Scratch: Reinventing Dog Food Subscriptions with WooCommerce

Background

Scratch launched in early 2018 to clear up confusion around dry pet food. Founders Mike Halligan and Doug Spiegelhauer saw a needle in the haystack: one recipe that covers most dietary needs, transparent labels, and free door-to-door delivery. Big players like Mars and Nestlé dominated shelves with opaque ingredient lists and 80% markups, mostly absorbed by retailers. Scratch aimed to return control to the pet owner.

Research and Product-Market Fit

Rather than follow trends in North American markets, Scratch focused on local shopping habits. They ran surveys, hosted focus chats, and collected feedback from hundreds of dog owners. Most reported frustration over bulk bags, unclear nutrition tables, and store availability. Based on this feedback, Scratch narrowed down to a single 7.5kg bag of grain-inclusive kibble, balancing cost and nutrition.

Designing the Checkout

At checkout a quick form asks for breed, age, and bodyweight. A custom script calculates recommended intake and maps that to box frequency. The team experimented with dose options and naming conventions until the UI felt intuitive. Pause, skip, or change frequency from the account dashboard without hidden fees ensures flexibility.

Tech Setup and Plugins

The stack runs on WordPress with WooCommerce for core orders and emails. Subscriptions, a Stripe gateway, and Google Address Autocomplete power transactions. Advanced Custom Fields Pro and Gravity Forms collect extra data. Metorik dashboards make churn and order metrics clear. Hosting on DigitalOcean with a small agency maintaining performance keeps costs lean.

Automating Fulfillment

Behind the scenes, orders drop into a warehouse integrated via API. Labels print with each dog’s name, boxes are packed, and carriers pick up automatically. The founders never touch packaging, freeing them to handle support calls and plan marketing. Tracking info flows to customers through WooCommerce Shipment Tracking.

Customer Support Touchpoints

Live chat tests on Messenger and Intercom help answer feeding questions. Early subscribers often wanted guidance on introducing a new formula. A library of feeding guides and a real person on email reduces returns and builds trust.

Building the Brand

Scratch kept copy friendly, Aussie-flavored, and human. Packaging looks good in photos, and a subtle nod to 1% for the Planet shows environmental care. Instead of aggressive discount codes, they use a sticker on each box that thanks families for choosing a planet-friendly option.

Marketing and Launch

A “What’s really in your pet food?” quiz and a call for cutest local dog got 400+ emails and 1,500 photo entries. Facebook remarketing and YouTube ads targeted people searching for pet daycare or pet insurance, not dog food. This kept costs down and reached an engaged audience.

Results and Next Steps

Two weeks after launch Scratch had a steady flow of orders and inbound influencer requests. While still small, they kept churn low by letting customers adjust orders. Upcoming plans include pop-up events in Melbourne and Sydney and a limited-run treat add-on, all while avoiding overcomplication.

Key Lessons

• A single SKU model reduces overhead and focuses product testing.
• A live portion calculator in checkout drives confidence and cuts support.
• Automated fulfillment from day one keeps operations lean.
• Pre-launch lead magnets, like quizzes and contests, build a ready audience.
• Avoid deep discounting to maintain margins and brand value.