E-Commerce Logistics: 5 Tips & Tools for Your Pet Store

Pet parents are shopping online more than ever — for everything from toys and treats to bulk dog food and temperature-sensitive raw meals.

In 2022, e-commerce pet product sales topped $30 billion, which accounts for over 36% of all industry revenue. And that number is still climbing. By 2026, online sales are expected to make up nearly 45% of the entire pet product market.

But as a small, independent pet store, offering e-commerce isn’t as simple as putting up a website and shipping out orders.

Your customers have high expectations — fast delivery, accurate inventory, local pickup options, and the ability to trust you with their pet’s health needs. To stay competitive (especially against giants like Chewy and Amazon), you need a logistics strategy that reflects the real-world challenges of running a pet store.

In this blog, we’ll share five essential tips and tools to help you build a sustainable e-commerce logistics system that works for you and your customers.

Let’s get started.

Why Pet Store E-Commerce Logistics Differs From Regular Retail

Before we get into the tips and tools, let’s talk about why e-commerce logistics are uniquely challenging for pet stores.

To say that the pet e-commerce sector is booming is a huge understatement. Pet owners nationwide are using the internet to purchase their essential animal care goods and products, from food and medication to accessories and toys.

But unlike most retailers, pet stores have to:

Ship heavy and oversized items, like 40-lb bags of kibble or cases of canned food.
Handle perishable products, such as frozen raw diets, probiotics, and refrigerated medications.
Care for live animals or regulated items that can’t legally be shipped in some states.
Manage urgent and emotional purchases (think: “My dog’s out of prescription food, and she doesn’t eat anything else.”).

On top of that, most independent pet retailers operate hybrid models. You may offer:

Online orders with the option for local pickup
Same-day local delivery through your team or a third-party courier
Shipping for eligible products, but not everything in your catalog

All of these moving parts require coordinated systems, smart inventory tracking, and a solid fulfillment strategy to deliver the experience your customers expect.

So, how do you make it all work behind the scenes — without burning out or losing track?

Let’s break it down.

5 Must-Know Tips & Tools for Pet Store E-Commerce Logistics

To keep up with demand and high customer expectations, you need effective, scalable logistics strategies. These five tips and tools can help you manage the complexities of selling pet products online, from handling perishables to meeting fast-shipping requirements.

Tip 1: Use Smart Inventory Tools To Prevent Overselling

Inventory issues can lead to unhappy customers — especially if a shopper buys something online, only to find it’s out of stock, backordered, or unavailable for shipping. Avoiding that means tighter control over what you carry, how you categorize it, and how it appears online.

Here are some ways you can manage your inventory.

Organize & Tag Products by Category

Not all items in your store can be available for every fulfillment method.

When setting up your product catalog:

Mark perishable, frozen, or temperature-sensitive items as local pickup or local delivery only.
Tag regulated items (like flea meds, prescriptions, or live feeders) with legal restrictions by state.
Separate oversized or extra-heavy products that are more expensive to ship, and be sure to clearly communicate any surcharges or limits.

This upfront organization helps prevent costly fulfillment mistakes and improves transparency with shoppers.

Sync Inventory in Real Time Across All Channels

Your point of sale (POS) system needs to talk to your website. If someone buys the last bag of prescription dog food in store, it should automatically update online to prevent overselling.

POS systems built specifically for pet retailers are often better equipped to handle:

Real-time stock level updates
Inventory split across multiple locations
Smart reorder points based on sales trends
Unique product data, like expiration dates or lot numbers

When your systems are connected, you can avoid double-entry errors, overselling, and unnecessary back-and-forth with customers.

Tip 2: Streamline Shipping for Heavy & Fragile Pet Products

Shipping is one of the biggest logistical challenges for pet stores. Heavy bags, fragile packaging, and refrigerated items add risk and cost. And if you’re not careful, they can eat into your profits.

Here are some tips to help you figure out your shipping strategy.

Know When To Offer Expedited Shipping

Expedited shipping is expensive but sometimes necessary.

It makes sense when:

It’s for temperature-sensitive items, such as raw food or refrigerated meds (to prevent spoilage).
It’s for urgent orders, like a customer who ran out of their pet’s essential food or supplement.
It’s built into pricing and justified by the product’s value.

In other cases — like heavy bags of kibble or bulky litter boxes — you may want to default to local pickup or local delivery, which saves on shipping costs and reduces the risk of damage.

Choose the Right Fulfillment Partners for Pet Products

Most small pet stores can’t afford to operate their own fulfillment center, and you don’t have to.

Your options might include:

Local courier services for same-day delivery
Integrated shipping carriers that understand how to handle perishables and fragile items
Third-party logistics providers for higher order volumes or when you need to outsource

Whichever route you choose, make sure your provider can handle the kinds of products you carry.

Tip 3: Handle Perishable & Regulated Pet Products the Right Way

Shipping dog treats is easy. Shipping raw food, CBD chews, or a live animal? Not so much.

Here’s how to handle those exceptions.

Ship Frozen & Refrigerated Items Safely

For raw diets, goat’s milk, and similar products:

Use insulated packaging and ice packs.
Label the box as “perishable.”
Restrict to local delivery or express shipping only.
Limit availability by weather or region if needed.

Some states prohibit certain items from being shipped at all. Be sure to check regulations if you’re crossing state lines.

Navigate Shipping Restrictions for Regulated Pet Products

Live feeders (like crickets or mice), prescription diets, and flea and tick treatments often come with added restrictions.

You may be required to:

Collect documentation.
Limit shipping by state.
Store items at specific temperatures or humidity levels.

If your e-commerce logistics system isn’t built with these restrictions in mind, it’s easy to get into trouble or lose money on returns and spoilage.

Tip 4: Create a Smooth, Customer-Friendly Online Experience

When a customer orders from your website, they want the product and the peace of mind that you’re taking care of their order.

Here’s how to provide excellent customer service:

Send order confirmation and tracking info right away.
Let customers choose pickup time windows or same-day delivery when available.
Notify online shoppers of out-of-stock or restricted items before they check out.
Make returns easy, especially for damaged or incorrect shipments.

Tip 5: Leverage Technology To Tie It All Together

Your e-commerce logistics are only as strong as the technology behind them.

At minimum, you want tools that help with:

Real-time inventory syncing across channels
Integrated order management (in store and online)
Smart reordering based on sales velocity
Hybrid fulfillment support (pickup, delivery, and shipping)
Customer profile tracking, including pets, preferences, and past purchases

If you’re still manually updating inventory, bouncing between platforms, or guessing when to restock, it might be time to upgrade to a POS system built specifically for pet stores.

Smarter E-Commerce Logistics Starts With Pet-Specific Tools

E-commerce is a must, but pet retail comes with its own set of challenges — from shipping perishables and regulated goods to managing urgent local pickups and same-day deliveries.

Generic e-commerce tools can only take you so far.

If you want to:

Avoid overselling and stockouts
Keep heavy or perishable items moving profitably
Manage online and in-store orders in one place
Offer a consistent experience across all fulfillment methods

… you need technology that understands your business.

That’s where eTailPet helps.

Our all-in-one POS system was designed specifically for independent pet retailers — with automated reordering, inventory sync, curbside pickup coordination, and customer tracking built right in.

Want to see how smarter e-commerce logistics can help your pet store grow? Schedule a demo with eTailPet today.

E-Commerce Logistics: 5 Tips & Tools for Your Pet Store

Why Pet Store E-Commerce Logistics Differs From Regular Retail

5 Must-Know Tips & Tools for Pet Store E-Commerce Logistics