Big Box Retail vs. Independent Pet Stores with Megan Stoll on Your Natural Dog Podcast
In a landscape inundated with endless options when it comes to shopping for your pet’s needs, discerning pet parents are seeking guidance now more than ever. In this episode of Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino, we’re joined by Megan Stoll, who founded her own distribution company Wigglebutt & Co, after experiencing first hand the challenges of working with big pet distributors. She uses Wigglebutt & Co, and her shop, Pet Power Studio, one of the nation’s pioneering pet stores dedicated exclusively to fresh food, to shine a light on small batch brands with big hearts who put pets before profits. Together, Angela and Megan dive into the complexities of the pet distribution industry, highlighting the importance of supporting local independent pet shops and shedding light on the challenges faced by small manufacturers in an industry dominated by big business.
Episode Recap:
- The Importance of Independent Pet Stores
- What’s wrong with the pet industry distribution system?
- Challenges of working with distributors
- Putting profits over pets
- Bringing distribution back to a regional level
- Challenges of being a small manufacturer
- Impact of big distributors on small business
- Supporting independent pet retailers
- How the pet food industry is harming your pets
- Importance of education and prevention
- Benefits of shopping small local pet stores
- Support your educated, knowledgeable local pet shop owners
- The marketing power of big brands
- Companies changing formulas, changing sourcing, for profit
- Lack of transparency for CBD companies
Episode Resources:
- Wigglebutt & Co
- Follow Wigglebutt & Co, and Pet Power Studio on Instagram
- Follow Megan Stoll on Instagram
- Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]
- CBD Dog Health
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About Angela Ardolino
Angela Ardolino is a holistic pet expert and educator who has been caring for animals for over 20 years. Angela owns and operates Fire Flake Farm, an animal rescue. She’s also the founder and formulator of CBD Dog Health, which offers high quality, all-natural cannabis health and wellness products for pets; and MycoDog, which creates and produces high-quality medicinal mushroom and adaptogen tinctures specifically for pets.
Accordingly, she has used CBD Dog Health’s CBD for Dogs, and now MycoDog mushrooms for dogs, on all her pets at her rescue farm every day since 2016. Angela’s pack includes rescues Jolene, Maza and Rhemi. In addition, she has 4-10 more any time she is fostering or boarding. She is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and the Veterinary Cannabis Association. In fact, Angela has educated hundreds of medical doctors and veterinarians on the therapeutic uses of medical cannabis on animals.
About Megan Stoll
Megan has been in the pet industry for over 10 years and has done a “little of everything,” from manufacturing, to wholesale, and now a new concept shop in Encinitas, California. Pet Power Studio is one of the first stores to exclusively carry fresh food in the entire country. Because of her curious nature, she has felt compelled to learn every aspect of the industry that she loves.
The ultimate goal for Megan is to make a positive impact in the pet industry by fighting for what’s best for our pets and not big corporations. Megan utilizes her distribution company, Wigglebutt & Co, to shine a light on small batch brands with big hearts who put pets before profits! When Megan isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her rescued Pitbull Waylon and her Tijuana Princess, Luna.