Italian supermarket chain Conad adds vet services to its offerings

Conad, one of the largest supermarket chains in Italy, has announced that customers who are part of its loyalty scheme, Carta Insieme, will be able to access basic and specialist veterinary care services.

These include examinations to prevent, diagnose and treat common diseases in pets. Routine tests, vaccinations, parasitic control, nutrition, chronic disease management and diagnostics and second-level medicine for complex cases are also available.

This will be possible following the partnership with BluVet, a veterinary service provider with a network of 30 veterinary clinics and hospitals across Italy.

“We believe that collaborating with a partner of excellence in veterinary services such as BluVet allows us to generate value for our customers,” says Silvia Bassignani, Director of Marketing Distribution Channels and Customer Relationship Management at Conad.

An omnichannel strategy

The partnership is part of the company’s omnichannel strategy to create an ecosystem that offers the convenience of accessing grocery shopping and other high-quality services together.

The project is being tested across 300 locations nationwide, including 30 PetStores – Conad’s own pet store brand – and 10 BluVet veterinary clinics. 

If successful, the service will extend to all outlets across Italy. 

Expansion in pet services

Conad has been working to integrate pet services into its ecosystem by opening over 150 specialized PetStores and adding in-store services such as grooming.

“This is a further step in a journey that has seen services dedicated to the world of travel, diagnostics, and personal care and wellbeing alongside grocery shopping, and which will be further expanded in the near future with new service proposals,” adds Bassignani.

According to the Association for Pet Feeding and Care (ASSALCO), nearly 30% of dog and cat food sales in the country happen in supermarkets.