Vet Foods Vs Supermarkets

[larry]

I was in Big W in Karrinyup (WA) yesterday and saw Hills science diet food for sale there

I was told by my vet in the past that Hills is a special food , only for sale in vets and specialist shops, but now Big W sells it.....

I didn't keep track of the prices, so i'm not sure how much cheaper it was though.....

so really all pet foods should be available in the big chain stores in time ?

[Erny]

I don't use this food but my understanding is that there is the "Hills Science Diet" which would be for general use, and then there are the "Hills Prescription Diets" (not sure if that's the actual name) and these are for dogs with specific health issues such as : pancreatitis; intestinal/digestive issues; teeth issues (cleaning); and so on. I believe the latter is the food that you can only obtain through Veterinary Clinics. Others here will more than likely have a clearer and more precise answer for you.

[GoldenGirl85]

After having worked in BigW I can tell you that if they have started selling the same brand there which is available in pet stores you can presume that they have downgraded their product and that is why its available at those stores...and Im guessing its at a much cheaper price?

[Elsha_UK_AU]

Erny is correct. My little one is on Hills Science Prescription for a sensitive stomach however you have the regular Hills Science in other places, it is just the prescription one that you purchase at the vets.

[aussielover]

Hills Presscription diet can only be sold at veterinary clinics, where as the hills science diet can pretty much be sold anywhere. I doubt they have downgraded their product to sell in big W. All commericial dog food should be nutritionally balanced, the difference in quality is due to the type of ingredients used. Additionally, premium dog foods such as Hills, Eukanuba, Advance etc have been through feeding trials.

[GoldenGirl85]

I dont think I explained myself, I didnt mean they would make a different product for BigW, I was relating it to brands like Supercoat...once upon a time Supercoat was a very good product

[aussielover]

sorry, misunderstood you!

I heard big w was also selling flea/worming products such as sentinel?

I don't see why Big W couldn't have all brands of dogs food. don't know how successful that would be as most of the staff there would have no idea about the difference.

[GoldenGirl85]

Exactly, super premium products are sold at vets and specialty stores because it is much easier for the companies to educate their retailers on their product, I can promise you that not many BigW staff are sent for training with manufacturers (the cosmetics attendant and management being the few) and there is no "pet specialist" there is a person who works the whole hardware side (could be more in the city stores, the store I worked at was in the country) but the only reason why they would be knowledgeable on an item is if they took the initiative to find out about it for themselves. If BigW is selling Science Diet it has made me change my mind about getting it for my JRT ;)

[Red Fox]

sorry, misunderstood you!

I heard big w was also selling flea/worming products such as sentinel?

I don't see why Big W couldn't have all brands of dogs food. don't know how successful that would be as most of the staff there would have no idea about the difference.

Yep, my local Big W has a pet centre which sells Sentinal, Interceptor, Advantage etc along with a heap of other flea and worming products. To be honest I find them to be no cheaper than the vets and a lot more expensive than buying online. For the past 12 months or so they have also been stocking Hills and Iams. The prices on the food are comparable to what you would pay anywhere else - maybe a little cheaper but not by much. They dont sell the prescription lines though, only the vets can sell those.

And yes, the staff there have NO idea. You would think that if you had a 'Pet Centre' you would at least have a few qualified staff to over-see it. But no, there is never anyone in there, you press the button if you want something from behind the counter (worming/flea meds) and someone comes in from whatever area to serve you.

The worst thing is that a lot of people go in there and ask for advice on the products (many of them being new dog owners who don't know any better). A few months ago I heard a staff member telling a customer that "Yes, this flea spray for bedding should be fine to spray on your 6 week old puppy" ;) Stupid sales people. I told the woman to buy some Advantix instead.

