Better Choice Co Inc

Our History

On December 17, 2018, Better Choice Company, Inc. (the “Company”, or “Better Choice”) made a $2.2 million investment in TruPet LLC (“TruPet”), an online seller of pet foods, pet nutritional products and related pet supplies. On February 2, 2019, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the remainder of TruPet and closed the acquisition on May 6, 2019.

On February 28, 2019, Better Choice entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Bona Vida, Inc. (“Bona Vida”) and closed the acquisition on May 6, 2019.

On October 15, 2019, Better Choice entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (as amended, the “Halo Agreement”) with Halo, Thriving Paws, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Thriving Paws”), HH-Halo LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“HH-Halo” and, together with Thriving Paws, the “Sellers”) and HH-Halo, in the capacity of the representative of the Sellers. Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions of the Halo Agreement, among other things, the Company agreed to purchase from the Sellers 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Halo, Purely for Pets, Inc. (“Halo”) (the “Halo Acquisition”). The Company closed the Halo Acquisition on December 19, 2019.

Overview of Our Business

Better Choice is a pet health and wellness company committed to leading the industry shift toward pet products and services that help dogs and cats live healthier, happier and longer lives. Our mission is to become the most innovative premium pet food company in the world, and we are motivated by our commitment to making products with integrity and treating pets and their parents with respect. We believe that our broad portfolio of pet health and wellness products are well positioned to benefit from the trends of growing pet humanization and an increased consumer focus on health and wellness, and have adopted a laser focused, channel specific approach to growth that is driven by new product innovation.

We sell our premium and super-premium products (which we believe generally includes products with a retail price greater than $0.20 per ounce) under the Halo brand umbrella, including Halo Holistic™, Halo Elevate® and the former TruDog brand, which has been rebranded and successfully integrated under the Halo brand umbrella during the third quarter of 2022. Our core products sold under the Halo brand are made with high-quality, thoughtfully sourced ingredients for natural, science based nutrition. Each innovative recipe is formulated with leading veterinary and nutrition experts to deliver optimal health. Our diverse and established customer base has enabled us to penetrate multiple channels of trade, which we believe enables us to deliver on core consumer needs and serve pet parents wherever they shop. We group these channels of trade into four distinct categories: E-commerce, which includes the sale of product to online retailers such as Amazon and Chewy; Brick & Mortar, which primarily includes the sale of product to Pet Specialty retailers such as Petco, Pet Supplies Plus and neighborhood pet stores, as well as to select grocery chains; Direct to Consumer (“DTC”) which includes the sale of product through our website halopets.com; and International, which includes the sale of product to foreign distribution partners and to select international retailers. In December 2023, the Company made a strategic exit out of Petco stores (while remaining on Petco.com), and Pet Supplies Plus. As of Q1 2024, the Company has made plans to exit its DTC channel in Q2 2024, in an effort to improve profitability.

New product innovation represents the cornerstone of our growth plan, supported by our own research and development, and acquisitions. Our established supply and distribution infrastructure allows us to bring new products to market in nine months, generally. Our outsourced manufacturing model is flexible, scalable and encourages innovation allowing us to offer a breadth of assortment in dog and cat food products under the Halo brand, serving a wide variety of customer needs.

Halo is the brand for a new generation of pet parents. For millennial pet parents who view their pets as children, we believe Halo provides the world’s best nutrition for the world’s best kids. Halo offers two premium sub-lines of natural dog and cat food for this audience - Halo Holistic, which includes the former TruDog brand, and Halo Elevate.

Halo Holistic is designed for the pet parent seeking high-quality ingredients for digestive health. Halo Holistic is the only super-premium pet food certified by the Global Animal Partnership and the Marine Stewardship Council, both of which are animal welfare organizations recognized worldwide. Halo Holistic also supports complete digestive health with prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. Additionally, it’s made with whole animal proteins only and no meat meals.

Halo Elevate®, our second sub-line which launched during 2022, provides best-in-class nutrition. We believe it’s the only natural pet food with leading nutrient levels to support the top five pet parent health concerns which include digestive health, heart and immunity support, healthy skin and coat, hip and joint support and strength and energy. Each recipe delivers natural, science-based nutrition for optimal health. Both Halo Holistic and Halo Elevate® provide confidence and validation to empower millennial pet parents.

Our Products and Brands

We have a broad portfolio of over 100 active premium and super premium animal health and wellness products for dogs and cats, which includes products sold under the Halo brand across multiple forms, including foods, treats, toppers, dental products, chews, and supplements. Our products consist of naturally formulated premium kibble and canned dog and cat food, freeze-dried raw dog food and treats, vegan dog food and treats, oral care products and supplements. Our products are sustainably sourced, derived from real whole meat and no rendered meat meal and include non-GMO fruits and vegetables.

