Online petfood, pet product retailers recently popular among consumers

Two online petfood retailers have recently launched and secured funding to expand, drawing some conclusions that these petfood stores are becoming  popular among certain consumers. PetFlow.com, a premium petfood retailer, recently received US$10 million Series B funding to expand its operations, led by LightSpeed Venture Partners.

Two online petfood retailers have recently launched and secured funding to expand, drawing some conclusions that these petfood stores are becoming popular among certain consumers.

PetFlow.com, a premium petfood retailer, recently received US$10 million Series B funding to expand its operations, led by LightSpeed Venture Partners. Recently launched by the wholly owned Amazon.com subsidiary, Quidsi, Wag.com sells petfoods, pet products and accessories.

The petfood websites seem to understand the demographic make-up and needs of customers. A May 2011 Harris Poll found that the majority of Americans (62%) own a pet. Adding to the websites' success is the fact that women are more likely (69%) to own a pet than men (55%), according to Justin Caldbeck, managing director at LightSpeed Venture Partners.

"Most petfood today is bought by women, who have to haul 40 pound bags of dog food from the store to their car, and then from their car to their home. It's heavy, it's expensive, and sometimes they run out unexpectedly with little time to run to the store and buy more," Caldbeck said.

For its customers, Wag.com says it promises free shipping on orders over US$49, including the larger 30-pound bags of food.

Page 1 of 549
Next Page