[GoldenGirl85]

None of the BigW's I go to have these so called "pet centres" but when I was working in the country store they brought out a brochure for staff to show what the finished refurbishment will look like, I saw that there was supposed to be a pet centre and thought it was a bad idea, but I wasnt sure if it actually went through because I hadnt actually been to a store with one

The staff selling the super premium foods would have no idea unless they happen to feed it to their dogs, they would just look at it sitting next to the woofbix and think "wow...thats expensive food"

[larry]

I wasn't able to ask any questions of the staff in the Big W, there were no staff at all to be seen near the pet area...at least they cant give me the wrong advise about flea products...that's scary-when dealing with strong chemicals like that...mistakes could be dangerous.....

I didn't notice any Iams for sale there, but i didn't really look that carefully.......

I remember when supercoat was only sold in pet stores in WA, and then the supermarkets started to sell it, i was told by friends that used to buy it that the product didn't seem the same after a while, and that they then switched brands...... it looks like Hills is the next brand to be sold in the chain stores.....

[GoldenGirl85]

That is why Ive decided not to get Hills for my JRT, I was a bit iffy because of a few comments on here, but this thread has made me decide for sure. Big W doesnt buy premium brands of anything unless they get it for an incredible price, my guess is that Hills might not be selling enough product, a Big W purchaser has approached them and made an offer...but in order to make a profit off that offer they need to find a more economical way to produce the product...hence Hills becomes the next Supercoat

[Mystiqview]

To me, If Big W and the like, sell the premium food etc. Then it is targeting the market that shop there. All the good if it works.

It is really no different to the larger Pet Barn places sellling the premium food and vet products like Advantage, Sentinal etc. Not all the staff in those places are trained either to those products.

Prescription products would still need to be sold through a vet or somewhere where a vet is on duty. By belief is the likes of Sentinal etc is not a prescription product and can be sold anywhere. Likewise with "Normal" premium food.

No different to other companies having smaller "premium" dog food available in supermarkets to target those shoppers.

[GoldenGirl85]

To me, If Big W and the like, sell the premium food etc. Then it is targeting the market that shop there. All the good if it works.

It is really no different to the larger Pet Barn places sellling the premium food and vet products like Advantage, Sentinal etc. Not all the staff in those places are trained either to those products.

Prescription products would still need to be sold through a vet or somewhere where a vet is on duty. By belief is the likes of Sentinal etc is not a prescription product and can be sold anywhere. Likewise with "Normal" premium food.

No different to other companies having smaller "premium" dog food available in supermarkets to target those shoppers.

Those sort of companies at least have a much smaller staff base and it is easier for the producers to educate their staff about their product, its then up to the staff if they choose to take the info on board before they start trying to sell it. Big W provides no such training and the producers would have a hell of a time trying to educate them, there is just too many people working there who just see it as a job and dont take an interest in their stock. Im not saying all BigW employees are worthless, I was one of those who took the initiative to try and learn about the products I sold, but there is no training provided and there is a lot of casual staff employed there, it would be impossible to get "pet specialists" in that sort of store

[larry]

if places like Big W are selling the 'normal' Hills lines, and they are selling flea products and other chemicals, i dont see why eventually they wont end up selling the more specialised hills lines ? Flea chemicals can be dangerous if mis-used, so surely special food lines are far safer to sell ?

Hills decided to only sell their foods to vets/pet shops in the past, so they can just as easily decide to do the same for the 'specialised' food lines surely ?

I thought Hills was owned by a big multinational company, so they probably sell other lines to Big W anyway ?

Once Hills sells to places like Big W with no specially trained pet staff, then probably Eukanuba will follow ?

I was told by my vet in the past that hills food was only sold to vets, and then it was eventually also sold to pet shops, but that is obviously not the case anymore as it is now being sold to the supermarket type outlets.....

Edited April 8, 2010 by larry

[GoldenGirl85]

Keep in mind, BigW is a discount store, and they are aiming at discount shoppers, if they are selling it they bought it at an incredible price, its not about who the producers are selling the food to, but what the distributer is paying for it. My guess is that like Supercoat, which was once only available in specialty stores, it is now freely available in supermarkets and petstores alike, and the product is not what it used to be. Im guessing Hills will take the same path, they will slowly change their product to make it cheaper to produce