Demand for premium, New Zealand-made pet food at supermarket prices has seen rapid expansion for one Kiwi company. After the successful launch of New Zealand King Salmon’s quality pet food range Omega Plus in the South Island late last year, the products are now also being met with a great response in North Island supermarkets. The range, which includes wet and dry pet food as well as treats and dietary supplements, is completely natural and made up of sustainably sourced King salmon, which gives the products high levels of health beneficial omega-3 and protein.
But, according to division manager Simon Thomas, the health benefits for pets – including a shiny, soft coat and better joint mobility – are not the only reason the range has proven popular with pet owners. “Omega Plus also appeals to the conscious consumer, as our range is made entirely in New Zealand from previously wasted material,” he said. Mr Thomas said the range has had a great response from retailers keen to stock a first-class New Zealand product on their shelves in order to meet an ever-growing demand for quality pet food. “Premium pet food is the fastest growing segment of this category and Omega Plus is perfectly positioned to offer retailers a product that fills this void,” he said.
Just as importantly, Omega Plus is appealing to pets too, with retailers reporting good consumer uptake and repeat purchasing of the range. “The product is very palatable, so we’re seeing great acceptance of it from pets,” Mr Thomas said. “It’s great to see the response being so good, especially with traditionally fussy cats.” Also enjoying the benefits and taste of Omega Plus are New Zealand Detector Dog Services, who now feed all of their highly-trained drug dogs the products after previously struggling to find one food that suited all of them. The agency’s managing director, Janet Williams, said all nine of their dogs have had healthier coats and skin since moving to an Omega Plus diet, with better mobility and energy levels also reported. “We’ve found Omega Plus fantastic for meeting our dogs’ many different needs,” she said. “And the dogs are all enjoying the food, too – even the fussy ones in the group.”
Omega Plus is now aiming to reach more Kiwi cats and dogs through further distribution of the product in both the North and South Islands. Future plans for the range also include larger pack sizes in current variants and new variants of their dry cat and dog foods. Omega Plus is currently stocked in New World and Pak ‘n Save supermarkets throughout New Zealand and is available online at pet.co.nz.