Pet Circle, a large online pet supplies retailer in Australia, is looking to expand its portfolio to include US pet brands. The retailer, which currently offers more than 10,000 pet products, is seeking partnerships with US-based pet brands to expand its offerings and triple its range in the coming years.
This expansion follows a $125 million Series C funding round ended November 2021, in which the retailer was dubbed the pet industry’s latest “billion-dollar-valued ‘unicorn’ company,” according to Pet Circle. The retailer will leverage the funding to accelerate development of its software platform, expand its warehouse footprint, fleet and product range, and support overall growth.
“We see a huge opportunity for growth as the Australian market is currently underdeveloped in terms of pet specialty range compared to other markets across the world,” said William Roney, head of business management at Pet Circle. “We believe that pets’ needs are not one size fits all and that there are many unmet needs in Australia, so we intend to meet them by sourcing the best products both locally and internationally.”
Roney added the company will be dramatically building out its offerings in specific categories, including premium dog and cat food as well as beds, pet clothing, technology, training and containment products. He noted recent US-based pet food companies to enter the Australian market through Pet Circle include Zignature and Open Farm.
“We have a strong and loyal active customer base, an innovative bespoke tech stack, a Vet Squad that offers free 24/7 online pet and product advice, an Auto Delivery subscription service, one of the largest dedicated delivery fleets in Australia, and massive warehouses across Australia for distribution, so we believe we have a winning formula to meet all pet and pet parents’ needs.”
According to Pet Circle, the pet industry in Australia is now worth an estimated $15 billion, with two-thirds of households owning a pet. Australian dog owners spend an average of $3,200 per dog annually, and cat owners in the country spend an average of $2,100 per cat each year, according to Animal Medicines Australia.
The Australian retailer will be in attendance at Global Pet Expo 2022, held March 23 to 25 in Orlando, Fla. Pet brands in the United States interested in partnering with Pet Circle can submit their inquiries through this online form.
Read more global pet food and treat news from outside North America.