Our products are manufactured by an established network of co-manufacturers in partnership with Better Choice. We have maintained each of our key co-manufacturing relationships for more than four years, with certain relationships in place for more than ten years and with the launch of Halo Elevate®, we expanded and engaged two new co-manufacturing partners in 2022.

Our Customers and Channels

In 2023, we generated $48.6 million of gross sales and $38.6 million of net sales. By channel in 2023, E-Commerce generated approximately $19.1 million of gross sales and $13.4 million of net sales, Direct-to-Consumer generated approximately $6.4 million of gross sales and $5.6 million of net sales, Brick & Mortar generated approximately $9.4 million of gross sales and $5.9 million of net sales and International generated approximately $13.7 million of gross sales and $13.7 million of net sales. The following chart provides a breakdown of our net sales by channel for the year ended December 31, 2023:

In 2023, approximately 50% of our net sales were made online, through a combination of E-commerce partner websites, such as Amazon, Chewy, Petflow, Thrive Market and Vitacost, and our DTC website, hosted on Shopify. A majority of our online sales are driven by repeat purchases from existing customers. In Packaged Facts’ Surveys of Pet Owners, pet products and services are at the bottom of the list of household spending cutbacks, second only to human medicine and healthcare. Reflecting both the higher prices and Americans’ deep commitments to their pets, pet parents remain tenacious when it comes to pet care, with 68% spending more in February 2023 vs. January 2022 even as they looked for ways to economize. We anticipate our ability to reach a growing base of diverse customers online will continue to improve as E-commerce penetration increases.

In addition to our domestic sales channels, the Halo brand’s international sales declined (37)% in 2023, resulting primarily in an effort to normalize inventory levels in our key Asian markets as well as macroeconomic factors impacting consumer behavior. With increasing levels of economic financial status in the Asian markets and demand for premium and super-premium, western manufactured products, with China representing the largest market opportunity for growth and 80% of Better Choice’s $13.7 million of international sales in 2023.

Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Logistics

Halo partners with a number of co-manufacturing partners to produce its products. Products sold today under the Halo brand are made strictly from naturally raised animals on sustainable farms and are manufactured in the U.S and use healthy, natural ingredients, with all purchases transacted in U.S. dollars. By sourcing cage-free poultry, pasture-raised beef, and wild-caught fish from certified sustainable fisheries and not including meat meals or other animal byproducts in its formulations, our Halo brand is able to provide pets and pet parents with a nutritious and highly digestible suite of food and treats. Some products are preserved using either freeze drying or gentle air dehydration to eliminate the need for artificial preservatives and added chemicals. Our treats and chews are oven-baked, using natural ingredients for maximum nutrition and protein content. Halo’s dog and cat foods meet The Association of American Feed Control Officials (“AAFCO”) guidelines and are small-batch tested for common contaminants prior to leaving the manufacturer.

We utilize logistics service providers as a part of our supply chain, primarily for shipping and logistics support. Fulfillment of orders is managed by a third-party warehousing and logistics partner, Fidelitone. Our warehouse was located in Lebanon, Tennessee throughout 2021 and relocated to Wauconda, Illinois in 2022. Our DTC ecosystem allows us to efficiently manage and customize the online shopping experience for customers, including a customer dashboard where shoppers can manage and track orders and order history. Our products are shipped by trusted carriers for expeditious and reliable delivery.

Raw Materials and Principal Suppliers

We rely upon the supply of raw materials that meet our high-quality specifications and sourcing requirements. We source Global Animal Partnership (“GAP”) certified cage-free chicken, GAP certified cage-free turkey, Marine Stewardship Council (“MSC”) certified wild-caught salmon and whitefish and select non-GMO fruits and vegetables, such as peas, sweet potatoes and lentils. If any raw material is adulterated and does not meet our specifications, it could significantly impact our ability to source manufactured products and could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

For the supply and co-manufacturing of our products, we have relied on: Alphia, Inc. (“Alphia” f/k/a “C.J. Foods”) for dry kibble which transitioned to Barrett Petfood Innovations during 2022, then back to Alphia during 2023; Simmons Pet Food, Inc. (“Simmons”) and Thai Union Manufacturing Co., LTD. for canned wet food; BrightPet Nutrition Group, LLC (“BrightPet”) for vegan kibble and freeze dried treats; Carnivore Meat Company, LLC (“Carnivore”) for the supply and co-manufacturing of freeze-dried food and treats. We sourced approximately 64% of inventory purchases from two vendors for the year ended December 31, 2023 and approximately 69% from three vendors for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Sales and Marketing

