Injecting fresh ideas

Alex Retzlik, Alex Baumann and Erik Wide Gustavsson, the three young entrepreneurs behind Petbuddy, have already acquired extensive corporate experience after working in senior positions in different companies. After becoming acquainted in London, they decided to set up a company together, Petbuddy. The decision to enter the pet supplies sector specifically was based on a number of factors. All three are big pet enthusiasts, and as such they have been very impressed by the changes that have taken place in the pet food market in the last few years. They believe that the growing number of healthy, naturally produced pet foods coming onto the market, which contain no cereals, soya, gluten or sugar, nor any additives, are representative of the right way to go. They wanted to go down this route also and inject new impetus at the same time.
Petbuddy owns and trades the Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) brands Buddy and Rockybox. The idea behind Rockybox is to offer a monthly subscription for a box geared individually to the profile of the pet while also featuring five or six surprise items. The boxes are often oriented to the respective season and given inspiring names such as Autumn magic. Products contained in the box are usually dog treats, toys and other high-quality accessories from well-known brands such as Smart Bones, Whimzees and Minty Kisses, to name a few examples. These are carefully packaged in a so-called Rockybox and addressed directly to the dog in question. Tips and tricks aimed at furthering the canine's development are also included. Anyone wishing to try the system out can order a single box to start with. The aim is to use this subscription model to develop a close connection with the customers, enabling the company to incorporate their suggestions and ideas into the range also.

Apart from the Rockybox, Buddy is another firm feature of the assortment, comprising wholly natural dog food and supplements. The recipe was developed with veterinarians, nutrition experts and other specialists in the market. A leading European pet food supplier manufactures the products. Petbuddy highlights the composition of Buddy pet food, consisting exclusively of natural raw ingredients, including some superfood elements and the fact that it is baked slowly and carefully in the oven. This makes it particularly easy for dogs to digest.