What do bird seed and kitty litter have to do with politics?
Plenty, if you’re Chewy, Inc., the phenomenally successful online pet supply company that debuted in 2011 with the aspiration to become the Amazon for all creatures great and small. The company's founder, Ryan Cohen, has said he fashioned his strategy on a 1997 shareholder letter by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on the benefits of online shopping. Then he staffed the company with former Amazon employees.
Now, bird seed is a commodity. So is dog food. It’s sold in supermarkets, brick-and-mortar pet shops, and even on Amazon.
So how did Chewy grow in four short years into a $50 billion company with 2020 revenues of $6.5 billion, and a stock price that was $20 a share a year ago and has recently flirted with $120? And, doing this no less in the middle of a global pandemic?