Prioritizing Quality for Affluent Pet Parents

Grocery retailer Gelson's was founded in 1951 in Burbank, Calif., by brothers Eugene and Bernie Gelson whose parents were formerly grocers in Iowa. With a focus on fresh products, Gelson's has served Southern California's discerning shoppers for more than 70 years.

The supermarket chain now counts 27 doors on its roster, including a Calabasas, Calif., location at 22277 Mulholland Highway based in the 91302 zip code of Los Angeles County, within the 63,814-square-foot Gelson's Village shopping plaza. While a 40,000-square-foot Gelson's serves as the anchor within the property, its co-tenants are service-oriented spaces to accommodate Calabasas’ high-middle income to affluent consumers with stores such as clothier M.Fredric and services including a yoga studio, nail salon and dry cleaner, in addition to the Dog & Cat Hospital of Calabasas.

Located at the intersection of Mulholland Drive, only 1.5 miles from the Interstate 101 freeway, this Gelson's store serves an area of Calabasas that boasts a population of 12,266 and an annual household income of $214,415 within one mile of the shopping center, according to August 2022 figures from property-management firm NewMark Merrill Companies. The average home value of the area is $1,023,361, which NewMark Merrill Companies reports is twice the average of Los Angeles County. This Gelson's store is the type of supermarket that encourages customers to fill their own bottles of lemon- or chili-infused olive oil for $24.99, and purchase a soy-free lavender candle for $16.19.

Less is More for Pets in Store

Gelson's Calabasas location features a pet-goods section that might be smaller than some mid-range grocers, but its pet aisle is larger than its local high-end competitors—Erewhon, also located in Calabasas, Calif., on Agoura Road and Bristol Farms in nearby Woodland Hills, Calif., on Mulholland Drive. The three retailers share a commitment to serving a higher-income consumer, but despite their smaller pet-goods sections, they offer brands that resonate in more affluent neighborhoods.

Pet goods occupy one side, or a half, of aisle eight, inside Gelson's. The aisle conveniently ends at the store's butcher section for shoppers who want to treat their animals to fresh or raw protein. On the other side of aisle eight, customers will find household items such as dish soap, light bulbs and cleaning supplies.

Gelson's pet offerings focused on quality, not quantity with the retailer offering brands such as I Love You and You, Castor & Pollux, Blue Buffalo, Full Moon and Brutus. To round out its pet goods and expand its reach, this Gelson's also offers a few more-economical brands such as Caesar, Beneful, Milk Bone, Fancy Feast and Pedigree.

Included in the product mix was a 15-lb. bag of Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula for $50.49. Gentle Giants Classic Quality of Life Feast Dog and Puppy Food, which was launched by television's Burt Ward, who played Robin on Batman and his wife Tracy, and is priced at $29.99 for a 15-lb. bag. An 8-lb. bag of Purina ONE Chicken and Rice Formula Dry Dog Food was priced at $24.99.

The selection of wet dog food included Castor & Pollux Organix 12.7-oz. cans at $5.39 each and the brand's Butcher & Bushel line at $5.99. Gelson's also featured supplemental products such as Yummy Tum-Tum Organic Pumpkin for $3.79 and 32-oz. containers of Brutus Bone Broth for $8.99.

In the middle of the aisle stood a Freshpet refrigerator featuring a number of the brand's goods, such as the Slice & Serve rolls in chunky beef, chicken and turkey, and tender chicken in 1.5-lb. bags at $9.99. Small Dog Bite-Size formulas were sold in 1-lb. bags for $8.99. Freshpet DogJoy treats in turkey bacon were also available in 3-oz. bags at $6.99.

For cats, Gelson's sells the Freshpet Select Moisture Rich Tender Bites chicken formula inside the branded refrigerator with a 1-lb. bag retailing at $7.99. Castor & Pollux 5.5-ounce cans in flavors such as chicken pate were sold at $3.99. Mama Shawna's Stewd line was on sale at two 5.5-oz. boxes for $6 in flavors including chicken and vegetables, and turkey and vegetables. Purina Beyond formulas were priced at $1.79 for 3-oz. cans in chicken and sweet potato; turkey, sweet potato and spinach; and wild-caught tuna, wild-caught Alaskan cod and carrot.

