Pet food maker to drop Chewy.com
Specialty supplier doesn’t want to sell through PetSmart
A Minnesota-based specialty pet food maker is severing its relationship with Chewy.com in the wake of the e-commerce company’s acquisition by big-box retailer PetSmart.
Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc., maker of specialty pet food brands NutriSource, PureVita, and Natural Planet, said in an April 20 statement that Chewy no longer falls “within the channelswe choose to support with our product and marketing plans.”
The statement was signed by Charlie Nelson, company president, and Dan Schmitz, national sales manager.
“While e-commerce sales have grown significantly over the past few years and will continue to grow — and no company can ignore this channel— it is our strong intent to continue with our currentmarketingplan focusedonthe independent specialty retailers and family owned businesses.”
The company said its products would continue to be offered throughChewy.comfor a short period of time so the relationship can be closed “in aprofessional, ethical manner.”
A search for Tuffy’s on Chewy.comWednesday turned up 69 choices for NutriSource, 76 for Tuffy’s Pet Food, 23 for PureVita, and10 forNatural Planet.
Founded in 1947 by Tuffy and KennyNelson, thePerham, Minn.based Tuffy’s is a subsidiary of KLN Enterprises, which also makes candy and confections.
A Chewy representative did not immediately respond to an email Wednesday seeking comment about the statement byTuffy’s.
Headquartered in Dania Beach, Chewy.comwas founded in2011by Ryan Cohen and Michael “Blake” Day, millennialswhometin a computer chat room. Early this year, analysts estimated the company had captured more than 50 percent of the online pet food market.
After the PetSmart acquisition was announced on April 18, customers took their skepticism to Chewy’s Facebook page. Some said they didn’t like various aspects of PetSmart’s operations, while others questioned whether Chewy could retain the qualities that fueled the company’s growth — such as fast, personalized service and surprising customers with paintings of their pets.
In an interview by telephone on Wednesday, Schmitz said Tuffy’s