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Canidae – Reinventing the Retail Experience

How Motiv & Andrews Cooper Reinvented Petfood Packaging
(Hint: We Eliminated the Packaging)


Breaking the Mold

At Motiv, we’re big fans of collaboration when it comes to sustainable product solutions and consumer experiences—which is why so many of our client relationships span decades. Leading pet food brand Canidae reached out to us to create a retail experience and merchandising strategy for a sustainable kibble distribution solution. Their idea was to break the mold of how pet food is distributed and purchased, eliminating as much waste as possible while delivering a premium buying experience.

Exploring the Landscape

We dug right in with an in-depth analysis of the market and competition, leveraging our insights, strategic prowess, industrial design, and graphic design to figure out what consumers wanted from their pet-food-buying experience. The answer is, they want it to be easy, convenient, environmentally sustainable—and they want their pet’s food to be fresh as can be. Automation was the answer.

The Ultimate Collab

We knew just who to bring into the mix: the automation whizzes at Andrews Cooper. Together we reinvented the dog food retail experience and developed a brand merchandising strategy—all while ensuring that the final product was manufacturable and met Canidae’s specific needs.

Everyone’s a Winner

The result was a sustainable and innovative solution—a first-of-its-kind Kibble Refill Station that met the market demands for convenience, flexibility, and cost savings. At the same time, it relieved the brand from supply chain dependency and provided a serious boost to sustainability. The Kibble Refill Station eliminates single-use bags, streamlines product offerings, and reduces reliance on supply chain constraints. The station allows consumers to purchase the exact amount of pet food they need, saving up to 45% per bag. Everybody wins! And pets get the freshest food around.

An Industry Forever Changed

Canidae’s Kibble Refill Station was piloted at Petco locations across Southern California and expanded to 100 Petco care centers in 2022. The launch paved the way for a promising future for pet food sustainability—and happy pets (and pet owners) everywhere.

At Motiv, we are an integrated product design firm specializing in packaging and branding for companies across many industries, including pet products. 

If you’d like to re-invent your packaging like Canidae did, contact our team. We can help you get started.