• by Tanya Gazdik , August 16, 2016

PetSmart has signed on to be the exclusive national retailer of Nulo MedalSeries, a pet food brand supported by a group of athletes including 12-time medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin and Gold Medal gymnast Carly Patterson.

The products are just starting to roll out in stores this month and will be available chain-wide later this fall, when the retailer plans to launch an integrated marketing campaign, says Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer, PetSmart. 

“The Nulo MedalSeries products have a strong position in the marketplace as they are represented by world-class athletes who are hyper-focused on their diet and extending that same nutrition philosophy to their pets,” Cohen tells Marketing Daily.

The addition of the brand helps PetSmart expand its assortment of natural brands of dog and cat foods, which are becoming increasingly popular with customers. 

Both Patterson and Coughlin joined other gold medal athletes, swimmer Ricky Berens and ice dancer Charlie White, for a launch party celebration recently at PetSmart’s headquarters office in Phoenix.

Coughlin says she feeds her dogs Dozer and She-Ra Nulo because she believes in feeding them high-quality ingredients and sees the results of a grain-free diet. 

“As an athlete, I focus on quality food to ensure top performance and health so it’s a natural extension for me to want to do this for the rest of my family — including my dogs,” Coughlin said in a statement. “Dozer is prone to skin allergies so I wanted a grain-free food that also provided wholesome nutrition. I love that it has probiotics, which is great for both of the dogs’ digestive systems.”

Patterson supports the brand because of its health benefits. An added bonus, she says, is how much her dog, Beauxgart, and cat, Jasper, love the food and devour their meals.

“I love that my animals get excited about meal time. Beauxgart was a picky eater before we switched to Nulo, and now he gets so excited when he hears me getting the bag and bowl ready,” Patterson said in a statement. “Food is such a huge part of being healthy. I focus on healthy eating for myself and it would be a disservice to not do the same for my pets.”