Photo: H-E-B / Thumbtack
H-E-B Connects Shoppers to Pet Care Pros
If visitors to Texas grocer H-E-B are thinking of things they need to take care of when they get home—especially regarding their pets—the grocer now offers a way for them to get a head start on home-related tasks before they are even done shopping.
The retailer has entered into a new partnership with Thumbtack, a home services platform, to facilitate access to pet care professionals and, in some instances, landscapers, repair people and other local providers of services to meet the needs of homeowners, according to a press release. Thumbtack has opened 300 displays in H-E-B stores featuring a QR code that customers scan to access third-party pet care providers for services such as dog grooming, pet sitting and training. The displays in select stores will additionally point customers to options like handyman services, lawn care and house cleaners, all at a 10 percent discount. This represents Thumbtack’s first move into physical retail.
The move comes as retailers expand B2C and B2B service offerings as they rethink the retail business model. Some of the nation’s biggest retailers are avowedly taking this tack. In 2021, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said, “for an increasing number of customers, Walmart will be seen more like a service.”
Walmart in 2020 partnered with Rover to allow Walmart customers to book dog walking and pet sitting services at a discount. The partnership came after Walmart opened its online and in-store pet pharmacy the previous year.
While the only stores H-E-B has in the U.S. are in Texas, the chain is the largest privately-owned company in that state and, according to a 2022 Forbes list, the sixth largest privately-held employer in the U.S.
The retailer also consistently ranks high in customer satisfaction. This year H-E-B returned to the number one spot in dunnhumby’s annual consumer survey after dropping down to the number two spot in 2021, according to a press release.
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Thumbtack Launches First-Ever Retail Experience with H-E-B — Business Wire
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Are you ready for the retailer-as-service revolution? — RetailWire
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Walmart goes to the dogs (and cats too) — RetailWire
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Forbes list names H-E-B as the 6th-largest private company in the U.S. — KUT Austin
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H-E-B returns to the top spot as the #1 U.S. grocery retailer — H-E-B
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What will Thumbtack displays in stores do for H-E-B’s relationships with its customers? How likely are other retailers to offer services connecting customers with pet and home care professionals?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
The venture appears to be more of a test than a certainty. It is really a question of how many pet-owner customers of H-E-B do not already have a pet services provider with which they have a relationship and are happy.
H-E-B is an institution in Texas as evidenced by its dunnhumby rating year after year. Working with Thumbtack will be a win for both. It provides easy access for H-E-B’s customers to information on a wide range of services. It gives Thumbtack exposure to a customer it might not otherwise reach and further cements H-E-B in their customer’s minds as a place to go to when they need things.
This. Having been with HEB for a few decades, I can tell you they are always looking a how to serve their customers better. If it works, then it’s a success for them and for Thumbtack. If not, their customer base will let them know and they will try something else.
I am not sure of the relevance. I am guessing those needing pet or homeowner services have already talked to their friends and neighbors for referrals, searched the internet, and read all the ratings and comments. I don’t see someone saying, “Let’s go to H-E-B and find a landscaper.” Nor do I see many shoppers passing the Thumbtack display and saying, “Oh, yeah, I need a handyman.”
I see some potential for older audiences who may not be big web users. If the consumer begins (or already) sees HEB as a resource, then it would be a win. To your point, I can’t see people headed to HEB in search of this service, specifically. However, if they recalled seeing it in the store and knew they could also access it at home via HEB.com or on their phone, then maybe there could be more legs. This is not far off from all the “services” you see offered at the exits of Costco (trips, tires, garage doors, blinds, etc.)