PetSmart's New Omnichannel Strategy

PetSmart, the largest specialty pet retailer in North America, is taking steps to grow its long-term omnichannel capabilities. The retailer announced it will leverage Demandware's Commerce Cloud platform to allow its customers to shop and engage how, when and where they wish.

Mike Goodwin, senior vice president and chief information officer for PetSmart, explains that this partnership with Demandware will enable brand growth in the future.

“We know our pet parents have come to expect total access to products, content and advice whenever, wherever and however they want,” says Goodwin. “We're continually evaluating a variety of innovative omnichannel capabilities and solutions as part of our road map to ensure we reach our customers first, fast and most effectively.”

PetSmart employs over 53,000 associates in 1,450 stores, and now its operations — from customer attraction to conversion — will be more streamlined. The retailer will be able to maximize agility and innovation across all sales and engagement channels.

“We know the retail world doesn’t only take place inside the walls of our stores," Goodwin notes. "That’s why an important part of our strategy focuses on creating innovative online and mobile solutions to ensure we continue to reach our customers no matter where they are.”

PetSmart's new omnichannel strategy reflects the company's mission statement: “Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives.”

“The term ‘every connection’ in our mission [statement] really matters to us, and Demandware is providing the enabling technology to allow pet parents to shop and engage in their flow of life that encompasses how, when and where they desire," says Goodwin. "That flexibility is really important to our customers.”

For example, PetSmart's in-store shoppers can now enjoy the convenience of shipping their pet essentials directly to their homes, or pick up their orders at their nearest PetSmart location.

To measure the success of its omnichannel initiatives, Goodwin says PetSmart will continue to track traditional metrics. Demandware's commerce platform also features a unified promotion and personalization engine, allowing PetSmart to track customer loyalty.

Goodwin shares that the PetSmart team will continue to look for more ways to make shopping easier and more convenient for pet-parent consumers.

“We believe a cohesive, effective omnichannel strategy will continue to enhance our day-to-day engagement with our customers, provide a consistent brand experience across all of our channels and help us build lifetime relationships with pet parents everywhere.”