The latest iteration of PetSmart’s Web site directly addresses consumer concerns by providing a streamlined checkout experience and same-day delivery, along with mobile optimization.

PetSmart’s Web site is now fully responsive for mobile users and also features a mobile-desktop shared cart for busy pet owners who want to begin or complete their purchases on a separate platform. A PetSmart mobile app is also in the works.

“This is a first in the pet supply industry and allows pet parents to get same-day or schedule delivery of their online orders directly to their home,” said Ivy Chin, divisional senior vice president of digital at PetSmart. “We were hearing from pet parents that they would appreciate the flexibility and convenience of this home delivery feature.

“No longer will pet parents be left without pet food for their pets, and they won’t have to make that quick trip to the store to lug the food back to their home.”

Smart shopping
The new site constitutes a direct response to the concerns of many pet owners, and addresses the demographic’s specific needs.

The redesign is anchored by a new technology platform powered by SalesForce Commerce Cloud technology that allows PetSmart.com to provide an optimized mobile shopping experience. By moving to a flexible cloud-based platform, PetSmart sets an infrastructure in place for future ecommerce expansion.

The user experience has also been revamped, and the update features an organic mix of commerce and content that makes it easier for pet owners to research and search for the right products, services and information. From there, users can easily complete transactions by leveraging PetSmart’s new one-page checkout service.

In addition, pet owners can now book grooming services through PetSmart’s new Web site, and request accommodation for suitable lodging through PetSmart’s PetsHotel service.

Home delivery
The most significant advancement to PetSmart’s ecommerce offering is the introduction of home delivery options including recurring subscription-based service and two innovative home delivery services for online pet supply shopping: same-day delivery and customized scheduled delivery, both fueled by Deliv, a same-day delivery crowdsourcing platform.

The same-day and scheduled delivery services are being rolled out now and are expected to be in 17 major metro areas across the country by mid-November. Delivery can be set within a few hours of purchase and up to two days later.

On the back end, the Web site boasts a new fulfillment system, which uses PetSmart stores as fulfillment resources for online orders with same-day or scheduled delivery service.

PetSmart has been dedicated to mobile innovation for some time now. Last year, the company created a consistent stream of sales for puppy products through its mobile-optimized hub, which provides information and collections following the surge of holiday pet adoptions (see story).

And in response to the rapidly expanding telehealth sector, it rolled out a new mobile application allowing users to instantly connect with a veterinarian regarding their pets’ health issues, receive answers to first aid questions and locate nearby clinics in case of emergency (see story).

“The new PetSmart mobile app is due to launch in the coming weeks and is not a shopping app, but a pet lifestyle app featuring endless pet-centric resources and content,” said Brent Cooke, vice president of loyalty, CRM and consumer insights at PetSmart. “It lets pet parents set up a cat or dog pet profile and serves up personalized articles, product recommendations and checklists relevant to their pet’s breed, age and size.

“It will also feature an innovative, extremely easy –to-use service scheduler for PetSmart services like grooming, PetsHotel, training and Doggie Day Camp directly through the app. In our ongoing mission to become the trusted partner to pet parents in every moment, the app will also feature a “pet friendly places” section powered by Bring Fido which will allow pet parents to locate pet-friendly restaurants, hotels, parks and beaches.”