Is Chewy better than PetSmart

PetSmart vs. Chewy: Find Out Which Pet Store Is Cheaper

If you have a pet, you know your furry friend can be expensive. Grooming, veterinary care and other pet needs aren't cheap. In one year, dog owners typically spend between $500 and $1,000, and cat owners spend about $600. That's why it's important to find ways to cut costs where you can, while still making sure your pet is well cared for.

Enter Chewy and PetSmart, two pet supply companies that provide a large selection of pet care items at relatively low prices. Both companies offer items like pet food, treats, collars and toys to make sure your pets are comfortable and healthy. But which pet supply company will save you the most money?

I did the math and found that while the prices are similar, you can save slightly more money by shopping with Chewy over PetSmart. Chewy also has a wider selection of brands and products for different animals. Here's how I came to that conclusion. (You can also check out if Trader Joe's is cheaper than a regular grocery storeand how much you can save by shopping at Costco.)

How I did the math

To figure out the price differences between Chewy and PetSmart, I found pet care supplies that both cat and dog owners would need on both suppliers' websites. I chose cats and dogs because over 50% of US households have one or both of these pets, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The items I looked up included food, treats and other daily pet needs, like cat litter and toys. I also made sure to find the same size and quantity of items on both Chewy and PetSmart's websites for a direct comparison. I looked up these items on the same day in November, but it is possible that prices will fluctuate.

No big price difference between Chewy and PetSmart

From a price comparison standpoint, there isn't a huge difference in prices for many items between Chewy and PetSmart. Many items are the same price on both sites, and some items have a one cent price difference.

Prices for dog items are almost identical down the list. The total for all dog items we looked at were $398.18 on Chewy and $401.96 on PetSmart. That's less than a $4 difference.

Prices for cat items were mostly the same across the two companies as well, but there was a noticeable difference in prices for wet cat food items. Ordering 24 cans of Fancy Feast through Chewy saves you about $2, and ordering 40 cans of Friskies from Chewy saves you about $1.50. You could also save about $1 when you order 24 packs of Sheba Perfect Portions through Chewy. The total for all cat items we looked at was $304.39 on Chewy and $312.05 on PetSmart. That's less than a $9 difference.

While the savings are small, you can save more money by buying items from Chewy, and there were no items that were cheaper on PetSmart's website.

How autoship and shipping deals factor into Chewy and PetSmart pricing

Chewy and PetSmart let you set up autoship for some, but not all, items. Using autoship (which is like Amazon's subscribe and save option) with both companies saves you 5% on eligible items compared with buying those items on a per purchase basis.

Choosing autoship with PetSmart saves you up to 40% on your first order, but you can only save up to $20 on that first autoship order from PetSmart. That's not insignificant given how close Chewy and PetSmart prices are, so you can save more with PetSmart's autoship on your first purchase. After that initial PetSmart autoship purchase, you could spend more with PetSmart compared with Chewy depending on what you buy.

If an item's price on Chewy and PetSmart is about the same -- within a few cents of each other -- using autoship from PetSmart is the better deal. If an item is more than a dollar cheaper on Chewy though, PetSmart's initial autoship savings won't hold up over time. So autoship is about the same for both companies.

It's also important to note Chewy and PetSmart both offer free shipping on orders over $49.

More options with Chewy

While Chewy and PetSmart prices aren't that different, Chewy has a wider selection of pet care brands and items than PetSmart. While looking for items to compare, I found myself relying on PetSmart to decide which items to compare because the company had far fewer items to choose from.

For example, Chewy has over 172 brands of dry dog food available, compared with PetSmart's 41 brands. Even within one brand of dry dog food, Chewy has more item options available. Blue Buffalo dry dog food, for example, has 243 items available on Chewy compared with 80 from PetSmart.

More items for different animals with Chewy

Besides Chewy having more options compared with PetSmart, Chewy also carries pet care items for more types of animals compared with PetSmart. In addition to dogs and cats, both Chewy and PetSmart offer items for fish, birds, reptiles, and other small pets like hamsters and guinea pigs. Chewy also offers products for livestock animals, like cows, goats and horses. PetSmart has supplies for chickens but no other farm animals.

Comparing prices of pet care items for other pets besides cats and dogs shows these items are less expensive through Chewy, too.

Verdict: Chewy is slightly cheaper and offers more variety than PetSmart

You can save a few dollars by buying pet care items through Chewy instead of PetSmart, and autoship deals for both are about the same. Where Chewy really shines is in the variety of brands and items it carries. Chewy also offers care products for livestock animals in addition to other household pets.

