An Interview with Galloway Vets
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Galloway Vets are a 6-vet rural practice based in Kirkcudbright, Scotland offering small & mixed practice. Like many other vets, they noticed that their pet food sales were declining. This was due to several all too relatable reasons, such as customers struggling with the cost of living or looking online for cheaper ways of buying.
However, over the last year Galloway vets have managed to increase their food sales by 21% and their life stage food sales by 39%!
What specific challenges or concerns were you facing in terms of pet nutrition before deciding to stock Calibra?“We noticed that pet food sales were declining, and this is an area we try to keep growing as the revenue it brings is great. Customers were going online & trying to haggle with us on price Vs what they would pay online.
We found that Calibra was lower priced for customers than our previous pet food provider, even with the free bag they included in their loyalty scheme. Well known pet food brand customers were also moving away, and we lost around 25% of sales due to their online pricing. There were also concerns about their confusing rebate scheme as well as their desire to obtain customer email addresses, which we felt was worrying.”
Can you share any success stories or notable improvements in pet health since introducing Calibra to your clients’ pets?
“I think the biggest thing is customer compliance with pet food. A lot of clients don’t understand the benefit of prescription diet, and really the necessity of what the vet recommends. Clients would often buy 1 or 2 bags then slip back to the non-prescription food – which causes issues for the overall well-being of the pet. With Calibra, because the costs are lower, we have found higher customer compliance in continuing to feed prescription foods.
We also have found that a lot of customers cannot afford allergy testing so we offer Calibra insect protein first to see if it is an environmental allergy or food allergy. If the symptoms clear up on the insect protein food the customer doesn’t need to pay for an expensive blood test & they stay on the food.
Our receptionist’s cat, who recently switched to Calibra, has stress cystitis & her health has improved significantly, so much so she hasn’t needed vet treatment since starting.”
How has Calibra contributed to the overall well-being and health of the animals under your care?
“We run weight management clinics & have recommended Calibra light food for patients. For almost all cases we have seen weight improvements.
We have one dog on a well-known brands weight loss food, but still struggled to lose weight. The dog went onto Calibra & now has had its food increased as he lost weight so well.
We also found the recovery food is very palatable so recovering animals are more likely to eat it, which leads to better recovery. We also provide post op patients with a tin of recovery to go home with, which gives us peace of mind that the animal is getting good quality recovery food at home.”
How do your pet parents respond to Calibra? Have you received any feedback from customers?
“Customers love the food because it is priced so competitively. Lots of customers have told us that their dogs had previously been fussy & wouldn’t eat a full meal. With Calibra they now clear their bowl.
The Insect protein treats are a real hit, especially in multi-dog households where owners are giving other dogs treats.”
What do you like most about Calibra in terms of its quality, ingredients, and the impact it has on the pets in your care?
“We love the fact that the packaging is really client friendly. For example, rather than giving a confusing name, or initials the food actually says what it does.
The life stage food is great being colour coordinated which means customers buy the right one. The weight ranges on the packaging are also great.
Swapping customers to Calibra has been easy as we can advise that the protein source & percentage is better than others available.
The composition of the food is comparable to other brands, but we can sell it for a lower price which means pets on Prescription Diet can stay on the food because the range is affordable, so we give the best care possible.”
Has profitability through pet food sales increased since moving to Calibra?
“We launched Calibra in February 2023 and our pet food sales have increased by 21%. The biggest growth (39%) has been in life stage foods, which we found surprising as we know there are lots of brands & places to buy this type of food.”
How has Calibra strengthened the relationship between your practice and your clients? Are there any specific ways it has enhanced client loyalty?
“Calibra makes it possible to help clients we couldn’t help before, and packaging helps clients understand the food & how it helps their pets. It is like customers think we are doing them a favour by reducing their costs.
Also, all practice staff are using Calibra, so everyone from reception to vets are endorsing the food which helps.”
What strategies or marketing efforts have you employed to promote Calibra within your practice? Can you share any successful tactics or ideas?
“We make sure all clients are chatted to about food (where appropriate). Our nurse who runs out weight clinics only recommends Calibra.
Also, we only offer Calibra in practice. We found offering a few brands of food could be confusing to customers, so we decided to streamline down to Calibra. This makes it easier for both staff & customers.
We created post operative packs which include recovery food. Our practice health care plan gives customers 10% off food.
We really feel our reception team have been key, they discuss food with waiting clients & if a customer was asking about another brand, they would compare it with Calibra.”
Have you noticed any specific competitive advantages of Calibra over other brands in the market?
“The Price. It allows us to be competitive against online pricing. We also don’t have large pet food shops nearby so lots of customers who want to buy their food locally can now do so without feeling they are overpaying.”
In your opinion, what sets Calibra apart from its competitors, making it a valuable addition to your practice?
“Price. Less work Vs other brands which save the team time on admin. Ingredients, source & % protein.”
How has your staff been trained or educated about Calibra to effectively recommend it to pet owners?
“We started with a lunch & learn which gave us the information we needed to get started. We also use the Calibra website to get more information. Our Covetrus rep is on hand to answer questions and has helped us with marketing plans & starting our post op packs.”
What would you say to another veterinary practice considering adopting Calibra as their preferred pet food brand?
“Go for it! But whittle down your brands, don’t confuse clients with lots of options.”Go for it! But whittle down your brands, don’t confuse clients with lots of options.
Replace other brands with Calibra, don’t just add them into the mix.
Also, get your staff to try the food because if they see the benefits & savings on their own pets, they will be far more likely to suggest Calibra to customers.”
Do you have any data or anecdotes that highlight the long-term benefits of feeding pets Calibra compared to other brands?
“We had a dog in Renal failure on renal diet, which means we can monitor amount of protein via bloods. You can ensure the owner sticks to the food because Calibra is affordable when clients have medications to pay for.
Gem is a 12-year-old Jack Russell who has chronic heart failure & very fussy with her food. She has been on Calibra for 8 months & looks forward to eating her dinner. She even likes the kibbles as a treat. As a Vet Nurse, I know many people will swap foods, add in other things such as chicken which encourages fussiness. Also, because I don’t need to add in a wet food, we are protecting her dental health & a dental procedure at her age would be risky.
Martha’s cat is diabetic who was struggling to finish her full bowl as she is very fussy. I used to give her half kibble & half wet food to encourage her to eat the full meal. Because she is diabetic, I need to be careful about how much she eats & cannot leave her food down. She was swapped to Calibra diabetic food & she now clears her bowl with no wet food added. This is great because I know how much she is eating, which helps with her medication and I now save money on not buying wet food.”
If you’d like to increase pet food sales in your practice like Galloway Vets, we are running an introductory offer on Calibra products. Click the link below to sign up today.