How Pet Wants is Changing the Pet Food Industry With Nutrition

Founded more than a decade ago, Pet Wants, the only national franchise provider of pet food freshly delivered to customers, has become a household name for pet owners and franchise professionals across the U.S. This is due in large part to Pet Wants’ unparalleled consumer offering, which aims to improve the nutrition, health, vitality and well-being of pets throughout North America.

Related Blog: Why Now is the Time to Join the Booming Pet Food Industry

The Pet Industry

“One of the largest growing industries is organic and healthy foods — people are looking to make healthier choices for their family, and this includes their pets,” said Chris Seman, President of Pet Wants parent company, Strategic Franchising Systems. “When it comes down to how owners see their pets today, they see them as family members, which means they want to invest in those same healthy and nutritional offerings. As a business, you need to be positioned in the marketplace to help that large growing segment fulfill what they want. With Pet Wants’ nutrition, delivery, convenience and subscription services, franchisees can easily satisfy the families of today’s world.”

The value of the pet industry in the U.S. will reach over $109 billion by the end of 2022 as consumers shift towards a more health-conscious lifestyle. Over the past decade, the amount of money Americans spend on pets has more than doubled, and pet food and treats make up the biggest portion of the national pet food market at $42 billion annually.

Pet Wants’ pet food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Pet food nutrient profiles for “All Life Stages.” This makes it easy for pet parents to care for and love their pets by providing them with delicious, natural and fresh pet food enhanced with vitamins and minerals that promote the best nutrition, health, vitality, and well-being possible.

“If you look at the pet food industry, there are several ways to look at food,” said Seman. “There is the premium option, with fresh chicken and vegetables, like meals out of a grocery store, and then there is the average kibble. With Pet Wants, we found that the average consumer isn’t willing to cook a meal for their pet every day, but they still want that nutrition and quality. So, we wanted to prioritize convenience, delivering nutritious pet food in easy packaging such as a kibble-based product. That means more pets will be exposed to higher nutritional foods.”

The Pet Wants Product

In order to create a product that would be both nutrient-rich and affordable, Pet Wants knew they had to prioritize ingredients. “We wanted to find a source with the highest quality,” said Seman. “Once we found a vendor who could do that, we wanted to find out what was truly healthy for dogs and cats. It needs to be high on protein and low on fillers, with a shorter shelf life. Our vendor makes all of the food in a small batch, slowly cooked to keep the nutritional value every six weeks. The goal is to get the product from the manufacturer to the dog bowl within 90 days, which is a much shorter period of time than average.”

Instead of manufacturing tons of kibble at once, Pet Wants manufactures food every six weeks and ships the optimal amount of food directly to franchise owners to maintain freshness. Pet Wants exclusive premium fresh pet foods are also manufactured in the brand’s U.S. facility, which gives the franchisees flexibility regarding customer demand. Best of all, Pet Wants’ foods are offered at a price that’s typically far lower than the prescription diets veterinarians are trying to convince pet owners to buy.

It isn’t just the Pet Wants kibble that makes nutrition easy for pet owners, Seman says, it is also the delivery model. “Customers can order a subscription, based on their individual dog and how much they should be eating on a daily basis, and can order just enough food to get them through the next couple of weeks or month,” he said. “Then, they can set up auto-delivery, ordered by the pound, and don’t have to worry about it. This provides franchisees with a lucrative, recurring revenue stream, in addition to physical retail sales.”

Additionally, Pet Wants franchisees have the opportunity to offer free customized nutrition consultations to the pet lovers of their community and can leverage the expertise of the corporate team to learn more about pet nutrition. “We have a nutrition expert on the team that is a valuable resource for franchise owners,” said Seman. “You don’t have to have that expertise before joining the brand; we provide the training and resources so you can help pet families live a happier lifestyle with their pets.”

The Ideal Franchise Owner

Overall, Seman says the ideal Pet Wants franchise owner should have a deep passion for pets and believe in the value of nutrition. Franchisees should also have a desire to educate clients: Pet Wants is a new-to-market product, and many pet owners won’t understand the value of serving fresh pet foods to their pets. Pet Wants owners need to be passionate about sharing their knowledge and actively growing the brand. When they do so, Pet Wants becomes the pet Nutrition and Wellness experts in their community.

“We have a four-year-old Saint Bernard that is 135 pounds, and she has been on Pet Wants food since she was a puppy,” said Seman. “That has been such an intense experience for me, seeing the quality difference. That is why we believe in this so passionately. Pet owners love their extended family so much and want to make sure they are healthy and on a good diet so they can live the best life possible. When you see the difference nutrition can make, it makes sense why so many entrepreneurs are joining the Pet Wants family.”