Now that you know which pet supply company will save you more money, check out if shopping for groceries online is less expensive than in the store and whether household essentials are cheaper on Amazon.

Watch this: Ask Farnoosh: Can I Afford Having a Baby in a Recession?

Chewy vs. PetSmart: Prices, Quality & Service Compared (2024 Update)

PetSmart has been a big name in the pet world for a long time. It has thousands of stores across the country, each functioning as a one-stop shop for just about every pet need. It sells everything from dog food to lizard terrariums.

Chewy is a bit newer, but this online giant has taken the industry by storm, making many pet items available online. Its auto-ship function also enables you to save money on food and other consumables.

Both of these stores may be helpful in certain situations. However, which one is objectively better than the other? Should you auto-ship your dogs food or visit your local PetSmart to buy it? Read on for an in-depth comparison!

A Quick Comparison

Brief History of Chewy

Chewy was founded in June 2011 by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day. The company hired many executives from top-of-the-line companies like PetSmart and Amazon. In this way, it was able to earn $26 million in its first year. Its sales rose from $205 million to $432 million between 2014 and 2015.

In 2017, the company had about $2 billion in sales. Its website accounts for 51% of all online sales for pets. In 2017, Chewy was sold to PetSmart. Later, some of PetSmarts stock was transferred to BC Partners, which purchased PetSmart in 2014. Therefore, the same parent company owns both PetSmart and Chewy.

However, Chewy functions largely independently of PetSmart. Its sales continue to increase, and much of its income comes from recurring shipments, which are commonly needed with dog food. In 2018, the company created Chewy Pharmacy, which sells pet medications online. Often, medications are cheaper there than purchasing them from a vet.

Brief History of PetSmart

PetSmart is a privately held chain that sells just about everything related to pets. This company was first founded in the 1980s as a discount pet food warehouse. At this time, pet food was really starting to take off. Jim and Janice Dougherty took advantage of this by founding PetSmart. They opened their first superstores in 1987, focusing largely on dog food. They offered large quantities of food at a low price, which was a new concept at the time.

The company grew quickly and opened five more stores the next year. However, it wasnt profitable until 2 years later in 1989. The board removed the two founders from the head of the brand, though they were kept on as consultants. They hired Samuel Parker as president of the company. Under his guidance, the company began offering in-house grooming and departments for small pets. In 1990, vet clinics were added.

Since then, the company has only continued to grow. However, its quite similar to how it began all those years ago.

Chewy Shipping

Chewy is an online company, first and foremost. Therefore, it works to ensure that shipping is fast and efficient. It typically offers fast shipping on nearly all items, usually within 13 days. However, it does depend on the current shipping situation and what item youre ordering.

Purchases over $49 ship for free within the contiguous United States. However, it does not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or APO addresses.

PetSmart Shipping

While PetSmart mostly functions in physical stores, it also enables you to purchase items online and have them shipped to your house. However, it doesnt provide as fast shipping as some other options out there, as that is not its main concentration. It does offer free shipping on orders over $49, just like Chewy does. It also only ships within the contiguous United States.

However, this does exclude many different locations, including Alaska and Hawaii. You can also order items for curbside delivery, which isnt an option with Chewy.

Chewy Customer Service

Chewys customer service is typically thought to be high-quality. Its known for sending cards to customers after they have lost a pet and on birthdays. Furthermore, if you get dog food and your dog doesnt like it, the company often refunds you and recommends donating the food. In this way, Chewy is charitable and has a solid customer service team.

You can reach its customer service in a variety of ways. It has an online chat option that works well for many customers. You can also reach it by email or phone.

PetSmart Customer Service

PetSmart has existed since the 1980s, so its customer service team has been around for a very long time. It provides a hassle-free return process in-store that rivals its competitors. It also works with local shelters and rescue organizations to help adopt animals. You can often find animals at their store up for adoption. Therefore, this company is often considered quite charitable.

Chewy vs. PetSmart: Price

These brands have extremely similar pricing. However, each does run its own sales and discounts, so it is in your best interest to check the prices at both stores to find the cheapest option.

Chewy

Chewy often has slightly cheaper prices than other pet brands, as it does not have as much overhead. Since it doesnt run physical stores, it has far fewer bills to pay, so it can easily afford to charge less for its items.

However, these savings arent always significant. The easiest way to save is with the auto-ship option. Still, this only makes sense for items like pet food that you need to order regularly.

PetSmart

PetSmart doesnt charge more than other stores for its products. However, it isnt particularly cheap either. Therefore, it works best if you shop the sales and discounts, as this is the best way to save money.

