Winning a pet specialty retailer or distributor is a milestone. Shipping to their vendor guide is where brands lose margin. We handle the EDI documents, carton labels, pallet builds, shelf-life minimums and delivery appointments that retail purchase orders require.
What pet retailers expect from vendors
Pet retailers and distributors expect vendors to ship exactly to their routing and vendor compliance guides. Requirements vary by retailer and change over time, but they usually cover the same ground: electronic purchase orders and advance ship notices, GS1-128 shipping labels on every carton, specific pallet heights and configurations, case pack accuracy, delivery appointments and on-time windows, and minimum remaining shelf life on dated products.
Missing a requirement rarely means a rejected order. More often it means a deduction from your invoice. Over a year, those chargebacks can quietly erase the margin on a retail account. Our job is to make each PO ship the way the retailer's guide says it should, the first time, so your retail growth shows up as profit.
EDI and advance ship notices
Most large pet retailers and distributors trade purchase orders, ship notices and invoices through EDI. The typical flow is an 850 purchase order in, an 856 advance ship notice out when the order ships, and an 810 invoice, with acknowledgments along the way. The 856 is where compliance most often fails, because it must describe the cartons, contents and labels exactly as they physically arrive.
We generate the ship notice from the same scans used to build the shipment, so carton contents, label serial numbers and quantities match what is actually on the truck. Whether you use your own EDI provider or need one connected, we work with your setup and test documents with the retailer before the first live order.
Cartons, pallets and shelf-life minimums
Physical compliance starts with labels and packs. Each carton gets a GS1-128 label with an SSCC serial number that ties it to the ship notice, case packs are verified against your retailer item setup, and pallets are built to the retailer's height, weight and overhang rules with the right corner boards or stretch wrap.
For dated pet food, treats and supplements, shelf life is a compliance item. Retailers commonly specify a minimum remaining shelf life at receipt and will refuse or charge back short-dated product. We enforce a retailer-specific shelf-life floor at allocation, so a PO can only pull lots that meet it. That keeps the freshest acceptable stock for retail while longer-dated inventory remains available for DTC.
Routing, appointments and chargeback prevention
Retail orders often ship on the retailer's routing instructions or a collect freight account, with a delivery appointment booked at the distribution center. We follow those instructions, request appointments in the retailer's portal or through the assigned carrier and keep proof-of-delivery and bill of lading records for every shipment.
When a deduction does arrive, documentation is your defense. We keep pick, pack and label records, ship notice timestamps and photos of completed pallets so you can dispute chargebacks with evidence. Over time, we review deduction reasons with you and fix the root cause, whether that is a case pack mismatch in item setup or an appointment window that needs more lead time.
What's included
- EDI 850, 855, 856 and 810 workflows
- GS1-128 carton labels with SSCC serials
- Pallet builds to retailer height and weight rules
- Retailer-specific minimum shelf-life enforcement
- Routing guide and appointment compliance
- BOL, POD and pallet photo records
- Chargeback root-cause reviews
Frequently asked questions
Can you ship purchase orders to Chewy, Petco or PetSmart?
Yes. We ship retail purchase orders to the requirements in each retailer's vendor and routing guides, including EDI, carton labels, pallet builds and appointments. Vendor approval is between you and the retailer.
Do I need my own EDI provider?
Not necessarily. We can work with your existing EDI provider or help connect one, then test documents with the retailer before your first live order.
How do you prevent short-dated chargebacks?
We enforce a retailer-specific minimum remaining shelf life when allocating stock to a purchase order, so only lots that meet the retailer's requirement can ship.
Can the same inventory serve retail and DTC?
Yes. Retail purchase orders and DTC orders draw from one inventory pool, with channel-specific shelf-life and packaging rules applied to each.