Delivery apps have begun bringing pet food and other pet products to owners’ doors in just a few minutes. In this context, Hugo Galvao de Franca Filho, an entrepreneur with an established track record in the pet market, sees a risk for those who sell online: believing that every order needs to arrive at that speed. iFood, for example, has expanded the pet category in its app and uses geolocation to show nearby stores with the product available on the spot, which solves within minutes the problem of anyone who realizes the pet food has run out in the middle of the workday.
The idea seems logical. If consumers have grown used to receiving pet food in minutes, any delivery time of two or three days seems outdated. In practice, however, ultra-fast delivery serves a specific type of purchase and comes at a cost that not every operation can absorb. Understanding this difference prevents hasty investments and helps a store compete where it actually has an advantage. Before redesigning logistics to race against the clock, it is worth reviewing the points below.
The belief that speed solves everything
The strength of delivery in minutes lies in urgency. A pet owner who opens the app with an empty bowl does not compare brands or look for the best price; they want the product they already know, from the nearest store, right now. This behavior has created the perception that speed has become the main purchase criterion in the segment, and many online stores have started measuring their own performance solely by the delivery times they can offer.
The problem with this reading is that it mistakes the exception for the rule. A large share of pet purchases are predictable replenishments, made by people who know in advance when the bag of pet food will run out. Hugo Galvao argues that, for this buyer, a delivery time that is met matters more than a short one: they are willing to wait two days, as long as the delivery arrives on the promised date, with the right product and at the agreed price.
Urgent purchases and planned replenishment are different purchases
It is worth separating the two moments clearly, because they have little in common. In an urgent purchase, the owner buys a single unit, accepts paying a little more, and chooses based on proximity. In planned replenishment, they buy larger volumes, compare prices, take advantage of promotions, and consider recurring purchases. These are distinct journeys, with distinct expectations, and trying to serve both with the same logistics structure is likely to drive up operating costs without a proportional gain in sales.
For an online store that serves several regions, competing for urgent purchases with the neighborhood pet shop is, in most cases, an uneven fight. Planned replenishment, on the other hand, is the ground on which it can offer real advantages: a wider selection, competitive prices on large volumes, and repurchase reminders. In the assessment of Hugo Galvao de Franca Filho, focusing effort on this second journey pays off more than trying to match delivery times that depend on inventory a few blocks from the customer.
The hidden cost of delivery in minutes
Speed has a price. To deliver in minutes, a store needs inventory close to the consumer, staff available to pick orders at any hour, and couriers ready to go. Those who opt for delivery apps pay fees that, according to market estimates, can range from 20% to 30% of the order value, which squeezes the margin on products that already operate on tight pricing, such as pet food. Added to this is the weight of larger bags, which requires suitable vehicles.
None of this makes the model unviable, but it requires careful calculation. Hugo Galvao emphasizes that the decision to offer ultra-fast delivery should be based on each product’s margin and on the actual volume of urgent orders in the region served, not on the fear of the store appearing slow compared with competitors. In many cases, the result of that calculation points to an offer limited to a few fast-selling items and a small radius around the inventory.
Each model in its place
The most balanced solution combines both paths. Delivery apps can serve as a showcase for urgent purchases, with a streamlined catalog of the most sought-after products, while the company’s own online store, such as www.enjoypets.com.br, and marketplaces focus on planned replenishment, with realistic delivery times and better terms for those who buy ahead. This way, a customer who arrived out of urgency finds a reason to make their next purchases more calmly.
The next step is to help pet owners move out of urgency mode. Reminders sent before the pet food runs out, recurring purchase options, and favorable shipping rates for larger orders reduce the chances of them needing a delivery in minutes. Hugo Galvao de Franca Filho believes that a store that anticipates the customer’s needs does not have to win the race against the clock, because the package arrives before the bowl is empty.