Unlike Chewy, PetSmart does not have a program that enables you to save money regularly or anything of that sort.

Chewy vs. PetSmart: Customer Service

Chewy and PetSmart are both known for their great customer service. However, there are significant differences between them.

Chewy

Chewys customer service is extremely responsive to customers and is often considered very helpful. Its known for refunding items even when it doesnt haveto (such as an expensive bag of prescription dog food after the dog has passed away). Furthermore, its also quite charitable. If your dog doesnt like something, it will refund you and suggest that you donate the item.

However, Chewy doesnt have any physical locations. That can make things like returns complicated. However, Chewy often bypasses the return process completely for this reason.

PetSmart

PetSmart has great customer service and is very charitable. Instead of purchasing puppies and kittens from breeders, it works with local rescues to house and adopt animals in need of homes. It also donates regularly to local organizations.

It has an in-store return process that is very quick and easy. Returning items to PetSmart is a bit easier than returning items to Chewy simply because there is a physical location. In this way, PetSmart typically gets higher customer service ratings.

Chewy Product Lines

Chewy does have a few of its own product lines. For instance, American Journey is the brands dog food line. This food isnt particularly different from other premium dog foods out there, but it tends to be quite expensive. Grain-free options are common, and most include high amounts of peas. This is true even after the FDA released a warning about these foods.

However, this company does not push its own brands nearly as hard as other companies do. Therefore, its brands dont seem to be a major source of income.

PetSmart Product Lines

PetSmart has had many product lines over the years. However, for one reason or another, they tend to get discontinued. Therefore, it doesnt have any major and clearly recognizable brands. Many of its lines disappear after only a few years.

Similar to Chewy, it doesnt seem like PetSmart makes much money on any of its generic brands. Furthermore, its brands arent particularly known for being high-quality or inexpensive compared to other options.

Overall Brand Reputation

Price

Edge: Chewy

The prices between these two companies are extremely similar. For the most part, they price foods and other items the same. However, you can save by signing up for auto-shipments through Chewy.

Chewy

Chewy offers a special program that enables users to sign up for recurrent shipping. This saves a small percentage of money, which can add up over time. If youre planning on purchasing dog food regularly, anyway, signing up for these shipments can save you money and time.

Generally, Chewy has fewer overhead costs, so it can charge slightly less for its products overall. Thus, you may save a few bucks by shopping there.

PetSmart

PetSmart prices its items similarly to other stores. On average, it tends to be slightly more expensive than Chewy. For the most part, this is likely because it has more overhead costs. After all, it has to rent out space for its stores and hire more employees.

Selection

Edge: Chewy

Chewy tends to have a better selection, as it isnt facing the same space constraints as PetSmart. PetSmart has to have room for everything in a store, while Chewy does not.

Chewy

Chewy tends to have a much wider selection than PetSmart. You can find tons of different brands and items for just about every pet on its website. However, it doesnt have to fit all its items in a store, so this makes sense. If you want something hard to find, you should probably look at Chewy.

PetSmart

PetSmart usually has a very good selection of products. However, it isnt nearly as good as Chewy. After all, it faces space constraints of putting everything in a store. Therefore, it cant offer quite as many options as Chewy, or its stores would have to be huge.

Still, it offers the most common brands and then some. You can also find items for a range of small pets, though the offerings for these less-common animals are far smaller than those for cats and dogs.

Convenience

Edge: PetSmart

Typically, since PetSmart has physical stores, its considered more convenient. After all, you can stop in and grab whatever you need during business hours.

Chewy

Chewy shipping typically takes at least a few days. Shipping can vary depending on the item youre purchasing and when you order. However, you cannot expect to receive most items overnight or even within 2 days.

Therefore, if you need something now, Chewy is probably not the best option for you. Instead, we recommend purchasing from a different store.

PetSmart

As a physical store, PetSmart does allow you to stop in and purchase just about anything you need. Of course, this is assuming that it has the item that youre looking for in stock. It doesnt have quite as many items as Chewy, since it needs a place to put them all in-store.

Still, if you need something right away, PetSmart is a better option than Chewy.

Conclusion

Chewy and PetSmart are pretty even-matched in most categories. While their services are different, one isnt necessarily worse than the other. When you can, we recommend checking the prices of both to determine which one is cheaper. Chewy is often cheaper, but youll have to wait a few days to get the item.

PetSmart shines when you need something right now. It has many locations and stocks them with common pet items. Therefore, if you really need an item, PetSmart can probably help you out.

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