Omnichannel Retailer of the Year : Petbarn
During lockdown , many consumers poured their love and attention into their furry friends at home , while others decided to adopt a new pet . Petbarn rose to the occasion and launched omnichannel initiatives last year to help their customers shop in whichever way they preferred at the time .
Prior to Covid , Petbarn was well on the road towards creating a truly omnichannel experience and offered physical stores , groomers , city farmer stores , e-commerce , dog wash stations , vets , speciality facilities and emergency centres , telehealth services and puppy schools .
So when the pandemic hit , the business was primed to roll out new offerings for customers . These included zero contact 60-minute click-and-collect and same day delivery throughout the week .
For customers who wanted a quick shopping experience while socially distancing , they could purchase their items online at home , then pop down to their local Petbarn , and wait in the carpark , where a staff member would bring their items to them - all without leaving their car . According to Petbarn , click-and-collect now makes up 20 per cent of the business ’ weekly online sales .
At the peak of the pandemic in April , Petbarn launched a store to door same day delivery service with Uber , using its 220 stores as fulfilment centres . The partnership kicked off with 20,000 free same day deliveries to healthcare workers and Australians in need , so these consumers could continue to take care of their pets during a particularly tumultuous time
Meanwhile , the Greencross Vets side of the business launched WebVet , a service where customers could talk to a qualified vet at any time of the day via video call , without booking an appointment . Minimal contact vet care was also introduced at clinics , where clients could drop their pets outside their clinic .
Click-andcollect now makes up 20 per cent of the business ’ weekly online sales .
Lastly , Petbarn launched an initiative called Acts of Kindness with the Animal Rescue Cooperative , where 3,000 consumers could nominate someone for a pet care relief package , made up of a month ’ s worth of food and pet supplies . The business pledged $ 500,000 worth of pet care relief products , including 1.7 million meals to support animal rescue groups who rely on donations and volunteers for caring for animals across Australia .
What the judges said : “ The ability to see Covid not as a disruption , but as an opportunity to re-engineer its vision with regard to how the brand approaches its business and addresses the evolving needs of its customer base - that is what sets this nomination apart .” Associate Professor Jana Bowden , Macquarie University ►
May 2021 www . insideretail . com . au | 43