The e-commerce Story of Drools
Drools is a brand that needs no introduction. It has been winning hearts since many years. And now the brand is focusing on growth and expansion through e-commerce platforms. Read about their endeavors and how they’re leaving no stone unturned to help you and your furry friends.
The advancement of technology, “internet penetration” and the hi-speed growth of mobile phones has impacted the way we make purchases and shop online. The e-commerce industry is progressing at such a fast pace and e-commerce sales are seeing substantial growth. The Indian e-commerce industry covers 20,000 pin codes to be precise which in itself showcases the meteoric rise.
Surge in pet adoption is key for growth
The fastest-growing sector in the pet care industry is pet food, which captures around 2/3rdof the market revenue, followed by pet toys, accessories, grooming, and healthcare. Despite pet shops and veterinary clinics remaining the most popular distribution channels, value sales through e-commerce platforms almost quadrupled in 2022, compared to 2019 levels. This shift in the consumer behavior can be largely attributed to the pandemic. India witnessed a surge in pet adoptions during the pandemic as citizens spent prolonged time at home resorting to pet adoption as a means to combat loneliness and anxiety.
Small steps to commence a big e-commerce journey
Drools Pet Food with a vision to be the most preferred pet food brand in the rapidly evolving market has expanded its eCommerce presence over the last few years. Drools is available on all eCommerce websites, covering 20,000+ PIN codes, which equates to 100% product availability across India. In the last five years, the brand has seen e-commerce contribution to sales increasing from 4% to 27%. The company’s aim is to expand faster across channels and e-commerce being the fastest growing segment is further accelerating the growth of the company with a focused approach.
The cat category is performing impressively well. There is a focus to move towards product extension of the cat segment as well. Cat wet food, premium cat food, cat biscuits, sausages, and creamy will be the new additions to the Drools product portfolio for cats. With no considerable player selling cat biscuits and sausages, Drools aims to build this product line across the country and all e-commerce channels.
According to Rakhi Rana, Sales & E-Commerce Director, Drools Pet Food Private Limited, “Quality, availability, and affordability is just a click away! Drools & its portfolio brands with the widest assortments are the one-stop solution for all your furry companion’s nutritional needs. Being a quality Indian manufacturer, we are proud to see pets loving the taste of India.”
Collaborating for success
Taking a big bet on quick commerce, Drools is now closely working with Blinkit and Instamart on many promotional collaborations, new launches, and experiments. The 10-20 minutes delivery models are creating everlasting changes in consumer habits and behaviours, and the brand is adopting this trend by focusing on pet food availability on quick commerce platforms. Currently, tier 1 cities such as- Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata are contributing to the majority of the brand growth. However, future plans include a greater focus on tier 2 plus markets, to achieve a projected 45% growth in e-commerce sales over the next two years.
Looking back at Drools’ e-commerce journey, the brand has had some very fruitful associations with platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. ‘Meat Up’ an economy brand under the Drools umbrella was launched in 2017 as an Amazon Special pet food brand, garnering the highest SOVs, containing more than 45 SKUs under dry and wet food, treats, toys, accessories, shampoos, litter etc in both the dog and cat segments. It is one of the most pocket friendly pet food brands on Amazon with the highest customer acquisition rate. ‘Active’, a Flipkart special pet food brand also part of the Drools portfolio, launched in 2021, has been scaling exceptionally well on the platform and has 2-3 new product launches every quarter.
Helping pet parents with our expertise
Some of the initiatives undertaken by the brand this year to increase online presence and visibility include a first of its kind ten-day long campaign with Blinkit and live vet sessions on social media platforms in collaboration with Flipkart. The Blinkit campaign in association with our ambassador Kareena Kapoor Khan gave pet parents a unique opportunity to interact with her, and this Meet & Greet campaign got an overwhelming response from customers. The interactive live sessions with Flipkart helped spread awareness among pet parents on topics like pet health and nutrition, allowing Drools to strengthen its presence on the platform. These initiatives provide new avenues for companies to reach customers and drive sales.
Making seamless shopping a reality
With more and more pet adoptions, rising disposable incomes, and increasing awareness about pet nutrition and healthcare, the Indian pet care market presents a massive opportunity for growth. Presently, more than 50% of the pet food products demand in India is being met by imported brands. Drools aims at bridging this demand-supply gap in the Indian pet food industry by augmenting its manufacturing facilities, having launched two manufacturing units in the last one and a half years, a total of three units now. By staying focused on the expansion of distribution networks across sales channels, the brand’s objective is to offer a seamless shopping experience across all platforms to ensure overall customer experience and build customer loyalty.