For clarity, here are some guidelines about ordering fish food.
Purina is a manufacturer. They sell to dealers/feed stores. Purina sales reps work with their dealers to provide product on a timely basis. Most of the dealers are independent, with no contractual arrangement with any of their manufacturers, meaning they are free to buy and sell anything they want. Some are loyal to their manufacturers, others are not. Feed stores have core business that receives most of their focus. Fish food isn't part of the core for most dealers, so they aren't likely to educate themselves about the products. That's why buyers need to know what they want.
It's easy for the dealer to blame the manufacturer for a delayed order. But, Purina's trucks run regularly. Their distribution is nationwide. If a dealer orders it, and the distribution facility has it, the dealer will get it on the next truck. On some occasions, the distribution facility has to receive product from the mill, and that can add a week.
Purina receives orders from their dealers weekly. If the product is in stock, they ship it on the next truck. But, here's something important for you to know...if the product isn't in stock, the dealer need to order it again, the next week. That's how Purina Mills works. They don't keep any "back orders". Their dealers know that...at least they should.
So, when I hear a story about it taking three weeks, or a dealer says, "We can't get it", I know that's a dealer not being straight up with their customers, because they probably didn't order the product, or don't know how Purina works.
If you want Purina products, you've got to use "push" marketing. That means there's a demand and the dealer needs to respond to it. "Pull" marketing is when a manufacturer urges their dealer to sell the inventory. Purina doesn't employ "pull" marketing with some of their specialty feeds...and fish food is one of those feeds. If we want to buy it, we have to find a Purina dealer (which is easy to do) and then "push" them to order the product. They don't want to order a product and sit on it. They want it to move. Fish food is expensive, and has an odor to it. Typical dealers won't have it in stock...so we have to push them to get it for us, and then pick it up. When you hear a dealer make excuses about why they can't get a particular fish food, understand that's what it is, excuses. I don't like it, but sometimes we have to stay on a dealer to get what we want. Once they get into a routine with a consumer, they'll become more consistent.
Every Purina dealer can order any Purina fish food product, if they want to, and understand the system.
