Smalls expands South Central retail reach with Supreme Pet
Bottom line
Smalls is expanding its retail footprint in the South Central U.S. through a new distribution partnership with Supreme Pet, a move that will give independent pet retailers in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and parts of Tennessee access to Smalls’ fresh cat food, treats, and feeding essentials. The announcement is the latest in a string of 2026 distribution deals for the cat-only brand, which has also added regional reach through partners including Phillips Pet, Fauna Foods, and IPS South as it pushes beyond its direct-to-consumer roots and deeper into brick-and-mortar retail. (pet-insight.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the expansion is another sign that premium fresh cat diets are becoming easier for pet parents to find in local specialty stores, not just online. That could mean more client questions about how fresh diets compare with canned or dry options, how to evaluate nutrient adequacy, and whether these products fit the needs of healthy cats versus patients with specific medical or therapeutic diet requirements. Smalls positions its products as cat-first and vet-formulated, while its retail strategy suggests the fresh category is trying to win more shelf space in independent pet channels. (smalls.com)
What to watch: Smalls said it will spotlight the expanded portfolio and the Supreme Pet partnership at SuperZoo 2026, offering a near-term read on retailer uptake and the brand’s next phase of distribution growth. (pet-insight.com)
Smalls has signed a new distribution partnership with Supreme Pet, expanding access to its premium fresh cat food line for independent pet retailers across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and parts of Tennessee. The deal extends the company’s South Central reach and adds another piece to a broader 2026 retail expansion strategy aimed at getting the cat-only brand onto more specialty store shelves. (pet-insight.com)
The move fits a clear pattern for Smalls. Founded in 2017 as a direct-to-consumer fresh food company built exclusively for cats, the brand has spent the past several years building capital and infrastructure for retail growth. In 2023, Smalls announced a $19 million funding round and said part of the investment would support its first push into retail. Its retail page now highlights a full lineup spanning fresh food, freeze-dried recipes, broths, and treats, underscoring that this is no longer just a subscription business. (businesswire.com)
This year, that strategy has accelerated through a series of regional distribution partnerships. In March 2026, Smalls announced a deal with Phillips Pet Food & Supplies to broaden access through independent retailers in additional U.S. markets. Other reported expansions this year included partnerships with Fauna Foods in the Tri-State area and Independent Pet Supply South in the Southeast. The new Supreme Pet agreement appears to build on that playbook: use established regional distributors to scale retail availability without relying solely on national chains. (phillipspet.com)
According to the announcement reported by Pet Insight, the Supreme Pet partnership gives retailers in six South Central markets access to Smalls’ “premium fresh cat food, treats, and feeding essentials.” Smalls also said it plans to showcase the partnership and its broader cat-first portfolio at SuperZoo 2026, a signal that independent retail remains central to the company’s growth plan. Pet Insight described Supreme Pet as an established regional distributor known for premium product selection and customer service, which helps explain why Smalls is leaning on the distributor model to enter and deepen coverage in local markets. (pet-insight.com)
Direct outside commentary on the Supreme Pet deal itself appears limited so far, which is common for distributor announcements in the pet trade press. Still, the broader industry context is notable. Independent pet retail groups continue to emphasize the importance of neighborhood and specialty stores in product discovery and education for pet parents, especially in premium and differentiated categories. At the same time, Smalls’ growth story has drawn attention beyond trade media: Inc. reported earlier in 2026 that the company had reached roughly $100 million in annual revenue, suggesting it now has enough scale to invest more aggressively in omnichannel distribution. (indiepet.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about one distributor deal and more about where feline nutrition is heading in the market. As fresh diets become more visible in independent retail, clinics may see more pet parents asking whether these products offer meaningful advantages, how to compare them with complete and balanced canned diets, and when premium fresh foods are appropriate or inappropriate. The retail expansion also matters because in-store availability can reduce some of the friction associated with frozen direct shipments, making trial and repeat purchase easier for clients who are curious about fresh feeding but reluctant to commit to subscription delivery. (pet-insight.com)
That said, wider availability doesn’t settle the clinical questions. Veterinarians will still need to guide clients toward evidence-based diet selection, confirm whether a product is complete and balanced for the intended life stage, and distinguish between wellness feeding and medical nutrition. Smalls markets its foods as human-grade, moisture-rich, and formulated with feline biology in mind, but those claims should be interpreted in the context of the individual patient, especially for cats with renal disease, urolithiasis, GI disease, obesity, or other conditions that may require a therapeutic diet. (smalls.com)
What to watch: Near term, watch for retailer sign-ons following SuperZoo 2026 and for whether Smalls continues adding regional distributors to fill remaining geographic gaps. Longer term, the bigger question is whether cat-specific fresh brands can turn specialty retail distribution into durable, clinic-adjacent credibility, or whether they remain primarily a premium lifestyle purchase for a subset of pet parents. (pet-insight.com)