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Petsmart buys Chewy


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A heads up for those that use Chewy for pet food and other items ---

 

Petsmart is buying Chewy in a move to increase their on-line presence. I can't figure out how to add a link as I am on my phone, but just Google 'Petsmart buys Chewy ".

 

I worry about future changes. I guess I will continue to use them, but with a critical eye to any negative changes. Or -- I may change to Petflow (which several people say is similar to Chewy) or another online retailer. I haven't made up my mind yet, and I reserve the right to change my mind. LOL.

 

Anyone have another on-line retailer that they like?

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I've bought about five or six times from Chewy online and very satisfied each time. Every order I've gotten delivery the day after ordering and there is no charge (over $49) for shipping and no tax. But of course, if your local feed store stocks or can get everything you want and need at competitive prices, obviously that's the way to go.

 

I've found that my local Petcos and PetSmarts are waaaaaaay overpriced compared to online and even my local dog/cat stores that specialize in quality feeds beat them on price. And the quality feed stores have very friendly and helpful staff in addition to the points programs they have that you can redeem (your region probably has their own chains, I like http://allthebestpetcare.com/about/). But if I can't find what I need there I will usually find it at Chewy and as I mentioned, they are fast, easy and competitive.

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Bad news for me. I won't buy from PetSmart because they sell birds & animals (rats, mice, chinchillas, hamsters, and various reptiles) in their stores. Even tropical fish are a problem there, since they use a big circulation system that in effect mixes the water from all the tanks on a wall together. If one tank has diseased fish, the "germs" go to all of the tanks on that wall.

 

http://www.dogster.com/doggie-style/petsmart-in-hot-water-over-dead-dog-birds-and-more

 

I've never seen puppies or kittens for sale at PetSmart, but some do have both on display for adoption in partnership with local shelters. My current cat came from there 10 years ago. I had seen him online at the shelter website, but when I inquired about him they said he was at the PetSmart. So I went there to get him.

 

While it sounds nice and touchy-feely that PetSmart is helping to adopt shelter pets, I doubt if it springs from any deep altruistic sense. It's more like they know that people who adopt the animals will likely be taking home supplies as well, and in the future those people are likely to buy from those nice folks who "saved" Fluffy.

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I just bought for the first time, interesting.

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My much-loved, local supplier of pet food just closed her business. I was going to switch to Chewy as the other alternatives in my area are places I choose not to shop if I have a choice. This is not what I wanted to hear.

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I just started buying from Chewy, in large part because so many friends endorsed them highly, but also because they're a sponsor for the 2017 National Sheepdog Finals. Not pleased with this change. I may go back to buying from my local pet supply store - no live animals sold there, only excellent prices on top-brand items. (If it's so good, where's the downside? Oh, it requires that I plan ahead, as they often close by 6 PM - same as my local feed store, with similar prices).

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I would support the local store over internet shopping but they didn't have what I wanted. I'll make sure to preorder the next time and support the local feed store.

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My local high-end pet food store is an extra 15 minutes beyond my routine area for errands. And they sell at 10%, 15% and 20% over Chewy prices. And I find the young female clerks vapid and not very knowledgeable. So will be trying other online retailers. Love getting deliveries right to my door.

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I love Chewy.com. I'm sorry to hear this news. On one occasion they sent me multiples of an item I ordered one of, and when I reached out, they said i could keep them, and asked if I would donate them, which I did.

 

I've always been pleased with them.

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The rare time that I go into a Petsmart, I never buy anything. Everything is so expensive. I used Chewy quite a bit, as did my customers (they all loved how easy it was to have their Rx food sent out). They once sent a defective dog bed and I had a refund literally within the hour of sending an email.

 

Amazon can also have very similar or the exact same price on products as Chewy. I still typically buy my cat food at the local feed store since they carry such a large variety at great prices. I was shocked at the price they paid, over $3.3 billion.

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See this link of Nutrisource that is pulling from Chewy due to the buy-out. Will be interesting to see if other pet food companies follow suite.

