Pet food is bought on repeat, and the best pet stores on Shopify are built around that: a subscription offer in the top bar, a plan builder in place of a product grid, and a delivery threshold set just above a typical bag of food. To see how the leading brands do it, we picked 21 pet brands that sell from their own Shopify store, seven per market across the US, UK and Australia, and checked them on 10 October 2026. Every one showed Shopify’s code on its homepage before it made the list. For each one we saved a desktop and a phone screenshot as a local shopper would see it, pulled the price list from the public catalogue, recorded the apps it loads for subscriptions, reviews, email and support, and timed how long the homepage takes on a slow phone. Some famous pet brands are missing for a simple reason, covered at the end: they do not run on Shopify.
What 21 pet stores have in common
- Subscriptions do the heavy lifting. Ten stores load a subscription app: Recharge on seven, Ordergroove on Zesty Paws and YuMOVE, and Skio on Wild One. Smalls sells only plans. The discounts are printed in the top bar: 20% at Barking Heads, 20% and then 10% at Burns, 10% at Forthglade, and half price for the first two months at YuMOVE.
- The first order is built for you. Smalls asks you to build your cat’s fresh plan, Barking Heads and Natural Instinct to build a subscription, and Petzyo to find your formula, with a sampler as the cheaper first step.
- The UK leans on independent review sites. All seven UK stores load Trustpilot or Feefo, and several put the score in the hero or the top bar. Only two US stores and two Australian stores do the same.
- Free delivery is set just above one bag. The thresholds stated on the homepage run from $50 to $90 in the US, £29 to £40 in the UK, and A$39.95 to A$59 in Australia.
- Pay-later is rare. Only four of the 21 show Afterpay, Klarna, Zip or Affirm on the homepage, against 16 of the 21 jewelry stores we checked the same day. Pet food is cheap and bought often, so there is little to split.
- Klaviyo is the default again. It loads on 15 of the 21 stores, and eight run Gorgias for customer service.
- Quicker than the jewelry stores, still slow on a weak signal. On our throttled phone test the typical pet store showed its main content after 11.1 seconds, against 14.8 for the jewelry stores timed the same day. Paleo Ridge (3.5 seconds) and Zesty Paws (3.6) were the fastest; Natural Instinct and Prime100 both took more than 20.
United States
Zesty Paws
The supplement brand’s menu is split by animal first, Shop Dog and Shop Cat, with Subscribe and Rewards as their own menu items. The October hero launches calming diffusers (“Calm, Plugged In.”) with two buttons, one per animal, and a 15% discount on behaviour products, and the top bar promises free shipping over $60. Subscriptions run on Ordergroove and loyalty on LoyaltyLion, with Klaviyo and Attentive for email and text. Its 114 products have a median price of $42.97.
What to borrow: putting “Subscribe” in the main menu, not only on product pages, tells a first-time buyer that repeat delivery is the normal way to buy. Visit zestypaws.com
Ruffwear
The outdoor dog-gear maker keeps its menu to three words, Shop, Stories and About, and gives the header a store-finder icon and a country switcher. The top bar promotes RuffWorn, its used-gear line, alongside an “Enable Accessibility” link. The hero is a photograph of a dog in a vest outdoors with its owner, not a product shot. There is no subscription: this is gear bought once, at a median of $40.94 across 143 products, with Okendo reviews.
What to borrow: a resale line in the top bar answers the durability claim with proof, and brings in buyers who would not pay full price. Visit ruffwear.com
Wild One
The design-led accessories brand opens on a single product: its best-selling hands-free rope leash, “now reflective”, shot against a night sky with the lead coiled around the dog. The menu is just New, Dog and Cat, and the top bar offers free shipping over $90, the highest threshold in this list. Subscriptions run on Skio, reviews on Okendo and support on Gorgias. The median item is $35.
What to borrow: launching a new colour of an existing bestseller lets the hero sell something people already trust. Visit wildone.com
Native Pet
The supplement brand has moved into cats: “shop cat” carries a NEW badge in the menu, and the hero introduces cat supplements “for cats with standards”. The most visible button in the header is not the cart but “Take the quiz + $5 off”, and the top bar gives a free lick mat on orders over $75 instead of free shipping. It is one of four stores here with pay-later (Afterpay and Klarna), and it runs Okendo, Trustpilot, LoyaltyLion, Gorgias, Klaviyo and Attentive. The median of its 44 products is $34.99.
What to borrow: a discount attached to the quiz makes the recommendation step the cheapest way in, which is where a supplement buyer should start. Visit nativepet.com
Embark
The dog DNA-test company gives its header two buttons that are not about buying: “Activate test” and “Sign in”. People who already own a kit are as important as new buyers, because the results live in an account. The fall sale takes the hero (“Save up to $30 on dog DNA tests”) and the top bar (the breed and health test at $129). Supplements sit in the menu next to the tests, and some products are sold on subscription through Recharge. The median price of its 24 products is $119, the highest in the US group.
