When his boxer Tyson was potty training, Kyle Goguen visited a local pet store in search of healthy and tasty treats to incentivize the pup’s progress. A college student at the time, Goguen found the options limited and out of budget.
“Everything I picked up was made with artificial ingredients. Words on the ingredient lists seemed like gibberish because of all of the complex scientific jargon,” he said. “It seemed like I needed a PhD just to read the packages.”
Through Goguen’s frustration came his aha moment, and Pawstruck was born. The family-owned ecommerce business sells a range of all-natural and wholesome jerky, bully sticks, dental chews, and meal-toppers for happy, healthy pups. Their treats are made in the United States, with wholesome ingredients sourced from around the world.
Since 2014, Pawstruck has shipped products from their Kansas warehouse to more than 1.5 million households nationwide.
“As humans are becoming more conscious of what they’re putting in their own body, they’re becoming more conscious of what they’re putting in their animals’ bodies because they’re part of the family now more so than ever,” said Goguen. At Pawstruck, “we’re providing the quality and safety that we’re comfortable giving to our own dogs.”
In the past decade, Goguen has grown Pawstruck from a one-man venture into a successful household brand with 50 employees, adding 10 new hires in 2023 alone.
In 2014 Pawstuck initially sold direct-to-consumer and on eBay and within a few months expanded to Amazon. That’s when sales took off. Today, Pawstruck is a multimillion-dollar brand and expects to grow by 15% this year.
“Amazon grew with us as we grew,” Goguen said. “We didn’t have to go rent an extra 20,000 square feet. We just focused on the brand and the sales, and Amazon took care of the rest.”
As orders surged, tapping into Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) helped Pawstruck maintain delivery speed and reduce costs, a value-add for a budding startup with limited resources. Goguen said that early on, he wouldn’t have had the capacity or the money to handle the pressures of a Black Friday rush – but with Amazon, he’s able to lean in and leverage seasonal opportunities, as FBA works through high demand times.
But as soon as Goguen began using FBA, he immediately realized that it was a “no-brainer.
“Not only do you sell way more because of what it offers customers, but you also don’t have to deal with shipping individual orders to people,” he said. “It’s a huge part of our strategy.”
Pawstruck recently launched its first air-dried dog food and is continuing to expand its suite of treats and chews for happy, healthy pups. For Goguen one thing is clear: “Amazon is pivotal to Pawstruck’s success.”