The MSW TBSM tracking service measures brand preference as one component of the survey.  Brand preference was collected quarterly for eleven major Online Pet Store brands during 2023 (among 500 respondents each quarter).  This week’s chart examines the changes in brand preference from the first half to the second half of 2023 for the three largest online pet store brands.

• For the entirety of 2023 two-thirds of the TBSM sample were pet owners.
• Over half of these pet owners indicated they buy pet supplies online at least some of the time; 38% buy both online and in-store, while 14% purchase exclusively online.
• The three largest online specialty pet stores, including Chewy.com and the online operations of PetSmart and Petco, realized at least marginal gains in brand preference over the course of 2023.
• Petsmart.com experienced by far the strongest gain in brand preference during 2023, with the 5.9% gain being statistically significant.
  • This is consistent with reporting from Grips Intelligence which shows Petsmart.com with a 6.8% increase in revenue in Q4 2023 alone.
  • The increase in preference for Petsmart.com was fairly consistent across age groups and genders.
  • However, the increased preference was largely driven by those with above median incomes and those with children under age 18 in the household.
• While the overall preference gain for Chewy.com was not statistically significant, the brand did realize significant increases in brand preference among those with above median income and those with a college education.
• Brand preference for Petco.com also did not see a statistically significant gain overall but did see preference among women increase significantly.
• All other brands experienced an aggregate decline in brand preference of -7.9%.
  • These options included both Amazon Pets and an array of other online specialty pet stores.