 

http://www.nutrisourcepetfoods.com/nutrisource/chewy-com-statement/

 

Also, PetSmart is associated w/ HSUS, which has close ties to PETA; something to keep in mind if you choose to support them.

 

We've been ordering through Chewy and have been very please with the service and products, however, won't be ordering from them anymore.

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I buy my dog and cat food both at PetSmart, because they have a good quality grain free kibble (Simply Nourish Source) that is less pricey than many of the other grain-free kibbles both there and at other stores. I have compared ingredients exhaustively to other far more expensive brands and the Petsmart food comes out ahead for the price. Both my dogs and my cat like the kibble, and seem to do very well on it.

 

I don't buy other things there for the most part unless they are on sale and hugely discounted, because they are an expensive store, but I don't know any reason to dislike PetSmart as much as other folks here say that they do.

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I buy my dog and cat food both at PetSmart, because they have a good quality grain free kibble (Simply Nourish Source) that is less pricey than many of the other grain-free kibbles both there and at other stores. I have compared ingredients exhaustively to other far more expensive brands and the Petsmart food comes out ahead for the price. Both my dogs and my cat like the kibble, and seem to do very well on it.

 

I don't buy other things there for the most part unless they are on sale and hugely discounted, because they are an expensive store, but I don't know any reason to dislike PetSmart as much as other folks here say that they do.

I quickly looked up that food as I had never heard of it. If you live near a Tractor Supply, their 4health grain free is a lot cheaper. 30lb for $38 vs $24lb for $45. Not sure if the ingredients are quite the same but if you're looking to save money it might be worth checking out if you live near one.

 

I sometimes buy the 4health grain-free cat food and I know their prices for the dog version were always reasonable looking.

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A correction: I've since learned I erred; Chewy is *not* a sponsor for the 2017 National Sheepdog Finals. (They were asked, but declined; instead they donated a box of dog-related items).

 

I just started buying from Chewy, in large part because so many friends endorsed them highly, but also because they're a sponsor for the 2017 National Sheepdog Finals. Not pleased with this change. I may go back to buying from my local pet supply store - no live animals sold there, only excellent prices on top-brand items. (If it's so good, where's the downside? Oh, it requires that I plan ahead, as they often close by 6 PM - same as my local feed store, with similar prices).

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That's very disappointing. I'm usually quite unhappy with Petsmart's customer service and in-store presence.

We love Chewy and use it almost exclusively...Their customer service has been AMAZING.

 

This past winter they mailed us two commissioned portraits of our dogs and a handwritten note of appreciation for being customers. It was a total surprise, just arrived one day in the mail. They follow the dogs on instagram and borrowed two photos to paint off of. <3

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A correction: I've since learned I erred; Chewy is *not* a sponsor for the 2017 National Sheepdog Finals. (They were asked, but declined; instead they donated a box of dog-related items).

Hmmm. I had also heard that they were a sponsor. They continue to lose points in my book. I am also trying to do a bit of research into the HSUSA ties with Petsmart.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Today I got an e-mail from Chewy, inviting me to re-order supplies I had bought from them in the past. I responded to this by sending them the following e-mail.

 

Geonni Banner

10:49 AM 5/16/17

I am writing to tell you that I will no longer be ordering from Chewy.com.

I have always been happy with your products and services, but I have learned that your company has been acquired by PetSmart.

I cannot do business with PetSmart because of their policy of selling animals such as birds, reptiles and "pocket pets" in their stores.

I am sorry, but I cannot support this practice.

Thank you for your fine service in the past.

Sincerely,

Geonni Banner

 

I received this answer:

 

Chewy Customer Service

MAY 16, 2017 | 02:47PM EDT

Hi there Geonni,

We're so sorry to see you go. Pets, and those who love them will continue to be at the core of all that we do here at Chewy. We'll be operating as an independent subsidiary of PetSmart, under the direction of our founder and CEO Ryan Cohen.

