Tell us about Pet Palette. How/when did the company get started? What do you offer for pet retailers? Pet Palette Distribution was started in 2008 by a prominent Washington, D.C. veterinarian who owns multiple pet businesses—including vet clinics and a boutique—and saw a need for high-quality, trustworthy products in the pet supply distribution space. So, Pet Palette Distribution was created with a focus on fostering the success of independent pet retailers through several different programs and an assortment of products that has been thoroughly vetted by our team of industry experts.
What is your approach to retail distribution? What makes Pet Palette a great partner to pet stores? Pet Palette Distribution partners with brands that are focused on serving independent retailers, to give our customers a competitive edge when rivaling the big-box stores. We also offer low minimums and a free shipping program that makes it easier to place multiple orders a week and turn inventory quicker. Pet Palette Distribution is different from traditional distributors in that we run on your schedule, not the other way around. Retailers don’t have to wait for a weekly truck to get the products they need. We’ll have their order out the door in 24 to 48 hours and ship to all of the upper 48 states. Another thing that sets us apart is that 99 percent of our products are sold in individual units, rather than by the case, so retailers can focus on ordering only what they need.
The past couple years has been busy for Pet Palette, which added several prominent vendor partnerships and made some key additions to its team. Can you tell us some of the highlights of the company’s growth over the past 24-plus months? We are constantly expanding our breadth of products in all categories, but one area that we are actively focusing on expanding is our offering of consumables and food. Pet Palette Distribution is known for having one of the strongest toy and celebration offerings in distribution, so this is also something we’re consistently focused on expanding and reinventing.
Pet Palette Distribution strives to get the right people in the right seats. Sometimes that person is local, other times they live across the country, and sometimes they’re already sitting in our office or warehouse—ready to grow into a new role! Pet Palette Distribution bases hiring decisions on attitude and experience, which gives us the unique ability access a wider talent pool. We strive to empower employees to operate within their area of greatest skill and passion within our organization.
Aside from handling the logistics of getting product on the shelf, how does Pet Palette help drive success for pet stores? In an effort to drive retailer success, Pet Palette Distribution is currently prioritizing the curation of seasonal assortments throughout the year—10 so far in 2022, with more growth expected in 2023. Product lifecycles are measured in weeks or even days, which is why our team spends hundreds of hours a year on trend forecasting, product-fit identification, and distribution timing. Maximizing a retailer’s revenue, while minimizing risk, is our goal in any season.
What does the future hold for Pet Palette? Our constant emphasis, both currently and ongoing, is increasing accuracy, expediting ship times, and strengthening fill rates. It is our goal to be “out the door in 24” and this is achievable through continuing to grow our team with the right people. Pet Palette Distribution is also actively working to expand our assortments in all categories by partnering with more independent driven partners while working more closely with the independents themselves to better service their needs. PB
