Pet Smart marketplace case study: book a demo to start yours
PetSmart is a prominent North American retail company focused on pets, providing a diverse selection of pet-related products and services, including pet food, toys, grooming supplies, and pet adoption assistance. If you’d like to start your own marketplace like Pet Smart, you’re facing a buy vs build decision. So before you decide to build it in-house on top of Spree open-source, consider using the feature-rich Enterprise Edition cutting your time-to-market to a few weeks.
Build vs Buy a marketplace?
Utilizing open-source technology offers considerable advantages like full control and customization options. However, these benefits come with high costs. Creating a complete marketplace solution can take a long time, often months or years, and involves substantial financial investment, as evidenced by numerous marketplace projects.
If speed and reliability are your priorities, choosing a pre-built, enterprise-ready solution like Spree Commerce Enterprise Edition is the practical path forward—backed by the experience of those who know how unpredictable and risky custom marketplace development can be.
Back to the Pet Smart marketplace case study
PetSmart has grown from a simple pet supply store to North America’s largest specialty pet retailer, boasting a wide network of stores and an extensive online presence. It began as a destination for pet food and supplies and expanded to include services like grooming, training, and adoption centers. The marketplace shift isn’t just about selling products but creating a comprehensive pet care ecosystem.
PetSmart’s marketplace strategy involves diversification of services and products to meet every aspect of pet care. This includes partnerships with veterinary services, the introduction of premium and specialty food brands, and an expansive range of accessories and toys. The company embraced digital transformation with an online store offering competitive prices, subscriptions, and home delivery, addressing the convenience factor crucial to modern consumers.
Innovation at PetSmart was not limited to just expanding product lines or services; it also ventured into community building and education. Hosting pet adoption events, providing resources for pet care education, and engaging with customers via social media are part of its strategy to build a loyal customer base. The PetSmart Charities program is a testament to its commitment to community welfare, aiming to improve the lives of pets and owners alike.
Despite fluctuations in the retail sector, PetSmart has maintained a significant market share in the pet industry, attributed to its adaptive strategies and customer-centric approach. The future seems focused on leveraging technology to enhance customer experience, expanding its footprint in the health and wellness segment, and sustainable practices in its operations and product selections.
How to emulate Pet Smart marketplace success?
To somewhat follow the path of Pet Smart’s success, think about starting your marketplace in a few weeks rather than several months. Evaluate how well your product catalog approach aligns with what your customers want. Adjust how you attract customers based on actual outcomes. Try out the market before you commit to creating it on your own.
Here’s how to get started:
- Book a marketplace demo call: We’ll help you evaluate Spree for your marketplace needs and get started with the Enterprise Edition
- Customize your Storefront: Use the drag & drop page builder or custom CSS
- Onboard Brands: Invite your brands or choose brands from our catalog
- Select Products: Curate products and collections manually or automate it
- Embed products: Make your content, newsletters, social media shoppable
- Get Paid: Get paid as soon as products are shipped by the brands
- End-to-end automation: Brands sync, fulfillment, payouts, invoicing, taxes
When you’ve tried all that and it works, start thinking about building your own, custom-made marketplace project based on Spree Commerce. First, by decoupling the storefront and going headless with marketplace API, and later with your own backend, if you decide you really need it. Just lift and shift the storefront.
Nobody has to know what’s under the hood, right?
