium fish nets; hoses and hose fittings; instruments for cleaning aquariums; water purification and filtration system; Aquarium gravel; aquarium sand; decorative aquarium stones; decorative aquarium stones; artificial aquarium background; stands for aquariums; stands for terrariums and more.

Whole Hearted

Specializes in various dog and cat food (canned or dry) as well as treats. All the food uses real animal protein and is free of grain, corn, soy and wheat. They include canine and feline probiotics to help maintain your pet’s digestive health, with addition of Omega-3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and coat. The brand includes options to accommodate all ages, breeds, and sizes.

Bond & Co

This brand specializes in stylish dog and cat accessories, including collar, leash, harness, toys and other clothing.

Good to Go

Good to go is the only non-pet related brand owned by Petco. The brand aims to create healthy pre-packaged food for people to eat on the go. All of the food is gluten-free, low in sodium, and made with no preservatives. They provide anything from breakfast, entree, to emergency food kit.

You & Me

You & Me provides general pet supplies for small animals like cat, dog, rabbit, hamster, and bird. Products include cages, mats, and other accessories.

Harmony

This brand sells stylish pet furnishings primarily for dogs, with products such as pet beds, mats, and food bowls.

Well & Good

Specializes in dog grooming and cleaning supplies, with products such as shampoo, comb, wipes, nail clippers and shears etc.

Reddy

Specializes in general dog apparel, such as collar, harness, windbreaker, carrier, etc

Leaps & Bounds

Specializes in hard as well as soft dog and cat toys.

Good Lovin’

Specializes in dog treats and chews.

So Phresh

Specializes in pet littering supplies, such as litter box, bedding, scoop set, waste bags etc

Animaze

This brand focuses on providing good value pet supplies for cats and dogs.

Quick Recap

Before you get started with preparation to become a Petco Vendor, there are many things that go into consideration, such as current market demand, company profile, your financial situation, competitors etc. Before you ask the question of how to become a vendor of Petco, go through and re-read this document again, start to brainstorm where your products could fit, search all the necessary data and join TradeBeyond to get your products noticed. Take advantage of online research about Petco’s store brands, as many of them are available simply by searching. If you have further questions, feel free to contact the TradeBeyond team and let us know how we can help you become a Petco vendor. Serving the retail industry for over 20 years and having many large retailers as our loyal partners, we have insights and connections that can lead your company on a path to successful distribution and growth.

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