What to borrow: when the product is used after purchase, put the next step (activation) in the header, where returning customers look first. Visit embarkvet.com
Smalls
The fresh cat-food company runs the barest header here: a menu icon, the logo, Log In and Cart. Everything else points to one button, “Build your cat’s fresh plan”, under the line “Making nine lives → ten”. A black bar offers 50% off plus free treats for life, a sticker repeats the treats, and a money-back guarantee sits under the button. Its catalogue is not public, so there is no price spread, and Trustpilot carries the reviews.
What to borrow: when the business is a plan, not a catalogue, a single plan-builder button can replace the whole product menu. Visit smalls.com
Bocce’s Bakery
The treat bakery leads with a seasonal drop: five “gameday” flavours inspired by real athletes and their dogs, with the players on the packs. “Bundle & Save” has its own place in the menu, the top bar offers free shipping over $50, and a shopping assistant opens with suggested questions such as “Which treats suit a sensitive belly?”. At a median of $11 across 136 products, it is the cheapest store in the US group. Recharge, Junip reviews, Gorgias and Klaviyo are loaded.
What to borrow: suggested questions in a chat assistant turn a product finder into something a shopper can start in one tap. Visit boccesbakery.com
United Kingdom
Lily’s Kitchen
The natural pet-food brand puts its B Corp badge at the top left of the header, before the menu, and illustrates each menu item: New Fresh Recipes, For Dogs, For Cats, Pet Care and Lilyland. The top bar states the delivery terms in full (free over £29, £4.95 standard, one to four days), and the hero launches its fresh recipes, with a chat prompt asking “Questions about Fresh?”. Its first 250 products have a median of £14.99, and it runs Recharge, Trustpilot and Feefo.
What to borrow: spelling out the delivery price and speed, not only the free threshold, answers the question that stops a first order. Visit lilyskitchen.co.uk
YuMOVE
The joint-supplement brand builds its whole first screen around risk: a six-week money-back guarantee in the top bar, a hero that reads “A difference you’ll see and they’ll feel, or your money back”, and Trustpilot stars above the headline. The first two months are half price. The menu covers Dog, Cat, Horse and Human, and the section under the hero calls YuMOVE the UK’s number one pet supplement brand. Ordergroove runs the subscriptions, and its 86 products have a median of £61.01, the highest in the UK group.
What to borrow: a guarantee in the headline itself, not in the footer, is the strongest answer to “will it work for my dog?”. Visit yumove.co.uk
Barking Heads
The dog and cat food brand (Meowing Heads for cats) runs a ticker of three offers above a floating rounded header: free delivery over £40, 20% off every subscription order, and points from Barking Rewards. The hero’s only button is “Build your tailored subscription”, with two badges for next-day delivery and 40% off the first subscription order with the code FIRSTSUB. Recharge, Okendo and Trustpilot are loaded; the median product is £39.99.
What to borrow: a separate, bigger discount for the first subscription order and a smaller one for every order after it gets the sign-up without giving away the margin for good. Visit barkingheads.co.uk
Forthglade
The Devon dog-food maker stacks two bars above its header: a £5 big-bag treat offer, and a ticker of free delivery over £40, 10% off subscriptions and its count of 16,728 five-star reviews. The hero sells 30% off extra-large treat bags, with its Trustpilot rating (“Excellent, 4.5 out of 5”) under the button. A “Feeding Advice” tab is pinned to the side of the screen. Its 175 products have a median of £27.15.
What to borrow: a pinned feeding-advice tab keeps help one click away for the owner who is unsure which food or how much. Visit forthglade.com
Burns Pet Nutrition
The brand whose logo reads “John Burns, the natural vet” offers a free nutrition helpline in its top bar beside the subscription deal: save 20%, and then 10% on every order. A wide search box takes the middle of the header, and a long menu runs from Dry Dog Food to a Puppy Club and a Breeder Partnership. The hero gives two equal buttons, dry food and wet food. Recharge, Trustpilot and Zendesk are loaded, and the median product is £14.99.
What to borrow: a free helpline in the top bar is a strong trust signal for a food brand whose buyers often have a dog with a sensitive stomach. Visit burnspet.co.uk
Natural Instinct
The raw dog and cat food brand opens with “Subscribe & Save Time!” rather than save money, and invites you to build your own subscription for “stress-free raw feeding”. A Feefo rating bar sits under the hero, a “Refer a friend & get £10 off” tab runs down the side, and the menu is short: Dogs, Cats, Stockists, News & Advice. Free delivery starts at 10kg, by weight rather than spend. The median product is £5.69, the lowest in the UK group.
