REVOLUTIONIZE
THE PET SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Sam’s Pet Innovation: Case Study
Utilized design thinking processes, industry pain points, and pet market research to innovate the pet section of
Sam’s Club via “the next big idea” style ideations that help gamify and personalize the shopping experience.
Project Duration: Six Weeks (March 2022 - May 2022)
CASE STUDY SUMMARY
Quick Project Overview
TEAM ROLES
Team Contract
- Project Manager
- Project Researcher
- Project Strategist
- Project Evaluator
SITUATION
Sam’s Club Pet Innovation:
Sam’s Club, a popular warehouse membership club, has a mission to provide its members with the highest quality bulk products at exceptional values while sustaining an exclusive shopping experience. Of the 43 ideas to revolutionize pet shopping (linked here) I came up with, 16 ideas were chosen by my group to review internally, and 13 of those were presented to the Director of Innovation at Sam’s Club, Jonathan Saffian with 3 Ideas (1st/2nd/4th) becoming a part of the final combined idea presented to Sam’s Club stakeholders.
TASKS
Personal
Co-created online Qualtrics survey gaining 26 responses in total
(16 responses by April 10th) (link)Assigned 4 online responses to gauge the pet shopping experience (link)
Performed 2 in-person observations of pet sections for various stores
(Sam’s Club, Pet Smart) to note customer behavior and shopping experience (link)Identified 4 key shopper pain points that broadly dealt with:
Lack of education and confidence
Overwhelming amount of choices
no personalization
no gamification features
Conducted US-centric market research on the pet market and its general trends (link)
ACTION
Team
Led product definition exercises to define the main pain point for customers
Co-facilitated 12 team ideation sessions that included (link to mural):
2 brainstorming sessions (1hr each) on the pet shopping experience
3 journey maps to define key pain points
3 feasibility charts to determine the validity of ideas
3 empathy maps to define the customer experience
1 affinity map exercise with 14 categories of ideas
Surveyed 26 people online to gauge the pet shopping experience
RESULTS
Worked With Director In:
Ideating 43 ideas with 16 of those voted highly by the team and 13 of those being presented to Jonathan Saffian
Having 3 of my ideas combined into a final idea to present to Sam’s Club executives (YouTube)
Determining Sam’s Club differentiators in the pet market to define opportunities for the pet section
Expanding on his insights through ideating solutions that utilize Sam’s Club's main superpower of having so much product and scale
1. CUSTOMIZABLE/SUBSCRIPTION-BASED INDIVIDUALIZED PET BOXES PROVIDES PERSONALIZATION AND EDUCATION TO PET SHOPPERS.
“The most difficult thing about shopping for pets is not knowing what's best for my pet”
- Anonymous Survey Response
PAIN POINT
While 80% of pet owners use subscription services, Sam’s Club offers no way for customers to find personalized subscription options for their pets (source).
INSIGHTS
BarkBox: Each monthly BarkBox comes with two treats; two toys and a chew toy for the dog with exclusive products shared every month fitting a monthly theme. Their top-tier personalization of tailoring boxes to individual dogs’ needs involves 120,000 different varieties based on the size and breed of the dog with health aspects like allergies considered (source).
Chewy Autoship services: Customers shop for their pet's favorite treats and at checkout can choose how often they want to receive those items and they can change their schedule anytime (source).
Nearly 80% of pet owners use subscription services for household services, with pet care categories leading their purchases (source)
77% say they are open to purchasing a subscription service in the future (source)
46% of pet owners prefer to purchase online with purchases shipped to their homes (source)
Khara Schuetzner, Founder, The Doggie Spot: “We see the interest and need for services such as subscription box programs growing substantially in response to the pandemic” - (source)
SOLUTION
Paw Packs Subscription Boxes:
A subscription service that delivers a customized box of themed toys and treats for your pet to your door every month that provides flexibility and ease of use for customers and their pets.
RESULTS: JONATHAN SAFFIAN
New Experience:
Jonathan Saffian liked how the idea wasn’t just, “carry this product” as that didn’t fit his area of operations but that it was “a new delivery mechanism and experience that we are going to deliver to you and your pet”.
Opportunities:
Mr. Saffian saw an opportunity in this idea to utilize Sam’s Club’s “Incredibly robust club pickup and ship to home network” as a way to “introduce new products we sell for pet owners by pairing it with a product for your dog as a treat.”
NEXT STEPS/STORYBOARD
Ideate and create a storyboard outlining the experience of using customizable/subscription-based pet boxes to personalize pet shopping and highlight that as a key differentiator that can revolutionize the pet shopping experience.
STORYBOARD
Who, What, Wow:
Sam’s Club, to potentially raise their market share of pet owners of which 80% use subscription services, implement personalized subscription boxes that provide flexibility and ease of use for customers and their pets (source).
2. GAMIFY/INCENTIVISE MORE PET SHOPPING THROUGH “MYSTERY BOXES” FOR PETS
“Imagine what's in the market for all of these ideas and then think about what makes Sam’s Club different
and how we can utilize that to make these ideas better”
– Jonathan Saffian, Senior Product Manager, Sam’s Club
PAIN POINT
No gamification factor that brings playfulness into the pet shopping process.
