Chewy, a pet retailer that was once part of Petsmart, announced on January 12, 2019 that it would be splitting from the company. The retailer cited “significant strategic differences” as the reason for the split, but did not provide any further details.
Reportedly, Chewy plans to focus on its own ecommerce platform while also partnering with other retailers.
Chewy has a long history with Petsmart. The retailer first entered into a partnership with the company in 2006 and operated under the Petsmart banner until January 2019.
In 2017, Petsmart announced that it would be selling off its Chewy division, and the two companies officially announced their separation on January 12, 2019.
While it is unclear what caused the significant strategic differences between the two companies, it is likely that it involved Chewy’s focus on its own ecommerce platform and its desire to partner with other retailers. Considering that Petsmart is a much larger company with a much broader range of products and services, it is likely that Chewy would not have been able to support Petsmart’s growth as an independent retailer.
Ultimately, the split between Chewy and Petsmart is likely to be beneficial to both companies. Chewy will be able to focus on its own platform and grow its ecommerce business, while Petsmart will be able to focus on its core business and continue to offer a wide range of products and services to its customers.