What to borrow: for frozen raw food, “save time” sells the subscription better than a percentage off. Visit naturalinstinct.com
Paleo Ridge
The raw dog-food brand’s menu reads like a club as much as a shop: Bundles, Raw Feeding Advice, Raw Dog Food Clubs and Subscriptions all sit next to Shop. The hero launches a limited-edition Halloween recipe, with a dog in devil horns beside the pack. A reviews tab runs down the left edge, with Yotpo and Feefo behind it. Subscription orders ship free, and the median product is £6.99.
What to borrow: a seasonal limited edition gives a repeat-purchase brand a reason to put something new in the hero every month. Visit paleoridge.co.uk
Australia
Prime100
The single-protein dog-food maker puts tools in the menu next to the shop: Our Diets, a Mixed Feeding Calculator, Where To Buy and Free Samples. The hero, “Loved by pets & vets”, shows an owner and her dog on a porch rather than a pack shot, and the top bar offers free delivery over A$39.95. It is one of only four stores here with pay-later, offering Afterpay and Zip. The median product is A$14.99.
What to borrow: a feeding calculator in the main menu answers “how much do I buy?” before it becomes a reason to leave. Visit prime100.com.au
Petzyo
The B Corp dog-food brand fits more proof onto one screen than any other store here. A ticker lists a 30-day taste guarantee, AAFCO and PFIAA standards, “Aussie made and owned” and trees planted. The hero claims 50,000-plus dogs, a 4.9 rating from more than 6,000 reviews and a named customer quote, with press logos underneath. Its two buttons are “Find your formula” and “Get a free sampler” (A$14.90 shipping), and a pop-up shows recent purchases with the buyer’s first name and state. Recharge, Gorgias and Klaviyo run behind it; the median product is A$54.50.
What to borrow: a free sampler as the second button gives a cautious buyer a cheaper yes than a full bag. Visit petzyo.com.au
Vetalogica
The Australian pet-food maker labels its hero “Australian science” and promises “Healthy skin. Beautiful coat. Happy tummy.” Directly under it, a row of tiles lets you shop by health need: Calming, Hip & Joint, Skin & Coat, Healthy Weight and Digestion. Samples and Bundles each have their own menu item, and the top bar promises free one-to-three-day shipping over A$50. Judge.me carries the reviews; the median of 203 products is A$49.99.
What to borrow: shopping by health need meets owners at the problem they came with, before they have to know a product name. Visit vetalogica.com.au
Kazoo
The pet-products brand covers dogs, cats and small pets, and on 10 October its hero was an event, not a product: the Cat Lovers and Dog Lovers Festivals at Melbourne Showgrounds on 17 and 18 October, with a 20% ticket code and an invitation to meet the team. Under it, “Who’s getting spoilt?” asks you to pick Cat or Dog, followed by round category tiles. A “Swag Club” sits in the menu. Kazoo shows Klarna and Affirm, and runs Yotpo, Gorgias, Klaviyo and Attentive; the median product is A$25.
What to borrow: a one-question chooser (cat or dog?) right under the hero splits a mixed catalogue in one tap. Visit kazoo.com.au
Snooza
The pet-bed maker, “Est. 1989” under its logo, keeps a short menu (Dog Beds, a Spring Cotton Canvas Futon, Cat, Sale) and charges a flat A$29.95 for shipping Australia-wide, stated in the top bar rather than left for checkout. The hero sells a limited-time mystery box “valued up to $550”, and a row of reasons follows: easy to machine wash, 900k-plus well-rested dogs and a 4.8-star rating. At a median of A$129.90 it is the most expensive store in the Australian group, and one of four with pay-later (Afterpay).
What to borrow: a mystery box gives buyers a reason to try the brand at a set price without discounting the bestsellers. Visit snooza.com.au
FuzzYard
The toy and accessories brand has the loudest homepage here: a rounded, bright header with a menu that includes “Rep It” and “Human”, a carousel of new collections such as its lanky plush toys, and a ticker reading “20+ years, 50+ countries, 10M+ happy customers, we don’t do boring”. The top bar promises free shipping over A$59 and 10% off for signing up, and a “Pup Perks” button opens its rewards programme. Judge.me, Gorgias and Klaviyo are loaded; the median product is A$34.95.
What to borrow: a tone of voice this distinct, held from the top bar to the ticker, makes the store recognisable from a single screenshot. Visit fuzzyard.com.au
Pablo & Co
The Australian dog boutique sells clothing and accessories, and its ticker answers the worries of buying clothes online: thousands of five-star reviews, sizing help, 60-day store-credit returns and “Australian based”. The menu runs New, Dogs, Cats, Gifts, Collabs and Sale, the header shows an Australia and AUD switcher, and the hero launches wavy feeding mats (“Mealtime but make it cute”). Yotpo, Gorgias and Klaviyo are loaded, and the median product is A$18.95.