Ruffin’ It bowls for food and water were available from $8.19 to $8.99.

The pet section also provides products for birds—both wild and indoor. Best Pet's medium hookbill formula is sold in a 3.5-lb. bag for $10.99. An 8-lb. bag of Wild Delight Advanced Formula Gourmet Outdoor bird food is available for $12.99. The brand's Advanced Formula Nut N’ Berry formula is sold in an 8-lb. bag for $10.69.

Spoiling Pets with Wholesome Treats

Customers were afforded a large variety of treats, from those that can simply be used to spoil their pets to others that optimize pet health. Liberty Hip & Joint Jerky and Skin & Coat Jerky were available in $6.99 5-oz. bags to promote dog wellness. The brand's human-grade Ruff Puffs in white-cheddar flavor were offered as a wholesome treat in a 4-oz. bag at $6.99. Portland Pet Foods 9-oz. packages of Bacon Brew Biscuits and grain- and gluten-free bacon biscuits and pumpkin formula were sold at $9.99. Full Moon's chicken Jerky Tenders and Savory Sticks in 16-oz. beef or chicken were priced at $14.99.

Chew items for dogs included an array of goods such as Smokehouse USA Chicken Breast Strips, which were discounted from $34.99 to $25.99, and 7-in. Braided Pizzle was marked down from $10.99 to $7.99. Castor & Pollux Good Buddy USA Rawhide was priced at $9.39 for a five pack of 5-in. rolls.

To promote dental hygiene in their pets, customers can explore products such as Every Day Naturals No Brush Toothpaste 4-in-1 Dental Chews at $9.99 for a 10-oz. bag. Another option to engage pets and keep mouths fresh is the four-pack of Nylabone Natural Nubz with real chicken edible dog chews for $6.99 and two-pack of jumbo Nylabone Natural Nubz in natural bacon flavor $6.99.

Cat treats include Applaws Whole Tuna Loin cat treat for $3.39 in a 1.06-oz. package. Blue Buffalo's Wilderness line of soft-moist cat treats were priced at $5.39 for a 2-oz. package in chicken and salmon or chicken and turkey. On the more-affordable end of the aisle, Friskies Party Mix in 2.1-oz. packages were sold for $2.79 in Original, Beachside, Mixed Grill and Gravylicious Crunch. To ensure its cat-focused customers can keep their felines healthy, Gelson's pet selection also included Priscilla's Live Kitty Grass with a container priced at $6.99.

Toys & Clean Up

The toy section featured an array of goods, many of which were offered at a discounted price. Toys from West Paw were featured, such as large and small Ziscs discounted from $22.99 to $19.99 and $15.99 to $13.99, respectively. West Paw's small Qwizls were marked down to $19.99 from $22.99 for a large and $16.99 from $19.99 for a small.

Multipet is another brand that features prominently at Gelson's, with the popular Loofa Dog on sale for $2.59 from $3.79. Globlets were on sale for $10.49, discounted from $11.99. Multipet's Lattice Ball Wand Teaser Cat Toy was on sale at $5.69, down from $6.99.

Consumers searching for waste products could find Lil’ Squirts 30 pack of 21x22-in. dog pads priced at $14.49. For pups who will venture outside, BioBag Pet Waste Bags in the 7.75x11.4-in. standard size were in stock for $7.49, offering an eco-friendly solution to waste disposal.

Gelson's cat-litter selection was vast, with trusted brands such as World's Best Cat Litter in 8-lb. bags priced at $13.99. A 10-lb. bag of Jonny Cat non-clumping clay cat litter in a fragrance-free formula was on the shelf for $4.39, while a five-count package of the brand's heavy-duty jumbo litter box liners were in stock for $5.49.

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