Petco Appeals to 'Pet Parents' With All-Natural Pet Food Initiatives
*By Carlo Versano*
Petco will phase out dog and cat food containing artificial ingredients and preservatives entirely by May 2019, the company announced Tuesday.
Petco CEO Ron Coughlin told Cheddar Tuesday that the decision to move to a wholly natural-ingredient line was part of a corporate strategy to become a full-service "partner to pet parents." It also reflects broader consumer trends toward healthier, organic foods ー that now includes the diets of their pets.
"All the trends that happened in farm-to-table are happening in pet food," Coughlin said. Some Petco stores will even start piloting "human-grade" food cooked in-store ー made-to-order meals for dogs.
Coughlin admitted that revenues at the privately-owned Petco could get dinged in the short run as it terminates relationships with suppliers who won't follow it to the "nutrition high ground." It's also facing headwinds from tariffs that are forcing the company to rethink aspects of its supply chain, he said.
For all the health consciousness, the move to go all-natural is very much a way for Petco to Amazon-proof ($AMZN) its business model. Coughlin said some stores will soon have on-site veterinarians, along with its roster of groomers, to create what Coughlin called "360 degree care for pets" and a one-stop shop for pet owners.
"We want to make sure we're doing the right thing for pets," he said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/petco-ceo-were-banning-artificial-ingredients).
Uncertainty continues to pummel the banking industry, despite assurances from financial regulators and bankers such as Jamie Dimon this week that the worst of the recent crisis is over and the health of the banking system remains strong.
Apple is leading Wall Street toward its biggest rally in nearly four months Friday after the market's most influential company reported a better profit than feared.
Apple once again posted an, until now, rare revenue decline in its latest fiscal quarter, but said its overall business improved from the December quarter and sales of its iPhones were solid.
America’s employers added a healthy 253,000 jobs in April, evidence of a labor market that still shows surprising strength despite rising interest rates, chronically high inflation and a banking crisis that could weaken the economy.
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Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, joined Cheddar News to discuss Thursday's trading session amid renewed fears over the regional banking crisis as well as concerns over the debt ceiling debate.
