Nulo Invests in Enhancing Core Portfolio to Maintain Pet Business Growth

Performance pet nutrition leader Nulo announced an expansion of its core high volume FreeStyle kibble line featuring two new dog products aligned with developing consumer and pet food category growth trends.

“Our business goal is to build on the momentum we achieved in 2024 as the sales and unit volume leader among the top 15 pet food brands distributed nationally in the retail channel,” said Eric Emmenegger, head of retail & product marketing at Nulo. According to Emmenegger, Nulo’s dry portfolio is the growth driver responsible for its industry sales leading performance last year.

“FreeStyle has been a staple of our brand portfolio for more than a decade, yet it’s been several years since we introduced new recipes. We’re putting greater investment there to build on the sales growth our retail partners are already experiencing,” he said.

Small breeds are a big opportunity

Industry research confirms small breeds have been gaining share of total dog ownership over the last five years. Currently at 46.5 percent of dog owning households and continuing to expand, Nulo is responding to the trend with a new addition to its small breed product line-up.

New FreeStyle Small Breed Beef & Sweet Potato recipe made its debut at Global Pet EXPO. The dry kibble recipe features 81 percent of proteins from animal sources and includes the patented BC30 probiotic for enhanced gut health. The all-life stage product will ship in April 2025.

Limited ingredient on the upswing

Consumer preference for pet foods with single source proteins continues to hold strong appeal, especially among households with pets that have dietary sensitivities. SKU tracking shows that red meat recipes are leading performers in the LID (Limited Ingredient Diet) category.

“The data is supported by retailers’ feedback, many who have encouraged us to expand our assortment,” said Emmenegger. “And so we’re adding FreeStyle Limited+ Lamb Recipe to our LID line-up to optimize choices at shelf for those who prefer red meat proteins.”

The all-life stage formula will feature 28 percent of crude protein, along with methionine and taurine to support cardiovascular health. The new Lamb LID product will ship in April 2025.

Marketing momentum continues

Nulo’s award-winning Fuel Incredible marketing campaign featuring eight Olympic medal winning athletes including Simone Biles and Gabby Thomas, was credited with driving industry leading traffic and retail channel sales growth, as authenticated by Nielsen tracking.

“We are continuing to leverage the incredibly powerful stories of these amazing athletes and their beloved pets — who play a critical role in their training and emotional support to help enable their world-class athletic performances,” said Nulo founder and CEO Michael Landa. “The Olympic games are over and now we have greater access to our athlete partners, whose credibility and reputations are a powerful association for Nulo that benefits the integrity and quality story behind our high-performance pet nutrition.”

Nulo intends to prioritize its dry kibble product portfolio in 2025 with added support in all channels of distribution as the growth and volume leading business that helps retailers achieve their business goals.