Pet Health Redefined As Chewy Opens Personalized Vet Care Clinics

Chewy Vet Care is poised to elevate the pet health experience for people, pets, and vets with the opening of its newly designed and developed pet clinics. “We want the clinics to manifest the same Chewy magic that has become synonymous with our brand,” said Mita Malhotra, President of Chewy Health. The inspiration for the design of the vet care clinics comes from insights and analytics from customers and practicing veterinarians. The goal of the clinics is to provide access to quality pet health care with a knowledgeable, friendly, and qualified staff. “We want the experience to be memorable, do the extraordinary, and give pet owners the unexpected,” said Malhotra.

In an interview with Malhotra, she described the new vet care clinics as a Disney experience for pets. The design provides special treats for pets, selfie spots, and a fun, warm environment. “The clinics were deliberately designed with soft curves and pallets that create a very comfortable environment for pets and pet owners,” said Malhotra. The design goal was to remove stress and anxiety from clinic visits from pet owners and pets and include features like separate waiting areas for cats and dogs. In addition to a soft warm design, visitors can expect reduced wait times and a personalized experience including a welcome picture and name of the pet in the exam room.

Infused with technology, Chewy Health focused on the convenience factor catering to a large younger demographic of pet owners. All pet medical records and appointment details are accessible on portable devices. During appointments, the pet's medical information is displayed on interactive screens in the exam room allowing the whole care team and pet owner have transparent and easier access to pertinent information during appointments. The personalization aspect is key as more consumers are expecting higher levels of service from providers. “The experience at Chewy Vet Care Clinics is about the pet owner and the pet with the convenience of ecommerce with the friendliness of the neighborhood pet store. We know you (the pet owner) and we know the pet,” said Malhotra.

Younger Generations See Pets As Part Of Their Family

“Millennials and Gen Z value easy access to great care that is convenient and provides a welcoming and comfortable experience for pet owners and pets,” said Malhotra. Convenience factors for younger generations include easy booking, on-demand care, and easy access to pet medical records. Millennials and Gen Z, known as digital natives who spend most of their life around digital devices and technology, represent nearly half the pet ownership market in the U.S. Millennials are the largest generation of pet owners, representing 33% of the U.S. share of pet ownership, followed by Gen X at 25%, Boomers at 24%, and Gen Z at 13%.

Nearly all U.S. pet owners (97%) say their pets are part of their family, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Additionally, 51% of pet owners say their pets are as much a part of their family as a human member. As the shift of pets becoming part of the family has grown, the need for good quality pet care has become an important aspect of a pet owner's concern. The percentage of U.S. households owning at least one pet has increased from 56% in 1988 to 66% in 2023.

The Best Vets

When designing the clinics, Chewy Health wanted to make sure to capture the needs of veterinarians so they gained insights about what a top facility would mean from their perspective. Key findings included a modernized approach to practice medicine and a workflow that made it easy for vets and pet owners during visits. The physical design of the vet space includes having modern exam rooms, a wellness space, and a break room catered to vets and employees. Chewy Health maximizes technology usage to conduct appointments, minimizing the paperwork and providing higher efficiency. The company also provides flexible scheduling for employees, including vets, to provide work-life balance for workers. The reason is simple: Chewy Health wanted to attract the top talent in vets and become an employer of choice. The company is focused on supporting young female vets and providing them with opportunities to practice.

Chewy Health has become Chewy’s fastest-growing business with net sales of more than $3 billion across its pharmacy, tele-triage, veterinary diet, supplement, and other healthcare offerings. The total market for pet health in the U.S. market is $47 billion including vet visits, prescriptions, and pet insurance. “Millennial and Gen Z pet owners treat pets as part of the family and they have a strong desire to spend money on their pets. We have seen these generation spending more on pet health and we expect this to continue to grow,” explained Malhotra. Social media, especially TikTok, is driving great interest in pet health.

Pet Vet-Tel-A-Health Demand Grows

Another growing area of pet health and something that Chewy customers have asked for is vet-tel-a-health. Pet owners value the convenience of this service and it provides vets with greater work flexibility. The company thrives on innovation and being nimble. CEO Sumit Singh, who has a strong background in technology and analytics, invested heavily in infrastructure to support a nimble, agile growth trajectory. “In 2020, during the pandemic, tele-health was not even on the roadmap for development but pet owners were not able to get appointments, and vets were stuck at home,” explained Malhotra. Based on this need and the ability to flex into tele-health, Chewy Health was able to launch this service within 40 days and it continues to be a growing service with pet owners today. This super customer-centric focus for Chewy allows the company to consistently deliver high-performance pet care and solve complex problems for its customer base. The company ended last year with net sales of $11.15 billion, a 10.2% increase year over year and Chewy was ranked as one of the world’s most trusted brands by Newsweek (ranked at 7 out of 73 for the retail category).

The first Chewy Vet Care practice opened in Plantation, Florida near its headquarters and the company plans to open 4-8 additional locations throughout the U.S. in 2024. The Pew survey is part of the American Trends Panel (ATP), created by the Pew Research Center, which is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults including 5,073 panelists took place April 10 to April 16, 2023.