What to borrow: for anything with sizes, “sizing help available” belongs in the top bar, not deep in the FAQ. Visit pabloandco.net
The 21 pet stores side by side
| Brand | Country | Typical price (lowest–highest) | Subscriptions | Reviews | Pay later | Main content on a slow phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zesty Paws | US | $42.97 ($4.97–$116.02) | Ordergroove | — | — | 3.6 s |
| Ruffwear | US | $40.94 ($1.99–$199.99) | — | Okendo | — | 13.6 s |
| Wild One | US | $35 ($0.01–$150) | Skio | Okendo | — | 9.2 s |
| Native Pet | US | $34.99 ($4.99–$500) | — | Okendo, Trustpilot | Afterpay, Klarna | 11.1 s |
| Embark | US | $119 ($1–$258) | Recharge | Okendo | — | 5.3 s |
| Smalls | US | Catalogue hidden | Own plans | Trustpilot | — | 8.6 s |
| Bocce’s Bakery | US | $11 ($5.50–$73.80) | Recharge | Junip | — | 16.8 s |
| Lily’s Kitchen | UK | £14.99 (£1.30–£155) | Recharge | Trustpilot, Feefo | — | 16.0 s |
| YuMOVE | UK | £61.01 (£5–£156.40) | Ordergroove | Yotpo, Trustpilot | — | 17.1 s |
| Barking Heads | UK | £39.99 (£9.49–£81) | Recharge | Okendo, Trustpilot | — | 12.3 s |
| Forthglade | UK | £27.15 (£1.39–£183.96) | Recharge | Trustpilot | — | 12.1 s |
| Burns Pet Nutrition | UK | £14.99 (£1.89–£68.99) | Recharge | Trustpilot | — | 8.6 s |
| Natural Instinct | UK | £5.69 (£1.99–£51.99) | — | Feefo | — | 20.5 s |
| Paleo Ridge | UK | £6.99 (£2.19–£116.50) | — | Yotpo, Feefo | — | 3.5 s |
| Prime100 | AU | A$14.99 (A$4.99–A$219.99) | — | Yotpo, Trustpilot | Afterpay, Zip | 21.5 s |
| Petzyo | AU | A$54.50 (A$1–A$219) | Recharge | Yotpo, Reviews.io, Trustpilot | — | 8.8 s |
| Vetalogica | AU | A$49.99 (A$9.99–A$218.49) | — | Judge.me | — | 10.2 s |
| Kazoo | AU | A$25 (A$2.95–A$1,999.95) | — | Yotpo | Klarna, Affirm | 16.1 s |
| Snooza | AU | A$129.90 (A$8.99–A$349) | — | Okendo | Afterpay | 6.8 s |
| FuzzYard | AU | A$34.95 (A$9.96–A$219.95) | — | Judge.me | — | 15.7 s |
| Pablo & Co | AU | A$18.95 (A$2–A$309.95) | — | Yotpo | — | 7.1 s |
Big pet brands that are not on Shopify
Lyka, Butternut Box and tails.com had no trace of Shopify in their homepage code on 10 October 2026, so they are not on this list. The Farmer’s Dog and BarkBox blocked our checker, so we could not confirm what they run on and left them out.
How we checked
- Shopify check: we fetched each homepage on 10 October 2026 and looked for the code Shopify adds to every store. All 48 brands on our pet shortlist passed, and we used the first seven per country. Jinx was replaced by Native Pet because its store was behind a password page that day.
- Screenshots: taken in our own browser at laptop width (1,280 pixels) and phone width (390 pixels), set to each brand’s home country. We dismissed cookie and newsletter pop-ups where possible, always choosing “decline” when it was offered.
- Prices: read from each store’s public product list in its own currency, capped at 250 products. Bigger catalogues may differ overall, and a few stores list samples or add-ons at a token price, which explains the very low minimums.
- Speed: each homepage opened twice on a simulated mid-range phone (processor slowed four times, 1.6 Mbps connection, nothing cached), keeping the better run. The column shows when the biggest element on screen finished drawing; on home broadband every store here is quicker.
- Apps: detected from what the homepage loads. A tool used only on product or cart pages will not appear, so read a dash as “not seen on the homepage”.
Building a pet store like these
The pattern is consistent in all three markets: make repeat delivery the default way to buy, help the owner choose the right food before the first order, show an independent review score early, and set the free-delivery line just above one bag. If you are building or rebuilding a pet brand on Shopify, our Shopify for pet brands guide covers the build, and the pet agency comparison sets out who else builds these stores.
