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We give Chewy a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Introduction
Nowadays, ordering pet products online is easy; you don’t need to leave your house to supply your pets with everything they need. This brings us to Chewy, a heavy contender in the pet supply world. Chewy offers everything from pet food to accessories to medications, and in this post, we’ll review the company as a whole.
Chewy was founded by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day in June 2011. Interestingly, Cohen was about to embark on starting an online jewelry business when he was just in his twenties; however, after making a trip to his local pet store to buy supplies for his beloved Toy Poodle, Tylee, Cohen envisioned an online pet store that would allow pet parents to buy everything they need for their pets without leaving the house. Within a few months, he and Day were selling pet products online under the name Mr. Chewy (which later became Chewy.com).
Chewy is known for offering a vast amount of pet products that are conveniently delivered right to your door. The company has grown into a multi-billion-dollar business since its 2011 start and continues to be successful, and rightfully so.
Chewy at a Glance:
- Competitive prices
- Wide selection
- Excellent customer service
- Convenience
- Fast shipping within 1–3 business days
- Returns may be complicated
- Shipping is only free for orders $49 or more
- No customizations
Chewy’s Wide Variety of Brands
Chewy offers a wide variety of brands, some of which are its own private labels. When teaming up with companies that make products exclusively for Chewy, Chewy works closely with them to ensure quality standards.
In this next section, we’ll break down the most popular brands sold exclusively by Chewy.
Chewy Frisco Brands
You’ve probably noticed their Frisco brands when sifting through Chewy’s website. Frisco is the most popular Chewy brand, selling enormous, wide-ranging products. Frisco pet branding and packaging was developed exclusively for Chewy.com and continues to be at the forefront of sales for Chewy.com.
You can find literally almost anything you need in a Frisco brand, including dog and cat beds, toys, cat litter, food, apparel, collars, and much, much more on the Chewy website.
Tylee’s Fresh-Prepared, Human-Grade Meals and Treats by Chewy
If you’re a dog parent looking to feed affordable human-grade dog food and treats, Tylee’s may be a good option. Tylee’s is a private label of Chewy and offers freeze-dried meals and treats. These products come in many different flavors and contain wholesome, nutritional ingredients with no fillers or preservatives. These products are made in a U.S. facility, and the products are packaged with sustainable packaging.
Bones & Chews
Bones and Chews is another brand exclusively made for and distributed by Chewy. You can select pig ears, beef kneecaps, bully sticks, beef jerky, Himalayan cheese treats, peanut butter-filled bones, turkey tendons, beef hooves, and more. These treats offer a natural source of protein that dogs love, and you can find products suitable for your dog’s chewing habits and strength. They are available in different shapes and sizes, and they never contain chemicals or artificial ingredients. What’s more, all Bones & Chews products are USA-sourced and made in Chewy partner facilities in California.
American Journey
Another popular product owned and distributed by Chewy is American Journey. American Journey products include dog and cat foods and treats, both wet and dry, suitable for every stage of life. They offer grain-free foods, foods with proteins and grains, and recipes with limited ingredients.
The American Journey line of products aims to provide nutritious pet foods with high-quality protein, low carbohydrates, and nutrient-dense ingredients. A standout feature is that they offer a multitude of protein sources to give you plenty of options, which comes in handy if your dog or cat has a food allergy. You can choose from chicken, duck, beef, lamb, salmon, and venison. A drawback is that the dog food line is less massive than the cat food line.
All the Other Brands
While we mentioned some of the brands that Chewy owns and distributes, that doesn’t even begin to touch on the hundreds of other brands they carry. It is seriously impressive just how large this site is, meaning you can find just about anything you need for your pet from whatever brand you prefer.
Fast Shipping
One of the biggest benefits of ordering from Chewy is how quickly your order arrives on your doorstep. Chewy has fulfillment centers found all over the country, meaning your order generally arrives within 48 hours of you placing said order. Since they ship through FedEx, you don’t even need to worry about waiting the standard “two business days” like many other companies, meaning weekend deliveries are possible.
