Chewy sends pet paintings to keep customers from straying

NEW YORK — Danielle Schwartz didn’t ask for an oil painting of her cat. It’s one of the more than 1,000 free paintings that Chewy sends to select customers each week — even during the pandemic — tapping into people’s obsession with their fur children and, it hopes, winning customers for life. A Chewy representative messaged back: “My paws are crossed that we’ll be able to send you one.” It arrived a month and a half later. Amazon and Chewy dominate the online pet supplies industry, with Amazon’s market share at more than 50% and Chewy’s at 34%, according to retail consulting firm 1010data. Chewy says it rejects artwork that doesn’t look enough like the pet or sends it back to be reworked.