Shipt Goes to the Dogs with Petco

Earlier this month, Petco became the first pet products seller available through Shipt, known for deliveries of groceries and household staples.The new partnership could benefit nearly 70 million households in more than 200 markets serviced by some 1,300 Petco stores that can now receive Petco deliveries in as soon as one hour, according to a media release.New sign-ups for the Target-owned delivery service were incentivized by cutting the annual membership fee from $99 to $49 through April 18, when Petco officially launched on the platform. A co-op, paid Facebook post supports, linking to Petco's landing page within shipt.com.“We strive to provide a connected, seamless shopping experience that meets the needs of modern pet parents – no matter when, where or how they want to shop with us,” said Karime Benaissa, vice president and general manager of e-commerce for Petco, in the release. “We’re thrilled to add Shipt same-day delivery as another option and a new way for pet lovers to shop our highly curated selection of high-quality pet products, including our own WholeHearted food for dogs and cats, and other Petco exclusive products that can’t be found anywhere else.”Petco also offers a full catalog of pet products for in-store pickup or home delivery through its website, waiving shipping on orders of at least $49 (though some heavy or hard to transport items like cat litter and frozen food do not qualify) and dangling discounts for customers who sign up for repeat subscription delivery. (For more on Petco’s e-commerce strategy, see the retailer profile.)Through Shipt, Target — which also sells pet products — is seeking to grab a bigger share of the lucrative market by offering a more extensive product portfolio as it expands beyond groceries on the delivery front.Operating as an independent subsidiary, Shipt since its acquisition in 2017 has been expanding delivery to include all major product categories, most recently adding CVS/pharmacy to its more than 60-retailer-strong partner roster.In March, Target retail executive Kelly Caruso stepped up to helm Shipt as chief executive officer succeeding founder Bill Smith, who continues to serve as an advisor. Caruso has more than 25 years of retail experience that includes roles as Target’s senior vice president of hardlines responsible for the merchandising and shopper experience strategies for toys, electronics and entertainment as well as president of Target’s independent global sourcing business supporting the company’s owned-brand growth.