From brick-and-mortar to omnichannel powerhouse: How Pet Supermarket delivers at the speed of customer expectation, with Matt Ezyk

What does it take to modernize a legacy retail business without sacrificing what made it successful in the first place? For Pet Supermarket—a 50-year-old specialty retailer with over 200 locations—the answer lies in operational agility, digital augmentation (not replacement), and a relentless focus on customer experience.

In this episode of The Ecommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives, Noibu’s co-founder Kailin Noivo sits down with Matt Ezyk, Director of Ecommerce at Pet Supermarket, to explore how the retailer transformed from store-first to digitally sophisticated—without losing sight of its roots.

Whether you’re navigating your own omnichannel transformation, considering how to improve customer experience, or looking for ways to enhance ecommerce performance, Matt’s playbook offers lessons every senior ecommerce leader should consider.

1. The digital experience should start where the store leaves off

Pet Supermarket’s in-store experience is tactile, emotional, and highly personalized—especially for pet adopters. Matt’s approach wasn’t to replace that with ecommerce, but to enhance it.

“You’re not going to digitally replicate the feeling of picking up a bearded dragon for the first time. But you can make the journey easier by starting it online.”
— Matt Ezyk, Director of Ecommerce at Pet Supermarket

By surfacing education and contextual product content—habitat requirements, dietary needs, care tips—before the store visit, Pet Supermarket creates a seamless handoff between channels. Post-purchase, digital takes the lead: replenishments, recommendations, and fast fulfillment all kick in.

This isn’t about pushing customers online. It’s about meeting them wherever they are in the journey and building digital infrastructure to support that flexibility.

Strategic takeaway: Omnichannel doesn’t mean treating all channels the same. It means identifying each one’s superpower and using tech to fill the gaps between them.

2. Ship-from-store is the new competitive advantage

With the rise of real-time delivery expectations, speed is no longer a luxury—it’s a baseline. Pet Supermarket’s response? Turn every store into a micro-fulfillment center.

“We can now get pet food to customers faster than anyone else in our category. Sometimes in hours—not days.”
— Matt Ezyk, Director of Ecommerce at Pet Supermarket

By implementing Salesforce Commerce Cloud and enabling ship-from-store nationwide, Pet Supermarket shrank delivery windows while improving margins. Shorter shipping distances mean lower logistics costs and happier customers.

The result: a logistics edge that supports both retention and profitability.

Strategic takeaway: Ecommerce success hinges on operational flexibility. Speed to doorstep can be a brand differentiator when powered by smart inventory and fulfillment tech.

3. Let the customer choose their own path

Matt is clear on this: The worst thing a digital team can do is assume they know what the customer wants.

“You wouldn’t force a shopper to walk down a specific aisle in your store. Why do that online?”
— Matt Ezyk, Director of Ecommerce at Pet Supermarket

That philosophy drives Pet Supermarket’s UX strategy—from personalized product suggestions powered by predictive AI to a seamless BORIS (Buy Online, Return In Store) model. Customers can interact however they want: in-store, online, or some blend of both.

It’s about flexibility, not funnels.

Strategic takeaway: High-converting digital journeys start with autonomy. Guide customers—don’t gate them.

4. Technology is a force multiplier, not the starting line

From Salesforce’s AI-powered product recommendations to generative metadata and dynamic inventory logic, Pet Supermarket’s tech stack is built to scale.

But Matt’s advice is to start with the customer need—not the shiny tool.

“It’s easy to chase the buzz. But the tech only matters if it drives value.”

Matt also emphasizes the importance of trusted external partners to scale faster, avoid missteps, and future-proof foundational architecture. With the right partners, Pet Supermarket was able to implement high-impact capabilities without overextending internal resources.

Strategic takeaway: Build your ecommerce stack around outcomes, not features. The right tech is the one that supports speed, scale, and customer satisfaction.

5. Your greatest untapped asset? Your physical footprint

Perhaps the most powerful insight from this episode: Pet Supermarket didn’t treat its stores as legacy baggage. It treated them as digital accelerators.

“Our stores are our strength. The goal wasn’t to move away from them—it was to extend their reach.”
— Matt Ezyk, Director of Ecommerce at Pet Supermarket

That mindset transformed in-store locations into a strategic moat—supporting faster delivery, easier returns, and personalized service that drives long-term loyalty.

Strategic takeaway: For omnichannel retailers, stores aren’t a constraint. They’re your unfair advantage—if you build the tech to leverage them.

Final thoughts: Digital transformation doesn't mean starting over

Matt Ezyk’s approach is refreshingly grounded: respect what already works, layer in technology where it enhances customer outcomes, and make decisions based on data—not hype.

If you’re navigating a similar transformation or looking to optimize your ecommerce operations for speed, flexibility, and loyalty, his framework offers a modern blueprint rooted in practicality.

Listen to the full episode eelow!

Listen to this episode of The Ecommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives with Matt Ezyk to learn how to transform an organization from brick-and-mortar to omni-channel.

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