Want a look behind the scenes of the pet industry?
In the first in a series of features we ask the questions that matter.
Daniel Vander, managing director of We.pet
1 What is We.Pet and how did it get its name?
We.pet is an independent wholesaler with a small, dedicated team of individuals who are passionate about pet welfare and supporting the independent pet trade in the face of growing competition from multinational retailers and online marketplaces.
When thinking of the concept of how we wanted to operate and who we wanted to service we kept coming back to the word ‘We’…we want to look after David, not Goliath. We only want to supply the independent trade. We want to offer unique, wholesome brands that can only be bought via the independent trade. We will offer the independent trade a sustainable and achievable profit margin…and so the name We.pet came to fruition! We also wanted a name that was easy to recall and simple to search.
2 Whose idea was it to launch the company and why?
In early 2019 I was chatting with my long-term friend, Dean Richmond, chief executive of Pet Family Group, about the impact of internet retailers on service and retail businesses and it became apparent that the independent pet retail trade was facing exactly these same challenges. We felt that many of the brands that have been developed by Pet Family and are currently being sold in more than 160 Pets Corner stores would be great products for the wider UK independent trade. We also knew that there were other like-minded brand owners, some of whom we are now beginning to work with, who were keen to only bring their products to market this way.
A couple of conversations (and a beer or two) later the We.pet concept was created. We set a target to launch the new venture at the PATS show in Sandown by February 2020 and have now been trading for a couple of months.
3 Why do you believe there is room in the market for another wholesaler?
We.pet is unique in that none of our products will ever appear in grocery or online, so we don’t consider ourselves ‘just another wholesaler’. Our range is currently quite narrow with only 11 brands and, while we have plans to broaden this – indeed three new brands will be formally added in the next few weeks – we have no plans to be a volume wholesaler. Instead we will be focusing on carefully-selected products that already have a strong track record of UK retail sales but that have been previously only available to the independent trade in limited volumes, as well as exciting new ones that we believe have the potential to become mainstream products in the marketplace. Each product must offer retailers excellent margin retention potential and a compelling story to drive customers into their premises.
4 What is your USP?
Put quite simply: We.pet is the home of unique, high quality pet brands that will be brought to market via a single channel – the independent bricks and mortar retailer – which is the only place where we believe customers can access the expert levels of advice and knowledge needed to successfully sell them.
5 How will you decide which brands to supply?
Our entire ethos is based around supplying the independent trade with brands that are high quality, wholesome, natural and sustainable. Every company or brand owner we deal with needs to demonstrate they have similar beliefs and values.
All our brands must offer retailers sustainable income growth and we don’t think that’s achievable if they’re being sold in grocery or online marketplaces.
6 What challenges do you expect to face?
While many of our products are already tried and tested in the UK market with a loyal customer base we know they will be relatively unfamiliar to most independent retailers. Each of our products has a compelling story to tell and is targeted at very specific areas of the marketplace. By educating and informing retailers why each product has been developed, who the target market is and its key features, our products will give them the tools to increase loyalty and bring customers back through their doors time and again.
7 How was We.pet received when you launched at PATS?
On the whole, and despite the challenges posed by storm Ciara, we had a very positive response at PATS. We were overwhelmed with the positivity and friendliness of both potential customers and suppliers. It was a great opportunity to chat face-to-face with more than 150 potential new customers across the two days and there was interest across all our brands with the most talked-about ones being our new cat food Sense6 and Yora – the most sustainable pet food in the world – and the first look at the re-branding of our premium volume dog and cat food, More. We’re already looking forward to debuting some of the new brands we are launching in the next few months at Telford later in the year.
8 How can you help to support independent retailers?
All of what we are about is aimed at supporting the independent retailers. But we do understand that products do not just walk off the shelf. So to that end we will help any retailer with staff training for any of the brands and products that they take on from We.pet. All of our brand owners are available with dedicated support teams for our retailers if needed.
We have made a huge investment in our website, which has been designed to be fully transactional so retailers can get access to product information and marketing materials on our products but also easily place orders, view their history and make payments from their computers, tablets or laptops.
Many of our brands also provide literature and other marketing material for retailers to use locally.
9 Will you cover the whole of UK – or even abroad?
Yes, our distribution covers the whole of the UK including the Highlands & Islands and the Channel Islands. As well as a growing customer base in England we have customers in Ireland and Scotland and are managing enquiries from retailers from all over the UK.
Distribution is managed at our brand new 43,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution centre near Gatwick in West Sussex. We have a small delivery fleet of our own that will service customers across the South East and we also work with two independent distribution partners for the rest of the country who look after our boxed and palleted deliveries. When size dictates, our own fleet will expand as we fully recognise the benefits of bringing our delivery service in-house as far as possible.
We are also managing the international distribution of Sense6, More, Maizy, and Felipure and are servicing customers in Germany, Belgium, Holland and France.
10. Have you got a pet?
Yes, we have two crazy Labradors; brother and sister Cooper and Betsy, plus a cat, Margot, who spends more time with our neighbour than us. We think she likes the peace and quiet next door over the madness of a family of five and two dogs!
Our dogs eat More dry chicken and Margot is on The Cheshire Cat’s Garden wet pouches. Well…I need to be supporting and endorsing the brands we know and love!
