Healthcare has been deemed the new battleground for retailers — from behemoths like Walmart and Amazon to traditional drugstore players like CVS and Walgreens. Now, Chewy is embracing the “medtail movement” by opening its first veterinary practices under the brand name “Chewy Vet Care.”
The first Chewy Vet Care practice will open in South Florida early next year, offering routine appointments, urgent care and surgery. More practices will open through 2024, and all locations will be powered by Chewy’s custom-built open platform, which has helped the brand create a robust, customer-focused experience across all channels.
Strategically, venturing into medtail isn’t a stretch for the Chewy business. The company has spent the last few years bolstering an end-to-end experience that spans shopping, healthcare and services. Chewy Vet Care will be part of the broader Chewy Health portfolio, which includes its pharmacy, Connect with a Vet tele-triage service, and the CarePlus suite of pet-first insurance and wellness plans.
Chewy also has deepened its assortment of health products for pets, from diet foods to supplements. The expansion also helps Chewy further fulfill its goal of “being the most trusted and convenient destination for pet parents and partners,” according to a company statement.
Broadening Chewy’s Customer-Centric Vision
Chewy partnered with both veterinarians and customers to design the in-practice and post-visit experience and create “thoughtfully designed spaces for the comfort and privacy of our customers and care team,” Mita Malhotra, President of Chewy Health, shared in a statement.
Practices also are designed to be operationally efficient and have a workplace culture that is emotionally fulfilling for veterinary team members by offering career advancement and work-life balance.
“Chewy Vet Care is inspired and designed by a team of veterinary experts to combine personal, patient-centered medicine with the latest technology in an environment where customers will love to take their pets, and care teams will love to practice,” said Dr. Benjamin Carter, Chief Medical Officer at Chewy Vet Care in a statement. “We are confident we can drive positive change by addressing critical pain points straining the veterinary industry, such as burnout and lack of flexibility, while providing the convenient, transparent and trustworthy access to care that today’s discerning pet parents appreciate.”
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