Hill’s Latest Digital Innovation Is DTC
Hill’s Pet Nutrition stood up its first direct-to-consumer site this month with dual goals of increasing product availability and supporting animal shelters.
The site, Shop.Hillspet.com, was created in a joint effort with the company’s animal welfare partners to end pet homelessness, Caroline Chulick, Hill’s SVP of U.S. marketing, tells CGT. The company donates $1 for every order to a participating animal shelter of the shopper's choosing.
Although not all SKUs are offered on the site, it features some of the company’s most popular Science Diet lines. In addition to offering free shipping for orders over $50, consumers can set up auto-fulfillment for recurring orders. The site also leads to educational content about pet adoption and ownership on the company’s primary dot-com.
- See also: How Hill’s Is Using Data Clean Rooms
Hill’s partnered with cause marketing solution provider ShoppingGives to develop the e-comm site and streamline the simultaneous commerce and donation experience. They plan to expand donation opportunities to eligible Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love partners in all 50 U.S. states, says Chulick.
Hill’s Digital Progress
Owned by Colgate-Palmolive, Hil’s is often cited by its parent as a beacon for digital transformation and innovation during and after the pandemic. In addition to leveraging e-commerce learnings within a packaging redesign, Hill’s has also invested in decision intelligence to automate decision making and optimize demand forecasting.
The sharp increase in pet ownership during COVID served as a double-edged sword for the company, fueling strong sales and capacity constraints — the latter of which they’ve taken steps to resolve through acquisitions and building high-tech manufacturing plants.
