“Making a positive difference”

The company has remained true to its principles to this day. “We look forward to making a positive difference in the communities in which we operate as we continue to serve our customers and their pets,” is the firm principle with which the company aims to differentiate itself from the major chains. Chuck & Don currently operates 24 stores in the states of Minnesota (18) and Colorado (6). The company is based in the small town of Mahtomedi in Minnesota. Robert Hartzell is the current president and chief executive officer of the company. Joining Chuck & Don in 1994, he became a partner in 1996 and is regarded as a driving force behind the growth of the company. Charles “Chuck” Anderson currently serves as chief financial officer. Don Tauer retired from the retail pet supply business in 2000. Jim Flipp, former corporate food buyer and staff member since 1991, retired in September 2012. Diverse assortment Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet sells a wide variety of pet care items for dogs, cats, rodents, birds and reptiles in its stores. The selection varies according to the outlet. While some stores are located in rural areas, others operate in big cities like Denver and Minneapolis. The stores generally aim to focus on speciality and hard-to-find pet foods specifically for dogs and cats. Since the customer base includes a lot of raw feeders, this target group is particularly important to Chuck & Don. Another trend, the growing demand for grain-free pet food products, is also reflected in the range offered in the stores. One of the company’s fundamental goals is always to be on the ball and also to try out a steady stream of new products. Live pets don’t feature in the range stocked by the stores. Many, but not all, of Chuck & Don’s locations have one or two cats that are available for adoption. The cats come from local rescue shelters. The outlets also hold adoption events for different community and rescue groups. Because the requirements of the respective stores are so different, the store managers are permitted to basically adjust their own inventory levels, because they know what sells in the locations. Just as the ranges in the stores vary, so does the size of the stores. The average Chuck & Don’s outlet is 3 000 ft2 (about 280 m²) in size. Stores can range from 2 500 ft2 (about 230 m²) to 4 000 ft2 (about 370 m²) in size. “Outstanding service” A prerequisite for becoming a Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet team member is to be an…