Nestle Takes Majority Share in British Dog Food Firm

Moving to expand its pet nutrition offerings, Swiss food and beverage giant Nestle announced Monday that it is acquiring a majority share in the UK-based direct-to-consumer dog food firm Tails.com.

“Personalized pet nutrition, along with direct-to-consumer subscription services, are expanding rapidly and this move underlies our focus on investing in high-growth categories and acting on consumer trends,” said Bernard Meunier, chief executive officer of Nestle Purina PetCare EMENA, in a statement.

Founded in 2014, Tails.com provides individually blended dog food based on each dog’s nutritional and portion size needs. The company uses a proprietary algorithm to assess nutritional needs and provides its products via home delivery in a subscription service.

“Tails.com has a unique and winning business model that successfully combines individually customized recipes with a best-in-class pet owner experience, and all at competitive prices,” Meunier said.

Following the transaction, West London-based Tails.com will function as a stand-alone firm headed by its co-founder and present chief executive officer James Davidson.

“We now provide four million bespoke meals per month to dogs across the UK and expect to see sales of well over £20 million this year,” said Davidson in the Nestle release. “Purina’s support gives us the opportunity to build on this success in the UK and beyond, reaching more pets with our tailored nutrition.”

Nestle said the “digital first” approach of Tails.com offers both firms opportunities for growth.