The subscription boom reshaping pet retail

Retail and healthcare companies that have invested in loyalty and subscription programs saw positive results in 2025 – in both revenue and numbers of new subscribers.

This trend extends to the pet food sector, where subscription-based businesses have received significant investment over the past year.

Expanding subscriptions in the UK

Last April, Pets at Home expanded its subscription service Easy Repeat to its physical stores. Previously the service was only available via digital channels.

According to the UK pet retailer’s Director of eCommerce & Digital, Sean Dorgan, customer response until now has been “overwhelmingly positive”, mainly due to the absence of a minimum term commitment. The ability to adjust delivery dates, frequency and product selections is also behind this increased popularity.

Pets at Home revenue from Easy Repeat subscriptions, both online and offline, has grown by 35% year-on-year (YoY). According to Dorgan, the Pets at Home loyalty program Pets Club has also increased – by 5% YoY, reaching 8.2 million members.

“While our physical stores remain the cornerstone of our retail offering, this enhanced proposition enables customers to engage with us in a truly omnichannel way – deepening customer relationships and driving increased footfall into our PetCare Centres,” he states.

Successful extension in Brazil

In 2024, Brazilian pet retailer Petz invested in a loyalty and subscription platform. After a few months, the service was extended to physical stores. Good results, according to the company, were “immediate”.

Aline Penna, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance at Petz, explains: “Within a month, our subscriber base doubled, reflecting not only the program’s strong appeal but also the engagement and execution capabilities of our store teams.”

Strong performance in the US

Different types of pet players have pointed to subscriptions as a performance driver this year. US online pet retailer Chewy, for example, attributed its strong results in Q2 (+8.6% increase in net sales YoY) to its autoship service. Sales for this part of the business rose by 15% and accounted for 83% of total net sales in the second quarter of 2025.

Pet insurer Trupanion in the US saw its subscription business revenue surge in 2025 – 16% YoY in Q2, reaching $242.2 million (€210.1M).

According to the company, it had over one million pets enrolled in its subscription program, which represented an increase of 4% YoY. The company has grown from $3 billion (€2.6B) in veterinary claims in 2024 to almost $4 billion (€3.5B) in 2025 so far.

Trupanion attributes the positive result to, among other things, the “accuracy of assumptions used in pricing medical plan subscriptions”.

This is in addition to the expected impact of new products or offerings on claims frequency, and recommendations by veterinarians and other third parties, “plus our customizable deductibles and unlimited coverage”, adds Laura Bainbridge, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications at Trupanion.

Discount incentives

Price rises globally, coupled with economic uncertainty, also contribute to the positive momentum for subscriptions. Subscription and loyalty programs not only offer convenience but also a lower unit price as, although pet inflation has fallen from its 2023 peak, the economic climate still puts pressure on consumers’ pockets.

Pets at Home offers a 10% discount on products picked up in-store and a 5% discount on products delivered to the customer’s home. For Dorgan, this all shows that the demand for “value-driven solutions” remains high and growing, and that the company is meeting this particular consumer need.

A loyalty program for everyone

Also aiming to attract and retain customers with tighter incomes, Petz has created multiple tiers in its loyalty program – starting with a free entry-level plan and ending at the 30% discount on services offered at the highest level.

“This value-oriented structure not only makes pet care more affordable but also fosters long-term loyalty by combining savings, convenience and a fully omnichannel experience,” Penna explains.

In contrast to traditional retailers expanding their subscription programs, some pet food startups are going in the opposite direction and moving from online subscription only to broader retail platforms.

The UK provided two examples of this trend in August 2025. Fresh dog food company Marleybones and cat food startup Untamed, which offer healthy and natural food sold via meal plans and boxes, decided to launch their products in supermarkets and pet retailers as well.

“While Marleybones launched as a pure-play online subscription business, we recognized the opportunity to expand into retail and meet pet parents where they already shop,” says Mikala Skov, co-founder of the company.

The key drivers for this pivot included brick-and-mortar demand for premium pet food, shelf-stable fresh format advantage and omnichannel reach.

According to Skov, this was the “natural next step to make the brand more accessible, particularly as we see growing demand for convenient, high-quality options for dogs”.

Even though the business has become omnichannel, Skov explains that there are still “strong” repeat purchase rates on the platform, and subscription remains the “cornerstone” of the business with good growth rates.

Online search and investor interest

A recent study conducted by the UK performance marketing agency Herd concluded that the term ‘subscription dog foods’ showed the highest growth among pet industry-related search terms on Google in the UK between June 2024 and June 2025.

According to a report published by the market research and data platform Tracxn, pet food subscription was the second most funded type of business between July 2024 and July 2025, with $35.7 million (€30.9M) invested. These investments are an indication of the model’s increased importance in the pet market.