TOPPERS AND BROTHS are the perfect add-on. Not only do they boost hydration and excitement for the pet, but sales of this category increase your units per transaction and overall revenue. Retailers provide feedback here on what sells best for them, where they have significant room to grow, and which products they’d like to see more of — or at all — from brands.

RETAILER WISHLIST

What do you wish existed in the toppers and broths product category? It can be a type of product, specific brand support or anything else you’d like to share.

• More colostrum toppers; a sprinkle bottle would be nice. — Samantha Youngblood, Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care Center and Massage, Wilkinson, IN
• Variety packs of the best of different frozen and shelf-stable options. So many customers rotate these items. — Mackenzie Howell, Concord Pet Foods and Supplies, Smyrna, DE
• Multi packs of different proteins. Buying different flavors gets expensive up front. — Jennifer Stanislawski, Eden Garden and Pets, West Allis, WI
• Larger sizes for people with multiple dogs, to make it more cost effective. — Savanna Skinner, The Savvy Dog, Longview, WA
• Smaller options for people with just one dog or cat. — Katie Titterington, Arnie’s Pet Foods, Lincoln, NE
• More shelf-stable milks. — Dawn Hanner, Eastside Dog, Redmond, WA
• Small samples so clients can check palatability before they invest in a full size. It’s not about whether the item “works,” but about if the cat will eat it. — Sherry Cassin, Meow Mini Mart, Weehawken, NJ
• More non-fish varieties for cats. — Keith Henline, Asheville Pet Supply, Asheville, NC
• More educational materials for the consumer as to the benefits of this product category. — Doug Staley, Pet Palace of New City, New City, NY
• More incentives for customers to try toppers. — Ellis Lange, Benson’s Canine Cookies, Lakeland, FL
• A mushroom functional topper. — Ruth Sturgis, Dog Daze, North Syracuse, NY
• More human-grade, limited-ingredient toppers. — Kimberly Gatto, The Wagging Tail Pet Grocery & Supply, Las Vegas, NV
• More poultry- and egg-free products. So many of my client dogs suffer from poultry and egg allergies. — Carly Buswell, Cosmo’s Cuts Pet Grooming Boutique, Swanton, VT
• Signage about toppers, to promote adding fresh to a kibble base. — Janet Cesarini, Pupology, Georgetown, TX
• A freeze-dried raw topper without organ meat. — Michele Saharic, Barkley’s Marketplace, Flemington, NJ
• A cat-specific bone broth. Well, labeled for cats, anyway. You know how cat people can be. — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA
• Fish meal. — David Owens, Barks N’ Rec, Chicago, IL
• Frozen tripe. I can’t find any. — Jennifer Baird, Earthwise Pet, Corpus Christi, TX
• Freeze-dried organic raw quail eggs. — Stephanie Steelman, Wings Wags and Whiskers, Amarillo, TX
• More quick-sell sizes of freeze-dried toppers. — Tori Rosay, Dexter’s Deli, Del Mar, CA
• Mixture of freeze-dried proteins, leftovers, miscellaneous pieces at a good rate. — Eric Mack, Purrrfect Bark Market, Columbus, NC
• More concentrated broth packets or drops that can be added to water to enhance its flavor, encouraging hydration in pets reluctant to drink enough water. This could be particularly beneficial for cats, who often have lower water intake. — Victor Santucci, Garden State Pet Center, Audubon, NJ
• Affordable toppers. They all seem to be very expensive! — Natalie Kramer, Albany Pet Hotel, Albany, OR
• Simple packaging; it gets too confusing with too much on the package. — Lori Colburn, Nature’s Pet Market Orenco, Hillsboro, OR
• Meat with a dehydrated broth powder that rehydrates. — Michael Dan, Redridge Pet Market, Richmond, VA
• Shelf-stable yogurt drops made from limited ingredients and goat milk/BC 30 probiotics. — Megan Kurzwell, Forepaws, Minooka, IL
• More affordable organic broth. It is difficult to offer in multi-pet households unless people make it themselves. — Becci Scott, The Fetching Dog, Scottsdale, AZ
• More exotic proteins. — Dennis Gingrich, Puppers & Hairballs, Sebring, FL
• More good-quality freeze-dried bone broth options in proteins other than beef and chicken. — Diana Farrar, Fifi & Fidos Pet Boutique, San Antonio, TX
• More fish broth options. — Kathy Palmer, The Fish & Bone, Portland, ME
• Rabbit is a popular protein at our store, and there seem to be limited broths that are rabbit, if any at all. — April Wright, The Dog and Cat, Essex Jct, VT
• More cat-focused toppers. — Joanna Shaw, All Pet & Equine Supply, Mountain Home, AR
• More unique-limited ingredient proteins for our sensitive pup customers. — Julie Johannes, Happy Hounds Pet Supply, Bigfork, MT
• More in each package; too many customers tell me it just isn’t enough for larger dogs. — Diane Baum, You Pet’Cha, Morris, MN
• More goat milk blends with supplements. — Jennifer Pastorini, Dusty’s Den, Sonora, CA
• Samples are harder to come by. — Brett Foreman, Eupawria Holistic Pet Center, Owego, NY
• More limited-ingredient toppers and broths for our sensitive tummies! — Christine McCoy, The Natural Pet Enrichment Center, North Royalton, OH