‘don’t Ask Us To Perform Like Amazon While Supplying Us Like A Rural Outpost’

Editor’s note: Each month, we ask members of the PETS+ Brain Squad — our survey group of 1,100+ independent pet retailers and service providers — to share their thoughts on the pet industry. These “letters to the editor” are plentiful! We print as many as will fit in each issue’s Inbox, and even more run here on petsplusmag.com — like with this inaugural installment of From the PETS+ Inbox.

Robert L. Critselous of Drooly’s Dog Bakery in Bentonville, AR, has a message for manufacturers and distributors:

“Don’t ask us to perform like Amazon while supplying us like a rural outpost. One topic I’d love to see discussed more openly in the independent pet industry is the growing disconnect between strategic expectations and operational realities.

“Many of the brands that independent retailers helped build are understandably pursuing growth through multiple channels. Should come as no surprise, as most retailers understand that manufacturers need to grow. What concerns me is that many of the expectations placed on independent retailers increasingly resemble those of large national chains, while the supply chain supporting those retailers does not.

“We’re encouraged to offer faster delivery, broader assortments, endless-aisle solutions, subscription programs and increasingly sophisticated customer experiences. Yet many of us are simultaneously dealing with partial shipments, damaged freight, backorders and long replenishment cycles.

“Too often, the conversation focuses on what independent retailers should be doing better without enough discussion about whether the supporting infrastructure exists to make those expectations realistic.

“A simple analogy comes to mind: You can hand someone the newest smartphone with all the latest technology, but if the network behind it is still operating like it’s 20 years old, the promised capabilities never fully materialize.

“Independent pet retailers are remarkably adaptable. We have survived e-commerce disruption, inflation, labor shortages and changing consumer behavior. What we need from our manufacturing and distribution partners is not necessarily more programs or more initiatives. We need alignment between expectations and execution.

“The independent channel remains one of the most authentic connections between pet brands and pet parents. Preserving that connection requires investment in systems that support them.”