Opinion piece provided by Jenna Johnston, Brand's Best Friend
The U.S. pet food market is wildly competitive and ever evolving with e-commerce marketplaces. With platform rules constantly changing, rising customer expectations, and logistical complexities, having a successful strategy on multiple platforms is much easier said than done.
Simply having a presence on multiple platforms is no longer enough, it takes intentional selling strategies on each platform to truly thrive online.
“At Brand’s Best Friend, we help pet food companies navigate these waters,” said Mike Abruscato, director of business development and operations. “Through our extensive experience, we’ve seen what works, what fails, and what’s trending for the category."
Consistent branding still matters — but it has to flex by platform
Consistent branding and messaging across all channels is essential for a successful e-commerce strategy. Your brand identity is crucial when it comes to consumers shopping online. Pet parents value trust.
It's important to maintain your brand’s visual look and voice while adapting to each platform's nuances. For example, a brand might highlight eco-friendly packaging and sourcing on its Shopify homepage, while on Amazon, that same brand might emphasize convenience in a fast-loading mobile-first format. Same brand, different emphasis based on the platform’s opportunities.
Maintaining product quality through the many touch points of e-commerce is challenging, but operational excellence across all platforms is vitally important to sustained growth and success.
Well-managed inventory helps eliminate out-of-stocks, shipping delay situations, and disruptions to algorithm performance. There is no faster way to lose pet food customers than a lapse in product quality and availability. Leveraging a customized combination of fulfillment models can help prevent operational hiccups.
Copy/paste strategies don’t cut it anymore
A copy/paste strategy is a sure-fire way to fall behind the competition. Creating content for listings is time intensive and should not simply be thrown together.
When a listing is optimized, it could be tempting to simply copy and paste that content to each platform; however, doing that would be a huge disservice to your brand. Each platform, such as Amazon, Chewy, Walmart, has unique formatting, style guides/requirements, compliance and customer behavior considerations. Algorithms also penalize duplicated content across the web. Instead, modify your content for each specific platform while staying true to your brand.
Additionally, brands should be hesitant to put all of their eggs in the Amazon basket. By not diversifying your marketplace strategy, penalties such as account suspensions, FBA limitations and algorithm changes can be detrimental. Smart brands will build and maintain a presence on multiple platforms and then prioritize resources.
Trends worth watching in pet food e-commerce
Retention is the new acquisition when it comes to profitability with subscription models. Successful brands have a robust subscription model on all marketplace platforms that is convenient and customizable for the customer.
If you attended Global Pet Expo in Orlando this year, you may have noticed the emphasis on clean ingredients and sustainability practices and packaging. This theme rings true in the latest e-commerce trends as well. With a heightened consumer awareness on sustainability, brands are increasingly embracing better packaging solutions, responsible sourcing, and transparent storytelling to create meaningful differentiation.
Success isn’t just about showing up — it’s about showing up smart
Overall, managing multiple e-commerce channels is not the shortest or easiest way to success, but if done correctly can be incredibly impactful for your pet food brand’s long-term health. When backed with consistent branding and seamless operations, you’re setting your brand up for success.
"The brands that win are the ones who treat each platform as a unique opportunity, not just another checkbox," said Abruscato. "It’s not about being everywhere — it’s about showing up the right way, in the right places, at the right time."
The pet food e-commerce space is crowded, yet full of opportunity with massive YoY gains. With the right strategy — and the right partners who understand the pet category’s intricacies — brands can find success selling online.