INSIGHTS
Amazon Mystery Boxes:
Boxes filled with items unknown to the buyer except what category they belong to and the dollar value of each box with most including one ‘hot’ item in the box to gamify and make the purchase worth it for buyers (source).
SOLUTION
Mystery boxes for pets:
Buy a certain dollar amount of pet products for a chance to win a “mystery box” filled with pet products worth that amount or even more than the box.
RESULTS: JONATHAN SAFFIAN/TEAM
Combined into the final idea:
With high praise for the unique playfulness of the idea and a recommendation from Jonathan Saffian to combine into
my first idea of pet boxes that he also really liked, those two ideas became a part of the final idea presented to Sam’s Club executives.
NEXT STEPS/STORYBOARD
Create a storyboard outlining the experience of using mystery pet boxes to gamify pet shopping and highlight that as a key differentiator that can revolutionize the pet shopping experience.
STORYBOARD
Who, What, Wow:
Sam’s Club shoppers wanting a unique and gamified pet shopping experience, are incentivized to buy more pet products to receive a personalized pet mystery box that potentially helps increase yearly revenue by up to 55% through add-ons (source)
3. HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS THROUGH UNSOLD MERCHANDISE PROVIDES HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES FOR PET OWNERS.
“…Like the merchant said, we throw away 30% of our fresh food because legally we have to.”
– Jonathan Saffian, Senior Product Manager, Sam’s Club
PAIN POINT
Around 30% of fresh food is thrown out with no alternatives in place to utilize it for healthy pet food options.
INSIGHTS
Chewy’s Tylee’s fresh food brand:
Chewy uses its subscriptions to boost its own private labels, including its new fresh food offering from its Tylee’s brand, through the discounts it offers on repeat orders (Source).
SOLUTION
Healthy Food Options Via Unsold Produce For Pets:
Members choose what healthy fresh food unsellable to humans but suitable for pets Sam’s Club offers and either have them create a personalized food plan, create a personalized meal in-house, or have the right amount of fresh food available in the box for the member to create the pet meal themselves using club pickup services.
RESULTS: JONATHAN SAFFIAN
Leverages Sam’s Club’s “superpowers”:
Jonathan Saffian liked the idea as he saw it as a “Cool [way] that leverages the superpowers of Sam’s Club of having so much product, leverages scale and technology, and drives the value of one's membership”
NEXT STEPS/STORYBOARD
Create a storyboard outlining the experience of offering healthy food options via unsold produce to personalize pet shopping and highlight that as a key differentiator that can revolutionize the pet shopping experience.
STORYBOARD
Who, What, Wow:
Sam’s Club pet-owning shoppers, 53% of which prioritize buying healthy food options for their pets (source), access a storage place of healthy food options for pets from unsellable produce that potentially helps raise revenue through the 42% of dog and cat owners who spend more for premium pet food (source).
4. CUSTOMIZABLE MEAL PLANS SURVEY PROVIDES PERSONALIZATION AND EDUCATION TO PET OWNERS.
“The most difficult thing about shopping for pets is not knowing what's best for my pet”
- Anonymous Survey Response
PAIN POINT
71% of customers were frustrated at the lack of a personalized shopping experience (source).
INSIGHTS
The MoMo Project: provides personalized recommendations on each pet’s nutrition by pulling together data on pet food in the US and health recommendations from the pet's veterinarian that gives the absolute best choice of food and supplements for your pet (source).
SOLUTION
Personalized Pet Meal Plans:
Provide personalized recommendations on each pet’s nutrition on a meal plan that fit a pet’s age, weight, breed, and general lifestyle while also adjusting the number of calories the pet will receive by pulling together data on pet food in the US, detailed customer surveys, and health recommendations from the pet's veterinarian.
RESULTS: JONATHAN SAFFIAN
Combined into the final idea:
With high praise for the uniqueness of the idea and a recommendation from Jonathan Saffian to combine into my first idea of pet boxes and my second idea of mystery boxes that he also really liked, those three ideas became a part of the final idea presented to Sam’s Club executives.
NEXT STEPS/STORYBOARD
Create a storyboard outlining the experience of using personalized pet meal plans to educate and individualize pet owners and their needs and highlight that as a key differentiator that can revolutionize the pet shopping experience.
STORYBOARD
Who, What, Wow:
Sam’s Club shoppers wanting unique and personalized pet food, take a personalized survey on their pet to receive personalized pet meal plans that potentially increases revenue through the 42% of dog and cat owners choosing to spend more for premium pet food (source).
5. DRIVING INCREASED PET MEMBERSHIPS WITH A PREMIUM SELF-SERVE PET WASH
“See what’s in the market currently and see what Sam's Club can do differently”
-Jonathan Saffian, Senior Product Manager, Sam’s Club
PAIN POINT
Sam’s Club does not have many features in place for pets to take advantage of the 18-34-year-old age group that is willing to spend a higher portion of their earnings on their pets (source)
INSIGHTS
Petco Self-Serve Dog Wash:
$15 provides access to Petco’s premium self-wash stations which supply shampoo, conditioner, combs, brushes, towels, blow-dryers, and aprons so customers do not have to bring anything (source).
