20 Things You Didn’t Know about Chewy.com
You’ve probably heard of Chewy.com once or twice before. If you have pets, you might even order supplies from them. Chances are, you’ve at least considered it a few times, especially when you go to the store to buy your pet’s favorite food, only to find that they are out of stock yet again. It can become extremely frustrating when you end up driving all over town just to find a bag of food. Therefore, ordering from a place like Chewy.com can provide some bona fide benefits, such as knowing that you’ll be able to get the food that you want when you need it as opposed to driving all over the place looking for it, all to no avail. If you have thought about ordering from them a time or two but you’re sort of on the fence, go ahead and read through this list. It will help you better understand 20 things about the company that you might have been wondering about.
You probably already know some of these things, because a lot of it seems to be covered in the commercials but there are many nuances about the company that you might not know even if you currently order from them. If you’re like most pet owners, you want to know every single thing you can about anyone that you’re ordering from because you want to know that your pet only gets the best. That’s why it’s important to find out as much as you can. Once you better understand who owns the company and how they operate, it gives you a better idea of the level of confidence you can expect to have in a particular corporation. Pets are family, so the last thing you want to do is end up in a situation where you’re ordering from somewhere that you know little to nothing about. After you read through this list, there’s no doubt that you’ll learn a few things about Chewy that you probably didn’t know before. If you are already ordering from them, this can give you a lot more confidence and if you’re not, it might convince you to go ahead and start doing so. Ultimately, the choice is yours to make. At least you’ll be making an educated decision instead of just taking a shot in the dark.
1. The company is owned by PetSmart
Currently, the company is owned by PetSmart but operates as an independent subsidiary. This is something that automatically makes a lot of pet owners feel better, because many individuals rely on PetSmart for just about everything for their pets, from training all the way up to the pharmacy. Obviously, the PetSmart name is something that’s going to go a long way with most pet parents. This is especially true if you have used the facility ever since you got a puppy to do training and then subsequently started buying everything there. In other words, knowing that PetSmart is the parent company of Chewy makes people feel more secure when it comes to ordering from them.
2. They’re based in Florida
The company is technically based in Florida but it actually has two separate headquarters, one in Florida and one in Boston. There are other centers located in different states, which will be discussed more in depth in the following section. As far as having two separate headquarters goes, it only seems to make sense at this point. The company has grown so much that it’s difficult for everything to be handled out of only one location and because of the nature of their business, having one main location in the southern region and one in the northern region makes it easier to stay on top of things in a timely fashion.
3. They have shipping centers strategically located throughout the United States
As previously mentioned, there are several distribution centers that are strategically located in different states around the country. The idea is to be able to get your shipment to you in the shortest possible amount of time so that you get what you need without having to wait around for it. There’s also a brand new customer service center that was constructed in Dallas, Texas, which just so happens to also house a distribution center.
4. The company was launched in 2011
In reality, the company hasn’t been in business for all that long. They just launched in 2011 so they’ve been in business about seven years. In addition, there have been quite a few changes throughout that time, which will be discussed later.
5. They have more than 7,000 employees
Seven thousand employees is a lot of people. Recently, they just opened a new distribution center and that facility houses 1,000 employees by itself. Clearly, this is a company that’s growing and it employs people in many different cities.
6. The name used to be slightly different
When the company first started up in 2011, it was actually under different ownership and it was known as Mr. Chewy. Although “Mr. Chewy” was the company’s original name, it was not changed when the company was acquired in 2017. It was changed by Chewy’s co-founders during the company’s early days.
7. It made more than 25 million dollars in its first year
People love their pets and when they need something for them, they want to be able to get their hands on it right away if possible. As a result, the company made a quarter million dollars in its first year of business alone. If you think that’s staggering, just wait.
8. It made a lot more money just a few years later
By the time that Chewy had been in business for four years, that amount had increased from 25 million dollars to about 286 million dollars per year. That’s a tremendous amount of money, and it just goes to show how willing people are to pay for the items they want for their pets.
9. PetSmart didn’t come along until 2017
Despite all of its successes, the company struggled with some customer service relations issues and eventually, in 2017, the decision was made to sell to PetSmart. When PetSmart came along, they started working to correct those issues and gain the trust of customers once again. But just to clarify, exceptional customer service has always been the key to Chewy’s growth and success. Chewy’s award-winning customer service team prides itself on “wow-ing” each customer, every day with service that goes above and beyond expectations.
