Australian retail giant Coles shuts down online pet business Swaggle
The pet specialty retailer officially ended operations on 9 April, despite its recent expansion into offline retail.
Australian retailer group Coles has ceased operations of its online pet division, Swaggle, just 2 years after its launch.
Local media reports indicate the closure was linked to changes in customer behavior and shifting demand across the pet sector, prompting Coles to redirect focus and capital.
The pet division was founded and led by Chad Burke, who oversaw strategy, commercial performance, operations, digital, marketing, logistics and team leadership. GlobalPETS reached out to Burke for comment, but he did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
According to StockAnalysis.com, Coles Group generates around A$44 billion ($31.6B/€26.8B) to A$45 billion ($32.3B/€27.4B) in annual revenue, employs roughly 115,000 people, and operates nearly 1,900 stores across Australia.
End-to-end personalization
Swaggle was an online pet store that offered over 100 product categories from more than 190 brands, alongside services such as pet insurance and online veterinary advice.
The platform marked Coles’ entry into the pet specialty market, with a focus on providing customers with an “end-to-end pet personalization experience.”
In 2025, Swaggle opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Burwood, Melbourne. The store carried products from more than 160 brands, including Royal Canin, Advance, Black Hawk, NexGard Spectra, Lifewise and Hill’s Science Diet.
“In just 2 years, we took Swaggle from zero to a scaled, nationally recognized brand, building a multi-million-dollar business, opening our first retail store and growing brand awareness into the teens in a highly competitive category,” Emma Wynne, Head of Marketing & Customer at Swaggle, said at the time.
Australian landscape
As of March 2025, there were more than 31.6 million pets across 7.7 million households in Australia, according to a national survey by Animal Medicines Australia (AMA). The survey also found that these households generate over A$21 billion ($13.9B/€11.8B) annually.
In the APAC region, Australia is one of the largest markets for pet care. According to market research firm Euromonitor International, the country’s pet care market was forecast to reach A$3.7 billion ($2.4B/€3.2B) in 2025.
The local pet food market is expected to reach A$3 billion ($2B/€2.6B), ranking Australia as the third-largest market in the region in both categories.
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