How Viva Raw Pet Food Saved $110K in Operations with Shopify

Background

Jennifer Wu and her partner Zach were juggling demanding careers and wanted to serve fresh, nutrient-dense meals to their beloved dog Karoo. They knew raw pet food could be healthier, but cooking it from scratch was time-intensive. That tension sparked the idea for Viva: a premium raw pet food line that offers customers transparent ingredient sourcing and convenient delivery.

From the outset, they faced a pivotal choice: pick an ecommerce platform that was cheap and easy but limited, or invest in a solution built to adapt as their operation grew. Squarespace and WordPress looked affordable, but missed core order management features. Switching platforms later would be a headache, so the Viva team looked for a long-term partner.

Challenge

The biggest obstacle was finding a system that would launch fast and scale without a full rebuild. Early on, they feared hidden carrier fees from wrong addresses and time lost to manual workflows. They needed reliable shipping rates, dependable automation, and a snappy storefront that could handle growth.

Solution

The Viva founders chose Shopify Plus for its extensive app store and robust APIs. Within days they had a live site, thanks to prebuilt themes and an intuitive editor. Integrations with multiple 3PL partners and helpdesk tools were plugged in seamlessly.

To tackle manual tasks, they turned on Shopify Flow. Automated order tagging, inventory alerts, and customer follow-ups replaced hours of repetitive work. Address verification was configured to catch invalid shipping information at checkout—preventing costly carrier chargebacks.

Results

By the end of their first year on Shopify, Viva had achieved:

• Over $100,000 in annual shipping and replacement savings through address verification
• About $10,000 in yearly cost reduction by automating manual efforts with Shopify Flow
• A site speed boost of roughly 10% after moving to a Shopify 2.0 theme

These gains let Jennifer and Zach reinvest in product development and marketing instead of firefighting operations. Viva’s brand voice and quality promise remained at the forefront, supported by a technology stack built for growth.

Looking Ahead

Viva plans to expand its product line and explore wholesale partnerships using the same Shopify foundation. As the raw pet food market evolves, their team will continue adding integrations and refining automation—ensuring operations run smoothly while they focus on nutrition and flavor.