Chewy

Written By Utibe Bassey

Handwritten condolence cards and no-questions refunds built some of the deepest loyalty in e-commerce.

The Finding

By treating pets as family and empowering staff to act with genuine care, Chewy turned empathy into industry-leading retention and growth.

What They Did

  • Sends handwritten condolence cards and custom pet portraits when a customer’s pet passes away.

  • Empowers 24/7 support to make empathetic calls — like refunding unopened food, no questions asked.

  • Surprises customers with unexpected gifts, treats and personal thank-you notes.

  • Issues fast refunds and asks customers to donate unwanted products to shelters.

The Results

  • ~90% customer retention, among the highest in e-commerce.

  • Grew to $10B+ in revenue, outpacing rivals in online sales.

  • Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction for online pet retailers for years running.

  • Built cult-like brand loyalty and heavy word-of-mouth.

Love Indicator ‍ ‍‍ ‍Business Outcome

Empathy Customer loyalty & retention

Utibe Bassey
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