Pet Supplies Plus Goes Digital: A Strategic Play for Market Dominance

LIVONIA, MI – December 04, 2025 – Pet Supplies Plus, the largest pet retail franchise in the United States with over 725 locations, has officially entered the mobile commerce arena with the launch of its first-ever dedicated app and a significant expansion of its gift card services. While on the surface a seemingly standard corporate update, this move represents a critical strategic pivot for the retail giant, signaling a concerted effort to modernize its infrastructure, unify its vast network of locally owned stores, and fortify its market position against digitally savvy competitors.

For years, the company has built its brand on the promise of being a friendly, neighborhood resource for pet owners. Now, it's betting that technology can amplify that promise, not dilute it. As CEO Chris Rowland stated, the goal is to provide “an even more convenient way to shop Pet Supplies Plus right at their fingertips,” in a format that still supports locally owned businesses. The launch is less about chasing trends and more about a fundamental adaptation to a retail environment where digital convenience is no longer a perk, but a baseline expectation.

Navigating a Crowded Digital Kennel

Pet Supplies Plus is not entering an empty field; it is stepping into a highly competitive digital ecosystem dominated by established players. Its primary rivals have long leveraged technology to capture customer loyalty. Petco’s app integrates its multi-tiered “Vital Care” loyalty program, offering both free and paid subscription levels with perks ranging from points-based rewards to unlimited routine vet exams. Similarly, PetSmart’s “Treats Rewards” app features tiered status levels that reward higher spending with accelerated points and exclusive benefits, alongside integrated booking for grooming and veterinary services.

Looming largest in the digital space is Chewy, the e-commerce titan that built its empire on convenience. Chewy’s app is a masterclass in user experience, centered on its wildly successful “Autoship” subscription service, which constitutes the majority of its sales. Its paid “Chewy+” program further locks in loyalty with free shipping and cash-back rewards. Compared to these feature-rich platforms, the initial offering from Pet Supplies Plus—featuring biometric login, push notifications, and real-time rewards redemption—appears foundational. It provides the necessary tools for mobile shopping and loyalty management, effectively bringing the company to digital parity.

The strategic challenge, and opportunity, for Pet Supplies Plus lies not in out-featuring its competitors, but in seamlessly integrating this new digital layer with its greatest asset: its extensive physical footprint. By linking the app to in-store experiences, the company can cultivate a true omnichannel strategy that digital-native Chewy cannot easily replicate, offering customers the flexibility to shop online, schedule grooming, and still benefit from the expertise and personal touch of their local store.

Technology as an Extension of Service

This digital push is deliberately framed as an extension of the company’s core identity: superior customer service. The timing of the launch aligns with its recent recognition on Forbes' 2026 Best Customer Service List, where it outranked all other pet retailers. This accolade provides a powerful narrative backdrop, positioning the app not as a cold, corporate tool, but as a direct response to customer needs.

"Our neighbors have been asking for an enhanced gift card option, and we wanted to deliver," said Nick Russo, Chief Development Officer. This sentiment underscores a strategy of listening and responding. The app’s features target common friction points in the retail journey. Allowing customers to convert rewards points into coupons directly within the app for immediate use at the register, for example, streamlines the checkout process and enhances the value of the loyalty program. It transforms the digital tool from a simple sales channel into an instrument for improving the in-person shopping experience.

By ensuring the app “mirrors the full capabilities of our website in a more user-friendly format,” as CEO Chris Rowland noted, the company is aiming for consistency and ease. The focus is on giving customers back time to “enjoy what matters most: their pets,” a message that resonates deeply with its target demographic and reinforces the brand’s service-oriented ethos.

Unifying the Franchise Empire

Perhaps the most significant strategic implication of this digital rollout lies in its power to unify the sprawling Pet Supplies Plus franchise network. Maintaining brand consistency and a seamless customer experience across more than 725 independently owned and operated locations is a monumental logistical challenge. A fragmented approach to technology can lead to disparate customer experiences, diluted brand messaging, and operational inefficiencies.

A centralized, corporate-managed mobile app and a universally accepted gift card program provide a powerful solution. This creates a single digital storefront for the entire brand, ensuring that every customer—whether in Michigan or California—interacts with the same interface, participates in the same rewards program, and enjoys the same promotions. For franchisees, it provides a turnkey, state-of-the-art digital solution without the need for individual investment in app development or e-commerce infrastructure. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also makes the franchise proposition significantly more attractive to prospective owners, fueling further growth.

Expanding Reach Through Strategic Partnerships

Beyond the app itself, the concurrent expansion of the gift card program reveals a shrewder, multi-pronged growth strategy. Making gift cards available for online purchase and redemption is a necessary modernization, but the decision to place them in over one thousand Kroger and Kroger-affiliate locations is a strategic masterstroke.

This partnership effectively turns grocery aisles into a customer acquisition channel. It places the Pet Supplies Plus brand in front of a massive, high-traffic audience of shoppers who may not be familiar with the pet retailer or have a store in their immediate vicinity. In a market where consumers are increasingly seeking value and convenience, encountering a Pet Supplies Plus gift card while doing weekly grocery shopping could be the catalyst for a first-time purchase. It’s a low-cost, high-visibility method of market penetration that allows the brand to compete for consumer dollars well outside its own four walls, directly challenging competitors like Chewy that also leverage third-party retail for gift card sales.

As these new digital tools are rolled out, Pet Supplies Plus is doing more than just catching up. It is laying a foundational infrastructure designed to fortify its service-first reputation, unify its franchise model, and strategically expand its market reach, ensuring it is well-equipped for the next chapter of competition in the evolving pet retail landscape.