Our marketing strategies are designed to clearly communicate to consumers about the benefits of our products and to build awareness of our brands. We deploy a broad set of marketing tools across various forms of media to reach consumers through multiple touch points and engage with a number of marketing agencies to develop content and product packaging. Our marketing initiatives include the use of social and digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization, email and SMS marketing, and paid media (Facebook, Instagram & YouTube), among other proven strategies to generate and convert sales prospects into loyal, satisfied customers. In addition to directly targeting and educating consumers of our products, we partner with a number of retailers such as Amazon, Chewy and Petco to develop joint sales and marketing initiatives to increase sales and acquire new customers.

In recent years, consumer purchasing behaviors have shifted dramatically and E-Commerce penetration has significantly increased. In the fourth quarter of 2023, management shifted from a Brick & Mortar channel focus to a digital first strategy as a result of its annual operating plan process and has strategically reallocated marketing investments to work more effectively and efficiently in its larger e-commerce platforms to drive growth and brand awareness.

Competition

The pet health and wellness industry is highly competitive. Competitive factors include product quality, ingredients, brand awareness and loyalty, product variety, product packaging and design, reputation, price, advertising, promotion, and nutritional claims. We believe that we compete effectively with respect to each of these factors. We compete with manufacturers of conventional pet food such as Mars, Nestlé and Big Heart Pet Brands (part of the J.M. Smucker Company), and manufacturers of specialty and natural pet food such as Blue Buffalo (part of General Mills), Wellness, Fromm, Orijen, Merrick (part of Nestlé), Stella and Chewy, Open Farm and Freshpet. In addition, we compete with many regional niche brands in individual geographic markets.

Employees and Human Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2023, we had 31 full time employees and one part time employee. Our human capital resource objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and additional employees. The principal purposes of our equity incentive plans are to attract, retain and motivate selected employees, consultants and directors through the granting of stock-based compensation awards. Our employees are not represented by any labor union or any collective bargaining arrangement with respect to their employment with us. We have never experienced any work stoppages or strikes as a result of labor disputes and we believe our overall relationships with our employees are positive and the strength of our team is a critical success factor in becoming the most innovative premium pet food company in the world. Our employees share an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for excellence and the inspiration to drive the future of the pet health and wellness industry.

Our core values are Integrity, Respect, Working Smarter and Faster and Building Lasting Relationships in all that we do. We continually focus on employee engagement and a diverse, inclusive culture in order to ensure the continued strength and well-being of our workforce. We strive to create a workplace where employees feel engaged, believe in our mission, understand their role in our strategy and are passionate about the work they do. We conduct employee engagement surveys to provide us with valuable insights into employee perspectives and experiences. We also hold frequent virtual town-hall meetings and team building events to provide updates, celebrate milestones in the business, communicate initiatives, recognize significant individual accomplishments and provide a forum for employees to communicate and engage with our entire employee base. We value and embrace diversity by fostering a culture that encompasses the unique attributes, ideas, perspectives, and experiences of our employees, customers, suppliers and communities. We believe a more inclusive and diverse work environment allows us to achieve better results and makes us a stronger business.

We operate under a “Win From Anywhere” culture, which is our approach to creating a flexible and entrepreneurial working environment built for long term success. Winning from anywhere means our employees can work from anywhere in the country. We believe this culture provides the ability for us to attract the best talent and we now have employees all over the U.S. that are winning from anywhere.

Government Regulation

The regulation of animal food products is complex, multi-faceted, and continually changing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) and other regulatory authorities at the federal, state and local levels, as well as authorities in foreign countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, composition, manufacture, import, export, labeling, storage, distribution, promotion, marketing, and post-market reporting of animal foods. We are required to navigate a complex regulatory framework in the locations in which we wish to manufacture, test, import, export, or sell our products.

FDA Regulation of Animal Foods

The FDA regulates foods, including foods intended for animals, under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) and its implementing regulations. The FDCA defines “food” as articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, which includes products that are intended primarily for nutritional use, taste, or aroma and the components of such products. For animal foods in particular, this definition applies based on their intended use regardless of labelling as animal food, treats, or supplements. The FDA also imposes certain requirements on animal foods relating to their composition, manufacturing, labeling, and marketing. Among other things, the facilities in which our products and ingredients are manufactured must register with the FDA, comply with current good manufacturing practices (“cGMPs”) and comply with a range of food safety requirements.

