We have been studying the changing distribution channels and home delivery of pet medications for years now. Our first study on this was in 2019 where we detailed the way manufacturers were selling, and pet owners were buying pet medications and we most recently studied the home delivery trends with a report issued early last year – a very well received report by our clients. We plan to survey pet owners and veterinarians late this year and issue an updated and expanded report early next year.
In thinking about this report, a recent McKinsey article caught my attention because of an unexpected change in consumer preferences. Surprisingly, speed of delivery was the #1 preference in 2022, but it slipped to #5 in 2024 based on their survey of 1,000 US consumers. This chart shows the results of their study:
Their data suggests that 90% of consumers are willing to wait two or three days for deliveries, especially if it lets them avoid shipping costs. I thought we were all so impatient that we expected next-day delivery? Their data also suggests that consumers are becoming more sensitive to costs and place more value on reliability of delivery.
We look forward to collecting new data from pet owners and veterinarians later this year and if you have aspects of e-commerce and home delivery you would like us to explore, let us know.
Bob Jones
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