Pet stores need to create solutions for delivering their products directly to the consumer’s doorstep. Why is this so important? Because all the major players in the pet space are doing it well. That means that if brick and mortar pet stores want to compete they need to deliver their products to customers as well.
Why Pet Stores Need to Deliver Pet Food – Video Transcript
Keegan Edwards:
Hello. Today we want to continue the conversation with the fact that all pet stores need to have a direct to doorstep solution for their customers. And the reason is really being driven continually by the competition that’s out there. Now some pet stores are benefiting from being in a smaller market or in an area where they have a little bit more insulation from the fact that consumers are able to get pet food, pet treats, pet toys delivered so quickly and conveniently to their doorstep.
Pet Industry News
Keegan Edwards:
This video is kind of coming in reaction to the latest news in the pet industry which is Petco’s announcement yesterday that they’ve partnered with a same-day delivery service known as Shipt, S-H-I-P-T. And what they’re offering is for customers to have free unlimited same-day delivery on any order over $35. So that means direct to doorstep any orders over $35. Pet parents are able to through Petco and through having a Shipt account have pet food on their doorstep the same day which is obviously very convenient.
Pet Industry Competitors
Keegan Edwards:
Just as a recap, now that Petco’s doing that with Shipt, we already are aware of Chewy’s free one to two day shipping on orders over $49. And they’re obviously acquired by PetSmart. And then of course Amazon is offering, right now they’re pretty consistently able to offer free next day delivery of pet food on orders over $35 for Prime members, but they are working towards and starting to identify products that they can deliver for Prime members on same day on pet food purchases made through Amazon.
Solutions
Keegan Edwards:
There are a few solutions for the independent pet retailer. Obviously one of the solutions is the Endless Aisles program which is pretty well known fulfilled by Phillips pet food and supply which will allow you to attach a catalog for usually free two to three day shipping over orders $49. It’s pretty easy to accomplish that through their program, the integration that it has with Shopify. And the other alternative is to connect your point-of-sale system to your website and have some sort of omnichannel solution, either through a company like Lightspeed, or to use Shopify, built out your store inventory and build out a catalog of items that you carry in store and start really building the infrastructure into your business to do store pickup and local delivery.
Keegan Edwards:
With all the competition and the movement of consumers to Amazon, Chewy, and obviously to programs like Petco is offering, every single pet store is going to need to have a direct to doorstep solution. This is just the beginning of it, and really into the future all the market movements indicating that any single pet store that’s going to be doing business is going to have to a direct to doorstep solution for their customers or they’re going to face a loss of those customers to these convenient options.
Keegan Edwards:
Just sharing that information. There are a few solutions out there. But that’s really, especially in the next 18 months that’s really whether it’s drop ship fulfillment or whether it’s direct to doorstep and local markets through online catalog, those are really the steps that every pet store needs to take. Thanks very much.
News Article for More Info
For more information, you may want to check out an article in Pet Business magazine from a couple years ago. I was quoted in this article and it focuses on the need for independent pet retailers to compete with convenience.
For companies to help you solve this problem I suggest you contact:
Or contact me for more info-