SOLUTION
Self-Serve Pet Wash:
Premium self-wash stations included in one’s membership that supply Sam’s Club pet grooming products so customers do not have to bring anything.
RESULTS: JONATHAN SAFFIAN/TEAM
Find The Differentiating Factor:
Jonathan Saffian suggested to first “imagine what’s in the market for all of these ideas and then think about what makes Sam’s Club different and how we can utilize what makes them different to make these ideas better” to find what can be a differentiating factor for this idea.
NEXT STEPS/STORYBOARD
Create a storyboard outlining the experience of using a self-serve pet wash to meet the needs of pet owners interested in grooming services and highlight that as a key differentiator that can revolutionize the pet shopping experience.
STORYBOARD
Sam’s Club, to take advantage of the growing pet grooming industry projected to reach $14.5 billion by 2025, offers a Self-Serve Pet Wash that potentially increases revenue/memberships through the 18-34-year-old age group that is willing to spend a higher portion of their earnings on their pets (Source).
6. DRIVING INCREASED PET MEMBERSHIPS WITH SAM’S CLUB'S FLEXIBLE AND CUSTOMIZABLE PET DAY CARE
“90% of the US population lives within 15 min of a Walmart. How can we leverage that to accomplish a thing?”
– Jonathan Saffian, Senior Product Manager, Sam’s Club
PAIN POINT
With 90% of the US population living 15 min from a Walmart and 70% of US households owning a pet, Sam’s Club does not have many features in place for pets to take advantage of this large and growing consumer base (source)
INSIGHTS
Sam's Club pet training center:
Taking up space within the store, pet training centers are offered that include group and private classes, virtual dog training, and three different training packages. (source).
SOLUTION
Flexible and Customizable Pet DayCare:
Premium flexible daycare where members can purchase a monthly membership with flexible time that can last as long as a typical shopping trip at Sam’s Club or an entire day filled with training services and even group/private classes.
RESULTS: TEAM
Consider Partnerships:
Jonathan Saffian suggested partnerships to “leverage what other companies are good at and partner with them for it” in order to lower the capital required for the potential revenue as a win-win for all parties.
NEXT STEPS/STORYBOARD
Create a storyboard outlining the experience of using flexible and customizable pet daycare to meet the needs of pet owners interested in grooming services and highlight that as a key differentiator that can revolutionize the pet shopping experience.
STORYBOARD
Who, What, Wow:
Sam’s Club, to grow memberships among the 65% of 18-34 year-olds who plan to add a pet to their family in the next 5 years, offers a Flexible and Customizable Pet DayCare that potentially increases revenue through this age group that is willing to spend a higher portion of their earnings on their pets (Source).
7. DRIVING INCREASED/SYMPATHY SALES WITH A PET BOX OFFERING THAT FEEDS A NUMBER OF SHELTERED PETS WITH PURCHASE
“Super cool idea/great way to do the right thing and build brand equity”
– Jonathan Saffian, Senior Product Manager, Sam’s Club
PAIN POINT
Sam’s Club does not have any features in place to take advantage of the 10-20% higher retention rates with donation-bundled purchases that pet shoppers would likely take advantage of (source).
INSIGHTS
RescueBox:
A pet subscription service box where each subscription feeds 142 shelter pets. Each themed box, valued at more than $40, contains five premium pet toys, treats, and chews (source).
SOLUTION
Sam’s Club RescueBox:
Each subscription box contains five premium Members Mark pet toys, treats, and chews for dogs/cats that also support a number of local pet shelters with purchase.
RESULTS: TEAM
Marketable Way To Do The Right Thing:
Jonathan Saffian loved the idea and saw it as a “Super cool idea/great way to do the right thing and build brand equity” among the local communities Sam’s Club serves.
NEXT STEPS/STORYBOARD
Create a storyboard outlining the experience of using Sam’s Club ResuceBoxes to help customers feel like they are making a positive impact with their purchases and highlight that as a key differentiator that can revolutionize the pet shopping experience.
STORYBOARD
Who, What, Wow:
Sam’s Club, to make a positive impact on their community while growing memberships among the 65% of 18-34 year-olds who plan to add a pet to their family in the next 5 years, offers RescueBoxes that potentially increases revenue through this group that is willing to spend more on their pets (source) while also raising retention rates by 10-20% among these new members (source).
CASE STUDY BACKGROUND RESEARCH
Links to stakeholders and background documents
CASE STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GOOGLE DOCS
VIDEO: FULL PRESENTATION ON YOUTUBE
MURAL BOARD BEHIND THE SCENES OF OUR IDEAS AND HOW WE ARRANGED AND VOTED ON THEM
https://app.mural.co/t/billward1278/m/billward1278/1647890252579/999f373e5cadb4b5b9c90e7cb4350c7ec8fe7c05?sender=wdward9076 (links to Mural)