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Central Garden and Pet Co supplies products that U.S. consumers use to care for pets and maintain lawns and gardens. Pet supplies are the larger business, with brands such as Nylabone and Kaytee; Garden includes seeds, plants, fertilizers and pest controls under names such as Pennington and Amdro. Most revenue comes from branded products. The company also makes retailers’ private-label products and resells products from other manufacturers.
Retailers buy its products for resale to consumers. Central’s distribution network combines its own and other manufacturers’ goods into shipments and helps retailers stock and replenish shelves. Sales depend heavily on a few large buyers: Walmart and The Home Depot are its largest customers, and together with Costco, Lowe’s and Amazon they provide most revenue. Garden is especially reliant on The Home Depot and Walmart; Bell Nursery supplies plants to Home Depot stores in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Pet supplies sell year-round, while Garden depends on spring and summer demand and favorable gardening weather. Central builds inventory ahead of that season, tying up cash before sales arrive. Government restrictions on pet-bird imports and small-animal supplies have also reduced animal availability and demand for related food and supplies.
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Central Garden & Pet Company's results also hinge on competition with privately held Mars in pet products and S.C. Johnson in yard and household insecticides.
Spectrum Brands Holdings competes with Central Garden & Pet Company for retailers' purchases of pet supplies and lawn-and-garden insect controls. Its new pet products and improvements to their functionality are worth watching for pressure on Central's competing range.
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company competes with Central Garden & Pet Company for consumers buying grass seed, fertilizers and pesticides for their lawns and gardens. Its Scotts, Miracle-Gro and Ortho products are the relevant competition to watch, rather than its indoor-gardening business.
Central Garden & Pet Company depends heavily on Home Depot's purchases: the retailer accounted for approximately 37% of its Garden segment net sales in fiscal 2025. Home Depot's consumer lawn-and-garden sales are worth watching, especially plant demand: Central's Bell Nursery is its primary plant supplier in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Petco Health and Wellness Company buys Central Garden & Pet Company's pet products, so household spending at this retailer matters to Central's Pet segment. Watch Petco's pet-care supplies and companion-animal sales, which overlap with Central's supplies, live fish and small animals.
J.M. Smucker's branded pet snacks compete with Central Garden & Pet Company's dog-and-cat treats for consumers' purchases through retailers. Its pet-snack sales are the relevant line to watch for Central, rather than its coffee or other food businesses.
Central Garden & Pet Company relies on Walmart to buy pet and garden products for resale to shoppers: its largest customer accounted for approximately 17% of total net sales and 29% of Garden net sales in fiscal 2025. Reduced Walmart orders or adverse changes in that relationship could materially hurt Central's results.
Costco's purchasing decisions matter to Central Garden & Pet Company's largest segment: it bought approximately 15% of Central's Pet segment net sales in fiscal 2025 for its membership retail business. Watch its selection of pet merchandise, since Costco keeps a limited product assortment.
Fed Interest Rate Decision
The Fed’s decision sets the benchmark for borrowing costs across the economy, which can raise or lower interest paid on Central Garden & Pet’s variable-rate credit facility and leave less or more cash for its pet and garden businesses.
Expected4.0%Last release4.0%
If it comes in above expectations
Higher rates can raise the cost of any credit-facility borrowing that reprices, leaving less cash for Central Garden & Pet’s operations and investment.
If it comes in below expectations
Lower rates can reduce the cost of any credit-facility borrowing that reprices, leaving more cash for Central Garden & Pet’s operations and investment.
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company earningsSMG
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company’s report will show how demand for grass seed, fertilizer and pesticides is changing in the lawn-and-garden market Central Garden & Pet also serves.
Focus on sales tied to Scotts, Miracle-Gro and Ortho, not the indoor-gardening business. Stronger results would point to steadier consumer demand for lawn and garden products that overlap with Central's; weaker results would suggest Central's comparable products face a softer market too.
Home Depot, Inc. earningsHD
Home Depot’s report will show demand for lawn-and-garden goods and plants, informing Central Garden & Pet about purchases by a major Garden customer and demand through its Bell Nursery supply relationship.
Watch Home Depot's lawn-and-garden sales, especially plant demand. Steady category sales with firm plant demand would support this major outlet for Central's Garden products and demand for Bell Nursery's plants; weakness in both would put Central's Garden orders and plant supply relationship under pressure.
Walmart Inc. earningsWMT
Walmart’s report will show sales and purchasing trends in pet and garden goods, a key revenue channel for Central Garden & Pet’s largest customer.
Watch whether Walmart's relevant merchandise sales hold up, alongside signs of its purchasing. Steady demand and continued buying would support Central's channel for selling pet and garden products through its largest customer; weaker demand or reduced orders would directly pressure Central's revenue.
Central Garden and Pet Co earningsThis company
Central Garden & Pet's report will show whether sales in Pet and Garden can stabilize and whether the gross-margin improvement can hold.
Read Pet and Garden sales alongside gross margin. Stabilizing sales in both segments with margin holding would show demand and product economics are supporting one another; further sales declines or a margin retreat would show the earlier profit improvement is not yet secure.
Costco Wholesale Corp earningsCOST
Costco’s report will show demand and assortment decisions for pet merchandise, an important sales channel for Central Garden & Pet’s Pet segment.
Watch Costco's pet-merchandise sales and whether its selection holds. Steady demand without a narrower assortment would suggest Central's products retain a place in this important customer channel; weaker demand or fewer items would put Central's pet sales through Costco under pressure.
