Tuck In - Animal Natural Health

It is the same food, but a new recipe for doing business at the Tuck In – Animal Natural Health store in Warkworth.

New owner Kate Rehkopf has a background in digital retailing and is using her skills to improve customer experience. Already she has implemented a new point-of-sale system, which updates inventory and will soon be part of a new website. The website will allow customers to go online to reserve their items before making the trip to the store so it is ready for collection. A delivery system for local customers could also be up and running before Christmas to ultimately service the area from Puhoi to Wellsford.

Kate, who lives in Kaiwaka, is also an animal lover, owning a German shepherd, a rabbit, two cats, a disabled rat and a parrot. She has owned four businesses, but this is her first retail shop. “There’s nothing better than combining a retail job with animal people because talking to pet owners is the best,” she says.

Most of the food products in stock at Tuck In can’t be purchased from the supermarket. There are raw foods for dogs and cats, with fresh meat including deer, venison, lamb and chicken. “Our venison treats have no junky starches or sugars. It’s just dried meat.”

The store also has a number of support products, including a bone broth for joints and homeopathic remedies to relax pets during travel or vet visits. Kate says the products suit owners who want the healthiest option for their pets, with raw food unspoiled by additives. “Just like humans, animals can develop allergies and some types of food can make them worse,” she says.