Omni x Wellness Pet pilots travel-driven sampling

Plus: Freshpet’s Growth Slows As Competition Heats Up

Author

Rafe Houston
September 10, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Here's what's happening this week in the world of pet marketing:
- Freshpet downgraded as General Mills scales fresh.
- QA automation targets costly formulation errors.
- Omni x Wellness Pet pilots travel-driven sampling.

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Swipe through for the highlights.

📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

UBS downgraded Freshpet amid a soft US dog food market and General Mills’ push into fresh dog food across 5,000 more stores by November. The move signals intensifying shelf competition and slower category momentum, even as margins improve.

Freeze-dried raw brand Vital Essentials moved from indie-first distribution into 725+ Pet Supplies Plus stores and the retailer’s site. The rollout mainstreams raw formats and expands discovery for protein-rich SKUs. Raw nutrition players, PSP merchandising teams, and specialty independents will feel the channel shift and assortment pressure.

Format Solutions outlined rules-based validation in formulation software to flag recipe errors before production, addressing ingredient variability and compliance. The ROI case hinges on recall avoidance and reduced manual QA load.

⚡QUICK READS

Wellness Pet Teams With Omni Boston Hotel: Pet-travel package adds branded amenities and perks, offering a live test for hospitality partnerships and destination-led sampling.(More)

Aging Pets Shift Formulation Priorities: Senior-focused diets lean into digestibility, phosphorus control, and functional additives as 20–40% of pets reach senior status.(More)

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