Amazon and Chewy are both top-selling stores when it comes to pet supplies. But which online pet store is best?
Online pet stores are a great resource for pet owners, but with so many out there, it can be hard to know which one is best for you to shop with. Let’s explore the pros and cons of both websites to help you decide, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Amazon vs Chewy.
Amazon
Amazon is the biggest and most popular e-commerce platform in the world. It is the go-to store for almost everything you can think of, with millions of mainstream and niche products from big brands and third-party sellers, even Amazon’s own brand, for customers to browse and buy. And that includes pet products! From food and toys to beds and collars, so let’s go through the pros and cons of using Amazon.
Pros of Amazon
- Very reputable due to popularity
- Has supplies for every need possible, from grooming supplies to Christmas stockings
- Thousands of reviews & verified purchases
- Offers deals regularly
- Products offered in a variety of price ranges & shipping costs from different sellers
- Next day delivery for many products
- 24/7 customer support
- 30-day return/refund policy
- Easy returns process
Cons of Amazon
- Prices known to fluctuate
- Third-party sellers cannot guarantee product quality or fast shipping
- Does not specialize in pet products
- Some fake reviews
- No pharmacy service
Chewy
Chewy is a popular online retailer specializing in pet supplies. It is currently owned by BC Partners and is extremely well-curated with thousands of products in helpful categories for different pets. Let’s take a look at their main pros and cons.
Pros of Chewy
- Specializes in pet products
- Intricately curated categories
- Over 65,000 pet products for different animals
- Only reputable brands, no third party sellers
- Product descriptions contain a lot of valuable information such as nutrition and instructions
- Reliable product reviews
- Pharmacy
- Quick delivery between 1-3 days
- Free shipping on orders above $49
- Offers regular deals
- Consistent, affordable prices
- Extremely generous returns policy
- 24/7 customer support
Cons of Chewy
- Fewer product reviews
- Returns must go through a specific courier
Chewy or Amazon: Which is Better
An in-depth side-by-side comparison of the two companies in every aspect of the shopping experience.
Store Differences
Amazon is an extremely reputable business with seemingly endless products, including various pet supplies, and the website is very simple to navigate. Chewy specializes in pet supplies and is very well designed, with highly detailed categories and product descriptions that make the shopping experience very informative and helpful for buyers.
They also have a huge variety of pet products for different pets with different needs and an online dog pharmacy. Owners can send in their vet prescription and have their pet’s medication mailed straight to them for a very good price. This is not a service currently on offer by Amazon for pets.
Both sites have lots of reliable reviews, although Amazon has significantly more than Chewy. That said, some reviews Amazon sellers can be faked, and third-party sellers can’t always guarantee good quality. Chewy, however, only sells high-quality products from trusted brands, and all reviews are genuine.
Pricing & Shipping
Both websites offer deals regularly. Amazon has a greater variety in prices and shipping options as they have so many sellers, and many Amazon products offer next-day delivery. That said, third-party sellers cannot always guarantee quick shipping and their prices are known to fluctuate.
Chewy, however, offers consistent, affordable prices and always ships their products within 1-3 days, with free shipping on large orders.
Returns & Refunds
Amazon and Chewy both have a fairly good returns policy, with Amazon guaranteeing a 30-day return and/or refund policy, depending on the type of product, and Chewy offering a whopping 365-day return and/or refund policy.
However, in order to send products back to Chewy, customers in the US must go through FedEx, which may not be difficult for some, but depending on where you live, could be an inconvenience. The returns process of Amazon is a lot easier, as customers are provided with return labels and can go through whichever courier company they want to.
Customer Service
Both companies have fairly good customer support that is available 24/7, with any questions asked usually be answered within 24 hours. They also both offer phone service and live chat option as well as email, however, all of Chewy’s customer services involve talking to another person, whereas Amazon’s first point of contact will be an AI bot.
It’s worth mentioning that because Chewy is a smaller company that is solely for pet owners, they do have a bit more heart, and they genuinely love pets. The team has been known to send their most loyal customers birthday cards, and have even sent customers flowers when their pets pass away.
Other Features
Both sites offer helpful feature options such as Subscribe & Save (Amazon) and Autoship (Chewy), which customers can opt into at check-out. This organizes for you to be sent certain daily-use products like food on a regular basis; bi-weekly, monthly, etc, usually at a discounted price.
Bottom Line
Both sites are brilliant and convenient platforms for pet owners, and preferences may differ based on needs and experience. However, overall, Chewy pet store is seemingly a better retailer for pet owners and pet supplies.
Chewy vs Amazon: FAQ
Some of the most popular mainstream competitors are Pet Smart, PetCo, Allivet, Petmed Express, Hill’s Pet Nutrition. But there are plenty of large retailers that sell pet supplies as well as independent ones that specialize in products like pet accessories, such FunnyFur.
In 2017, Chewy was bought by PetSmart for $3.35 billion, which was the largest-ever acquisition of an e-commerce business at the time. However, in 2020, they announced their plans to sell all of their shares of Chewy, only to be bought themselves by BC Partners, which both companies are now owned by.
According to an NBC News report, Chewy was found to have 11% lower prices than the average retailer for pet food, whilst Amazon’s were around 5% higher.
Neither is really better than the other, it depends on what you value when shopping. If you want to see the product in person or try it out if it’s something functional like a leash, in-person pet stores will suit you better.
However, if you want convenience, variety, and often lower prices, online shopping might be better for you. Although you can’t see the product in front of you when shopping online, opt for websites that allow you to read reviews to get an idea of the quality of the product you’re interested in.
Chewy only sells products from trusted brands. Amazon, however, has third-party sellers which can sell fake or faulty products. It’s important to buy products from highly-rated sellers when using Amazon to avoid this from happening.
As pets tend to explore the world with their mouths, giving them faulty products could pose a number of hazards, such as poisoning, injury, and choking.
Chewy has significantly more pros than cons, such as informative product descriptions, a brilliant pharmacy service, and consistent pricing. It’s definitely the better choice overall for buying supplies for pets. However, Amazon is a brilliant overall retailer with millions of products to choose from and thousands of helpful reviews.
Amazon and Chewy both have good customer service, providing a phone number, live chat, and email services. However, with Chewy, you get to speak to another human being with all three. With Amazon, an AI bot will be your first port of call.
Amazon and Chewy are both great sites for pet owners, and we highly recommend using either of them to buy your pet supplies. Do you have any other pet store recommendations? Let us know.