The terrific customer service, prices and pet puns you've grown accustomed to aren't going anywhere. We've taken great pride in being your trusted source for your furry family's pet products

Warm regards,

Rebeka

Customer Service

Chewy

 

So, I looked up “independent subsidiary” and this is what I found:

 

“The relationship between the parent company and an independent subsidiary tends to be limited. The parent company typically functions as the sole stock owner, or at least maintains a controlling interest. This makes the subsidiary financially accountable to the parent in the same way public companies are accountable to stockholders. The parent company typically elects the board of directors for the subsidiary and in the development of the subsidiary’s bylaws but otherwise does not interfere in the hiring or firing of executives and staff.” From: http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/independent-subsidiary-13123.html

So as near as I can tell, my buying things from Chewy puts money in the pockets of PetSmart, which I object to because they sell live animals in their stores.

I appreciate the prompt response from Chewy to my e-mail. But it hasn’t changed my mind about buying from them in future.

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Yes, I had posted about Petsmart buying Chewy a few weeks ago, and I have to say that I agree with you that I no longer wish to do business with Chewy/Petsmart. I understand that Petsmart supports PETA - but I tried to search online and could not find an active relationship. I admit that I didn't spend much time searching. I also have heard that Petsmart supports HSUSA. I did find a few online links, but again, I spent limited time searching and the few links I found were confusing as to the relationship between the two. I do not wish to support PETA or HSUSA either directly (obviously) or indirectly through Petsmart.

 

Petsmart is advertising a campaign in which if you buy pet food from them, they contribute to buy meals for shelter pets. This sounds all warm and fuzzy, but I cynically wonder who/which organization(s) is receiving the money from Petsmart, how they are managing it, and how much goes to providing meals. I have been meaning to try and do some research on that, but have not yet found the time.

 

On a more personal level, I have checked back into Chewy's website several times and have definitely noticed an increase in prices for most of the brands that I usually order.

 

The Chewy/Petsmart story was also a topic of discussion on my FB feed for a couple of days, and quite a few people who had signed up for automatic shipments contacted Chewy and cancelled their shipments, preferring to shop elsewhere.

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this past weekend I got a letter from Chewy saying that something I ordered previously from them (Natural Planet kibble) "has decided to no longer make their products available at Chewy. To help make the right choice for your pet, we want to offer you a 50% discount on your next three orders of pet food".

 

So when I logged in and chose a sack of kibble, sure 'nuff, the discount shows in the cart (the $2.99 toy was added to avoid $4.95 shipping on orders under $49.00). To each their own but I'm not mounting a high horse to override the great prices and customer service Chewy continues to provide me.

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this past weekend I got a letter from Chewy saying that something I ordered previously from them (Natural Planet kibble) "has decided to no longer make their products available at Chewy. To help make the right choice for your pet, we want to offer you a 50% discount on your next three orders of pet food".

 

So when I logged in and chose a sack of kibble, sure 'nuff, the discount shows in the cart (the $2.99 toy was added to avoid $4.95 shipping on orders under $49.00). To each their own but I'm not mounting a high horse to override the great prices and customer service Chewy continues to provide me.

 

Yeah, I tend to agree with this, as long as the prices stay low, which I have serious doubts about as more time passes. Petsmart says they bought Chewy to "increase their online presence", but this reeks of a competition elimination transaction. I don't see how they increase their online presence by allowing Chewy to continue operating independently. But I'll certainly take a wait and see approach as far as that goes. I just ordered another one of the Frisco 36" crates... priced at $22. I see people selling used crates on craigslist for nearly double that amount. I also ordered a couple more of the split elk antler chews my little girl loves which are @ 50% cheaper than anyplace else I know of. I can certainly sympathize with those who are taking a stand for something they have strong feelings about, but my limited financial resources are winning out in this case. I guess the fact that the Petsmart stores in my area do not sell pets makes it a little easier for me too though.

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