Instinct Doubles Sales in China, Creating Jobs in the U.S.

Demand for high-quality pet products among Chinese consumers is soaring, propelling Missouri-based pet food maker Instinct to new heights worldwide. Since launching on Alibaba’s B2C marketplace Tmall Group in 2016, Instinct’s business has experienced tremendous growth.

“In China, we’ve more than doubled our business in the last three years, so our trajectory is even more dynamic than we’re seeing here in the United States,” said Instinct CEO Gordon Dumesich.

Instinct leverages Alibaba’s livestreaming and loyalty programs to reach the platform’s growing consumer base of one billion shoppers. Scott McLellan, Chief International Development Officer at Instinct, attributes the company’s success in China to the market’s growing middle-class population, many of whom are first-generation pet owners. In addition, he shared, “They’re very digitally savvy, and they like a high-quality product. So, it was a tremendous fit for the Instinct brand.”

Instinct partnered with Alibaba because they had seen the success other brands experienced on the platform. As a result of the company’s sales in China, Instinct is looking to hire more employees at its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, and at its production facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska. In addition, they are building a new Center of Excellence to keep up with global demand for its product.

Success in China allowed Instinct to bring on more people and expand our production footprint in the U.S.

—Scott McLellan, Chief International Development Officer