SmartPak Goes to the Dogs with Spin-off

Thanks to SmartPak’s latest catalog offering, every dog can have its day.

SmartPak, a Plymouth, MA-based merchant that specializes in equine supplies and gifts, launched the 40-page SmartPak Canine catalog at the beginning of March. After the ship, it also launched its Internet store, SmartPakCanine.com.

“Our belief so far is that we are seeing a fairly good response,” says vice president, direct marketing Charlie White. “We have kind of a unique product; we’re not aware of any other merchants doing this.”

The SmartPak concept, which it has used for SmartPak Equine, is to provide animal care products such as supplements, medications, and food in single-serve packs customized for each animal. Orders can be automatically replenished on a monthly basis.

White says the concept works for equine owners because they rely on someone at a stable to care for their horse. The company believes the same concept will work for dog owners because they are assured a fresher food supply and can keep their pet’s weight under control because of the premeasured servings.

“We’ve established a great business model for horse owners, and many of them are also dog owners,” White says. “They have suggested we expand into dog products, and the more we looked into it, the more we liked the fit.

In addition to food, supplements and medicines, SmartPak Canine sells toys, beds, crates, and accessories for dogs, and is experimenting with two pages for cat owners.

SmartPak recently expanded its workforce in the contact and fulfillment centers, but this was to accommodate expanded sales for SmartPak Equine. The company did not say how many employees have been added and are needed to handle the most recent expansion.