Source: Petco - "Saving Up"
The first four weeks of RetailWire’s Christmas Commercial Challenge has advanced TJX Companies, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target into the finals. This week, we line up pet category competitors Chewy.com (owned by PetSmart) and Petco.
Many Americans, particularly those without children at home, see their “fur babies” as central to their family lives and, as such, lavish them with gifts during the holiday season. A recent survey by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute found that Americans plan to spend an average of $237.37 on their pets for the holidays. A similar study by Saint Leo in 2015, found that Americans planned to spend $98.97 on their pets.
Dr. Keith Jones, associate professor of marketing at Saint Leo University, said that total spending on pets is expected to top $86 billion for the 2018 calendar year.
“The top three categories in spending are food, veterinary services, and supplies [which includes toys and novelties]. The 45-to-54-year age group makes up about 26 percent of the pet store market followed by the 55-to-64-year group [22.8 percent, based on various pet industry reports],” he said.
Chewy.com, the second largest seller of pet products online (Amazon is first), promotes wish fulfillment in its “All I Want For Christmas” commercial. The 30-second spot features three dogs eagerly anticipating what they’ll find under their respective Christmas trees.
Petco’s “Saving Up” tells the story of a young boy, a dog and a selfless act. The short film, which runs 90 seconds, has nearly 5.7 million views on YouTube.