Although pet foods are not required to obtain premarket approval from the FDA, any substance that is added to or is expected to become a component of a pet food must be used in accordance with a food additive regulation, unless it is generally recognized as safe (“GRAS”) under the conditions of its intended use or if it appears on an FDA-recognized list of acceptable animal food ingredients in the Official Publication of AAFCO. A food may be adulterated if it uses an ingredient that is neither GRAS nor an approved food additive, and that food may not be legally marketed in the U.S.

The labeling of pet foods is regulated by both the FDA and state regulatory authorities. FDA regulations require proper identification of the product, a net quantity statement, a statement of the name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor and proper listing of all the ingredients in order of predominance by weight. The FDA also considers certain specific claims on pet food labels to be medical claims and therefore subject to prior review and approval by the FDA. The FDA has a list of specific factors it will consider in determining whether to initiate enforcement action against such products if they do not comply with the regulatory requirements applicable to drugs, including, among other things, whether the product is only made available through or under the direction of a veterinarian and does not present a known safety risk when used as labeled. The FDA may classify some of our products differently than we do and may impose more stringent regulations which could lead to possible enforcement action.

Under the FDCA, the FDA may require the recall of an animal food product if there is a reasonable probability that the product is adulterated or misbranded, and the use of or exposure to the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. In addition, pet food manufacturers may voluntarily recall or withdraw their products from the market. If the FDA believes that our products are adulterated, misbranded or otherwise marketed in violation of the FDCA, the agency make take further enforcement action, including: restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of a product; required modification of promotional materials or issuance of corrective marketing information; issuance of safety alerts, press releases, or other communications containing warnings or other safety information about a product; warning or untitled letters; product seizure or detention; refusal to permit the import or export of products; fines, injunctions, or consent decrees; and/or imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

Chinese Regulations

General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (“AQSIQ”) is responsible for the unified inspection and quarantine of imported pet food (also referred to in the regulations as “Feed”). Only registered pet food manufacturers from AQSIQ approved countries (which includes the U.S.) can import pet food to China, and may do so only if they have first received an import registration certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture (“MOA”). In order to obtain an import registration certificate, a manufacturer must submit standardized application materials (in both English and Chinese) along with product samples to the MOA for approval, and if approved, such import registration certificate shall be valid for five years. Overseas companies are also prohibited from engaging in the direct sale of imported pet food within the territory of China and should establish a sales organization or appoint a sales agent within the territory of China and file a record with the MOA within six months from the date the manufacturer obtains its import registration certificate. All imported pet food must be packaged, and the packaging must comply with China’s safety and hygiene regulation and must have Chinese labels that are in conformity with the relevant regulations.

We are also subject to labor and employment laws, laws governing advertising, privacy laws, safety regulations and other laws, including consumer protection regulations that regulate retailers or govern the promotion and sale of merchandise. Our operations, and those of our distributors and suppliers, are subject to various laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and worker health and safety matters. We monitor changes in these laws and believe that we are in material compliance with applicable laws. See additional information under the heading “Risks Related to the Regulation of our Business and Products” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of risks relating to federal, state, local and international regulation of our business.

Our Trademarks and Other Intellectual Property

We believe that our intellectual property has substantial value and has contributed significantly to the success of our business. Our trademarks are valuable assets that reinforce our brand, our sub-brands and our consumers’ perception of our products. The current registrations of these trademarks in the U.S. and foreign countries are effective for varying periods of time and may be renewed periodically, provided that we, as the registered owner, or our licensees where applicable, comply with all applicable renewal requirements including, where necessary, the continued use of the trademarks in connection with the goods or services identified in the applicable registrations. In addition to trademark protection, we have registered more than 100 domain names, including www.betterchoicecompany.com, www.halopets.com, www.trupet.com, www.trudog.com and www.rawgo.com, that are important to the successful implementation of our marketing and advertising strategy. We rely on and carefully protect unpatented proprietary expertise, recipes and formulations, continuing innovation and other trade secrets to develop and maintain our competitive position.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated in the State of Nevada in 2001 under the name Cayenne Construction, Inc., and in 2009, changed our name to Sports Endurance, Inc. Effective March 11, 2019, we changed our name to Better Choice Company Inc. after reincorporating in Delaware. We have three subsidiaries - Halo, Purely for Pets, Inc., Bona Vida, Inc. and Wamore Corporation S.A. Our principal executive offices are located at 12400 Race Track Road, Tampa, FL 33626. Our website is available athttps://www.betterchoicecompany.com. Our website and the information contained on or connected to that site are not, and should not be deemed to be part of or incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Available Information

We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the SEC that are publicly available atwww.sec.gov. Our SEC filings are also available under the Investor Relations section of our website atwww.betterchoicecompany.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information contained on or connected to our website are not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.