Chewy Launches Innovative Telehealth Service for Pets, With Plans to Expand Nationwide
October 28 2020 - 8:56AM
Business Wire
Pet parents now able to connect with
veterinarians from the comfort of their home
Chewy Inc. (NYSE: CHWY), the leader in pet e-commerce, announced
a new telehealth service today, called “Connect With a Vet,” that
allows pet parents and veterinarians to leverage the company’s
proprietary tele-triage platform to preserve continuous
veterinarian care and support amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this service, Chewy makes it possible for pet parents to
connect directly with a licensed veterinarian to get answers to
some of the most commonly asked questions, to receive advice,
discuss concerns they might have regarding the health and wellness
of their pet, and even get referrals to their local vets or
emergency clinics. The vets are not diagnosing medical conditions,
providing treatment, or prescribing medications. During the pilot
phase of the “Connect With a Vet” program over 80% of users rated
the service 10/10.
“We have focused our efforts into developing an easy to use and
convenient tele-triage product that we anticipate will have a
positive impact given the current environment, and also extend
beyond that,” said Sumit Singh, CEO of Chewy. “We are always
looking to enhance our customers’ experience. Visiting a local vet
continues to be a challenge for many pet parents during this time.
Similarly, the vet community has also been impacted via clinic
shutdowns or reduced clinic hours. So, we thought, why not come up
with a solution that can help both communities, our customers and
veterinarians, in this time of greatest need."
The “Connect With a Vet” tele-triage service was initially
launched in Florida and Massachusetts in May, and Chewy has
expanded it to over 35 states with plans of offering it nationwide.
The service is currently available exclusively and free of charge
to customers who are subscribed to the company’s popular Autoship
program, which is responsible for nearly 70% of its net sales.
To bring this service to life, Chewy has partnered with vets
impacted by the pandemic or those seeking flexibility in
scheduling. Feedback from the vets participating in the program has
also been positive as reflected in this testimonial from Christina
Fernandez, DVM MRCVS DACVECC. “I'm extremely proud to be part of
the ‘Chewy Connect With a Vet’ team. Helping people help their pets
is the best part of being a veterinarian. Being able to do that in
a way that is convenient for pet parents, while also supporting our
veterinary colleagues, has been a truly rewarding experience,” she
said.
This first-of-its-kind service is providing quick and easy
access to free veterinary counsel from the comfort of a customer’s
home. “These are early days and there is a lot to learn. We’re glad
we are innovating fast and at a time when it matters most,” said
Singh.
About Chewy
Our mission is to be the most trusted and convenient online
destination for pet parents (and partners) everywhere. We believe
that we are the preeminent online source for pet products, supplies
and prescriptions as a result of our broad selection of
high-quality products, which we offer at competitive prices and
deliver with an exceptional level of care and a personal touch. We
continually develop innovative ways for our customers to engage
with us, and partner with more than 2,000 of the best and most
trusted brands in the pet industry, to bring a high-bar,
customer-centric experience to our customers.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201028005684/en/
Diane Pelkey dpelkey@chewy.com
Joanna Hass jhass@chewy.com
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