MARKHAM, ONTARIO — Specialty pet retailer Pet Valu launched its new AutoShip service, offering automatic, subscription-based shipping for pet food and supplies, on Sept. 21. Through the service, pet parents can have pet products directly shipped to their homes or available for pick-up at Pet Valu’s retail locations.
“Each day, busy pet parents who have run out of essentials come into our stores looking for the products they need in a hurry,” said Tanbir Grover, chief digital and marketing officer, Pet Valu. “AutoShip is the latest convenience we've introduced to make it as easy as possible for our devoted pet lovers to ensure they always have their required products on hand.”
Pet Valu’s AutoShip program will help support the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, a provider of guide dogs to those with disabilities. For every product added to the AutoShip service, Pet Valu will donate $20 of Performatrin® pet food to Dog Guides until the end of the year.
“While subscription services are not new to the market, the big differentiators of Pet Valu's subscription service from other Canadian pet retailers is the option to pick up your order in-store or have it shipped to your home, and the support each new subscription provides to Dog Guides,” Grover said.
“AutoShip gives devoted pet lovers the flexibility to choose when and how they want their subscription filled, all while enabling them to support a worthy cause, at no additional cost to them,” Grover added. “At Pet Valu, we feel like part of the community. We know our customers and neighbors, and it's these incredible relationships that help us bring people together to support pets and people at amazing organizations across Canada, like Dog Guides.”
According to Pet Valu, the launch of AutoShip represents the advancement of its omnichannel platform. In February 2021, the retailer rolled out a transaction site offering direct-to-consumer (DTC) delivery. In July 2021, the company completed upgrades to its point-of-sale technology, and in September 2021 it launched a click-and-collect fulfillment option throughout its retail locations.
Read more about pet retail trends.