Retailer Feature: EarthWise Pet
Buckle up for a trip to the great state of Texas with Grandma Lucy’s Central Territory Sales Representative, Cory. Cory visited EarthWise Pet in Richardson, Texas to chat with store manager, Nancy, and get the scoop on what makes independent retailers so great. Nancy has been proudly part of the EarthWise team for five years. Starting out in training, Nancy has made it her mission to learn as much about pets as possible to help their pet parents give them their best and healthiest lives.
Q: What is your favorite Grandma Lucy’s product?
A: “It’s hard to say! The [Organic Oven] Baked Treats are my favorite because it’s so fun to tell people [that] they’re human-grade, you can eat them too [and] letting people try them in the store.”
Q: What Grandma Lucy’s product is the most popular with your customers?
A: “Probably the Pumpkin [Organic Oven] Baked Treats. The Blueberry and the Banana and Sweet Potato [flavors] are up there too!”
Q: What’s your favorite part of being in the pet industry?
A: “Honestly, it’s getting to see dogs’ lives impacted for the better. When we get to educate pet parents on what they should be feeding their dogs and help them [with] different nutrition struggles and then seeing the results is really satisfying and rewarding.”
Q: How did you start working in the pet industry?
A: “I started out as a pet trainer actually. I did dog training first, and you get a lot of nutrition questions when you’re a dog trainer. Everyone assumes you know about [diet] as well, so I was always interested in learning about food and liked coming here and learning more about [pet nutrition].”
Q: What makes independent pet retailers so special?
A: “I honestly think it’s the relationships we [are able to] establish with customers over time. We’re a small staff and a small location so we can learn [customer’s] names, learn their pets’ names, remember what they want to order, remember the specific needs they have and build trust. We can really connect with people and take the time to find out what they need.”
Q: What made Earthwise choose to carry Grandma Lucy’s?
A: “It’s [a product] that’s easy for [pet parents] to use if they want a healthier diet [for their dog.] Not everyone can [feed] frozen raw, especially if they travel a lot, and not everyone is ready to commit to [raw feeding.] This is great for so many people because it’s easy, you can travel with it. All you have to do is add water and you know you’re getting a much [higher quality] diet than a kibble.”
Q: What have you seen change in what pet parents are looking for?
A: “I’m seeing a lot more people [moving] away from kibble. Even in the past couple weeks, I’ve had several of our regular [customers] come in and say they were going to freeze-dried or frozen raw [from] kibble [after] starting to do their own research. Of course, there are a lot of people going back to [grain-inclusive options] now, but other than that I’ve just seen a lot of people invest more in learning about what’s right for their dog.”
Q: What’s your favorite flavor of Grandma Lucy’s Organic Oven Baked Treats?
A: “The holiday [flavors] are so good! The Pumpkin Pie is really good. Of the regular [flavors], probably the Blueberry.”
Thank you to Nancy and the EarthWise Richardson crew for taking the time to talk with Grandma Lucy’s! We truly appreciate our independent retailers for all that they do, most importantly helping to educate pet parents so their pets can thrive. Keep up with our travels to see where the road leads us next! If you have store you would like to be featured, let your local Grandma Lucy’s representative know at their next visit.