Category Captains: Limited Ingredient Foods and Wild Bird

Limited Ingredient Foods

From stomach issues to skin challenges, food sensitivities in pets can be challenging. It’s hard for pet owners to watch their pets suffer and not know how to alleviate their pain. A strict elimination diet is often where most people start. This stage is when pet parents discover FirstMate and the limited ingredient diet foods category.

“Limited ingredient is an essential and steadily growing category,” reported General Manager, Sales and Marketing Matthew Wilson. “FirstMate continues to remain unique in this space even though we helped pioneer the category 30 years ago with our single-animal protein and single-carbohydrate family of products. Our grain-friendly range, which includes many single animal protein formulas paired with only two carbohydrates, has extended our ability to offer solutions at additional price points beyond the traditional grain-free set. As the category expands, we expect limited ingredient formulas to move further beyond the grain-free model.”

As for the retailers themselves, FirstMate goes beyond education. Wilson noted, “We support retailers through Astro, Promoboxx, Retail.pet, long-standing testimonials and custom-built marketing campaigns that help drive traffic, encourage trial and strengthen retailer confidence in the limited ingredient category. Although we have grown in reach and capability as a family-owned manufacturer, we have never lost sight of the retail partnerships that helped build our business. Every decision we make keeps retailers front of mind.”

He clarified, “Family-owned manufacturers that operate both a dry facility and a cannery and meet Canadian, United States and European compliance standards are far less common today. We take a long-term view and consistently support our retailers, growing alongside them. This may sound simple, but the basics are no longer common in our industry.”

Family-owned is how the company started and that dedication is still at the heart of FirstMate today. “The leadership team at FirstMate has been fortunate to be mentored by our founder and owner, Mike Florian and supported by the expertise of Dr. Brad Hicks. Many members of our leadership team have been with the company for 20 to 30 years, which has allowed the values that built this company to be carried throughout every department. We have had the privilege of watching our team members and our retail partners build families and careers they are proud of.” 

FirstMate offers trusted limited-ingredient diets that pet owners can rely on. They also provide a retail partnership that’s built for supporting and educating those pet parents, as well as long-term success. 

Wild Bird

Birdwatching, or birding, is a pastime that has been growing in popularity within the last handful of years. It offers hobbyists a welcoming community of fellow avid bird lovers who revel in seeing wild birds thrive in their natural habitat, whether it’s on a hiking trail or from their own backyard. 

“The hobby has been on a steady increase during the past five to six years,” said David Block for Volkman Pet Products. “Driven by new interest during the pandemic, hobbyists continue to enjoy bird watching and feeding across the US. This family-centric hobby can often replace the desire to watch TV, get on the phone or other digital distractions so in one sense, it’s a very healthy pastime. Research points to the fact that ‘birding’ can lower stress and create a period of enjoyment that can be shared as a family unit.”

The category is moving along an upward trajectory. Younger generations have caught on to the pleasure in seeing vibrant feathers and recognizing specific bird calls. “The wild bird category continues to grow at a double-digit rate and new enthusiasts seem to be adding to that performance,” Block said. “Retailers indicate that more young people are interested in the hobby and the sales of feeders, water stands and wild bird mixes continue to climb.”

To steer hobbyists in the right direction, Volkman has recruited a wild bird specialist to its team. “We have a wild bird specialist as part of our sales team, Mike Chiaromonte, who can have one-on-one conversations with retailers about getting into wild bird or expanding their wild bird category,” Block said. “We also offer tips and tricks on our website to guide retailers and end users in their journey to enjoy wild bird feeding.”

There are several key benefits for retailers to work with Volkman. “Volkman has been in business now for more than 150 years, and during that time, we would like to think we have learned a thing or two,” Block said. “By listening to our retail customers, end users and partners, consistency and quality at a fair price will remain as our core values and will continue to provide us direction to a successful future.”

Retailers have had so much success partnering with Volkman because “as a multigenerational family-owned business, we get it!” Block said. “Working with independent business owners is what we do, and we feel we understand those needs as a partner. If you call us, a Volkman employee will answer the phone, provide best-in-class customer service and help you with whatever your needs are. He continued, “We are large enough to have some buying leverage with our ingredient vendors to ensure high-quality products are always available and small enough to know every retail partnership is important to our future success.” 

The strength and longevity of the wild bird category are important to Volkman and the many budding enthusiasts who are embracing the relaxing pastime.