10. They offer support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
One of the ways that they accomplished this was to offer support around the clock. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is or the time of day, you can call the Chewy support number and speak with someone that will answer your questions.
11. More than 1,000 brands are available for purchase on the site
They also provide a lot of variety when it comes to getting the stuff you want for your pet. You can choose from more than 1,000 brands on the site, ranging from everything from toys and even prescription medications, provided that you have approval from your veterinarian.
12. They also work to provide items for animals in shelters
Chewy actually works with a number of nonprofit organizations to provide food and other items for animals in shelters. If you’re curious about that sort of thing, you can contact their support line and speak with a representative directly who can answer your questions.
13. They have a 1 to 2 day shipping policy
Chewy is strict about ensuring that orders made by a certain time ship out the same day, while orders made later in the evening will ship the following day. This is to guarantee that you don’t run out of critical medications or food when you need them most.
14. They offer a 100% money back guarantee
If you’re not happy with something that you ordered from them, it’s important to call the support number and let them know what’s going on. They have a 100% money back guarantee that states if you’re not happy with something you ordered, they will provide you with a full refund.
15. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
That being said, Chewy offers 100% satisfaction guarantee on all orders. If there are any shipping issues with an order, Chewy’s customer service team will track an order and offer a replacement or refund, if necessary.
16. They also have a licensed pharmacy
As previously mentioned, you can get your pet’s medications from the licensed pharmacy. All you have to do is make sure that you have approval from your veterinarian. Once that’s verified, you can order virtually any type of prescription medication from the pharmacy and have it shipped with your other items.
17. They’re not just about food
If you only use Chewy.com to order food, you’re missing out on all the other benefits that you could be enjoying. You can order medications or find your dog’s favorite toy on the site, even if you can’t seem to find it anywhere else. When it comes to your pets, there’s virtually nothing that can’t be found on their site.
18. Their employees go through regular training
Chewy ensures that its employees are regularly trained in order to provide the best possible service. That also gives you peace of mind, because you know that when you ask them a question, they actually know what they’re talking about and they will be able to convey that knowledge to you.
19. The company is currently expanding
It’s already been mentioned that the company is growing and at a fairly rapid pace. As previously discussed, they just opened a customer service center in Dallas, Texas. This is largely because the company seems to be growing by leaps and bounds, on an almost daily basis. They’re opening new distribution centers around the country and currently, it seems like the sky’s the limit when it comes to determining how big they can really become.
20. Pet lovers seem to like it
Pet owners like the company because it makes things more convenient. You want the best for your dog or cat, but you also lead a busy lifestyle. Sometimes, something as simple as getting a bag of dog food can turn into a major ordeal. This simplifies everything and it means that you’re not out there trying to track down something yourself when you already have 15 other things to do. Instead, all you need to do is place your order, sit back and relax. It’ll be at your doorstep in a day or two. This can be especially beneficial if you use a type of dog food that is particularly difficult to find, such as some specialty foods. It’s much easier in these cases to order what you need instead of stressing out about finding it every time you start running low.
Imagine what it would be like if you could order everything you wanted for your pet in one place. It might become not only your favorite thing to do, but it might be a favorite thing for your pet as well. When you see the commercials, you probably see the dogs and the cats acting excited every time the box comes to the door. Rest assured, that’s not just a marketing gimmick. Although it is used to sell their services, you can bet that the first time your pet realizes what’s in that box, they’re going to be excited each and every time they see it. Sometimes, just sitting back and watching them have that level of excitement is all you need in order to make it worthwhile to decide to make the change to ordering from Chewy.
Even if you’re a more hands-on type of individual, this can still be beneficial to you. Some people aren’t very supportive of the idea of ordering things online because they want to be able to look at it for themselves before they purchase it. They want to be able to touch it and look at all the different qualities that it has. That being said, ordering from a place like Chewy can really save you a lot of time and money if you already know what you want. Even if you don’t know, the people that are employed there are trained to help you figure it all out. All in all, it’s definitely something that’s worth considering.