While sales of pet food on Amazon have increased in 2018, the internet retailers’ own private label dog food has faced problems, according to One Click Retail analysts in the report “Amazon Q2 Update: Pet Products.”
Amazon launched their own private label pet food on their website on May 2. Amazon’s Wag brand currently includes only dry dog food in several varieties. Wag dog food is available only to Amazon Prime subscribers, a service that offers two-day shipping and other perks.
“Wag Dry Dog Food, launched in May, had the most initial success with their 30-pound bags, which is consistent with other leading dog food brands on Amazon, but the rollout has not been perfectly smooth,” wrote One Click Retail analysts. “The five-pound bag of their top selling Salmon and Lentil flavor was pulled after a number of negative reviews, which stated that the food was mostly crushed to powder by the time it reached the consumer. No other ASINs had the same problem, but they did receive negative feedback based on a specific phrase in their marketing: the vague-sounding ‘ingredients from around the world.’”
Amazon private label dog food compared to top selling dog food
For comparison, Taste of the Wild's product page reads: "Ingredients from TRUSTED, SUSTAINABLE sources around the world"
“Those three additional words – trusted, sustainable sources – really can make all the difference,” they wrote. “With so much concern about the health and safety of pet food, transparency is critical for inspiring consumer confidence.”
Taste of the Wild – High Prairie Recipe dry dog food in 30-pound bags is the top-selling pet food on Amazon, according to One Click Retail data. This product meets many of the trends in dog food consumer preferences, wrote One Click Retail analysts. For example, its product description stated, "A NATURAL food with added vitamins and minerals; fruits and vegetables as SUPERFOODS for natural ANTIOXIDANTS." Taste of the Wild dog food’s marketing met consumer demands for health and wellness by using the buzzword “superfoods” to describe nutrient-rich plants. The product was also promoted as natural dog food.
