Amazon to expand its online pet food, pet products

During the Pet Industry Leadership Conference, Amazon executives presented the company’s plans to expand further into the pet food retail market.

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(PayaMona | BigStock.com)
(PayaMona | BigStock.com)

During the Pet Industry Leadership Conference, Amazon executives presented the company’s plans to expand further into the online pet food retail market, reported Pet Business. Third-party analysts forecast online pet product sales to reach US$8.2 billion in 2018, which would account for 16 percent market share based on American Pet Products Association data. Amazon is likely to grab a significant share of those sales.

Amazon identified pet products as a highly valuable category with growth potential, according to the report. Pets are already in the top three of voice shopping categories on Amazon’s Alexa devices. Amazon aims to make their selection of pet products the world’s largest. In the companies warehouses, robotics innovations are making it easier to handle heavy, bulky products like pet food and cat litter.

Amazon’s Pet Profiles now allow users to enter their pets’ specific information. Amazon is also using their own employee’s experiences with pets to inform the company’s business choices.

Brick-and-mortar pet specialty retailers have used their ability to educate and form personal relationships with pet owners. However, Amazon now plans to become a pet education and information resource, as well, and thereby build customer rapport, according to the report.

Amazon pet food sales hit US$1.4 billion in 2017

One Click Retail analysts estimated that in 2017, sales of pet consumables on Amazon, including dog and cat food, reached US$1.4 billion. That figure represents a 38 percent increase over 2016’s Amazon pet food sales.

Pet consumables made up 73 percent of pet product sales on Amazon, according to One Click Retail’s report “Amazon Consumables 2017 Review.” In the US, UK, and Germany, pet food was the largest category of consumables by a wide margin. Sales were split fairly evenly between dog and cat food.

Amazon pet profile aids online pet food buying

Amazon now allows users to create a profile for their pet to help users find and select pet foods on Amazon. The online retail giant offers a monthly email with the profile that includes pet food and product coupons and tips.

Amazon first asks users the type of their pet, such as dog, cat, reptile or even horse. Pet owners then enter their animal’s name, followed by breed, including mixed, and age. The mixed breed option gives users the ability to select multiple breeds.

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