While this isn’t exactly the same as driving to your nearest pet store and getting what you need on the same day, it is a lot better than what other companies offer. The quick turnaround time is one of the biggest benefits of the company.
Save Money With Auto-Ship
Similar to what many other online companies are doing, Chewy offers auto-ship services. When you go to check out, you will be offered the choice of a one-time delivery or automatic deliveries set for a predetermined amount of time. So, if you know exactly how long it takes you to go through your pet’s food, you don’t even have to order again—just sign up for auto-ship and the food comes once every few weeks (or whatever the set time is).
One benefit of this is that Chewy will offer you a 5% discount on every order, allowing you to save even more money on their already competitive prices. If this is your first time using auto-ship, they sometimes offer a 35% savings on the first order. This is a win-win for the customer and the company.
Be aware, however, that if you forget to cancel, you’re still on the hook for the order. But thankfully, they do have a pretty generous return policy.
Excellent Customer Service
If you’re ever having issues with an order or simply have some questions you need answered, Chewy has a customer service tab that allows you to speak to a representative 24/7. You can either call the number provided or message them via online chat. However, keep in. mind that the call hours are limited. Reports say that the customer service team is extremely helpful and often bends over backward to try and fix your problem, but this will ultimately depend on the issue at hand and their policy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Prescription Medications Does Chewy Offer?
If your dog or cat requires medications, Chewy can fill them for you upon your veterinarian’s approval, which will likely save you money rather than going directly through your vet or pharmacy. You can also sign up for automatic refills so there is no gap in administering your pet’s medications.
An awesome feature is that Chewy will contact your vet for medication approval; all you have to do is provide your vet’s information.
What Is Chewy’s Return Policy?
Chewy’s return policy is simple: if you’re not 100% satisfied with a product, you have a full year to return it. All you do is send them a message from their website with your order number and they take it from there. However, they do not accept returns of medications unless the medication is damaged or incorrect, at which time they will exchange the medication but not provide a refund.
Another potential downfall to their return policy is that they use FedEx for everything, meaning you’ll need to find a FedEx location to return your items. This may or may not be a hassle, depending on if you have a FedEx location nearby.
Does Chewy Offer a Subscription Service?
Yes! Chewy’s subscription service is called Goody Box, offering goodies for both dogs and cats. Goody boxes contain treats and toys, and each box delivered will be different every time. However, a negative to Chewy’s subscription service is that you cannot customize the Good Box.
Upon adding the item to your cart, you can enable the Autoship feature, which automatically provides a 5% discount on your purchase. Be careful, though, because if you forget to cancel auto-ship, you’ll be stuck with the purchase.
Does Chewy Ship Internationally?
Chewy ships to the contiguous U.S. and parts of Canada, including Southern Ontario, Toronto, Hamilton, Niagara, Ottawa, Sudbury, and North Bay areas (postal codes starting with L, M, N, and K).
What Other Users Are Saying
What better way to learn about a company than from actual consumers of its products? We feel that reading consumer reviews can teach you much about a company’s protocols and customer service, as you can read about a customer’s first-hand experience with particular products.
Overall, customer satisfaction is high. However, there are a few complaints about using coupons, as some buyers claim either they could not use a current coupon or the coupon was rendered “not valid.”
Most consumers claim customer service representatives are courteous, knowledgeable, and polite. However, issues can become dicey if they are complicated and need manager intervention.
Amazon is Chewy’s top competitor, and some buyers use the two companies interchangeably, especially if Chewy is out of a certain product. However, Chewy has a faithful customer base, and customers seem to only use Amazon in a pinch and if necessary.
Conclusion
Chewy products are suited for pet parents who want access to everything they need for their pets at their fingertips. Online stores have become somewhat the norm, and Chewy is among the top online retail pet stores in the U.S., with Amazon being their biggest competitor. After researching the company, we feel they are worthy of consideration for all your pet care needs, and you have plenty of options to choose from.
