The average American pet owner spends over $1,500 a year on their furry friends, and a fat chunk of that goes to the same three online and in-store retailers. If you’re not actively working the system at Chewy, Petco, or PetSmart, you’re leaving hundreds of dollars on the table. These stores are not monolithic. Each has a distinct business model, and once you understand those differences, you can maneuver them like a chess board where you get to checkmate the register.

Chewy is the subscription juggernaut. AutoShip saves you five to ten percent on recurring orders, and free shipping over a modest threshold makes it perfect for heavy bags of food and litter. Keep an eye on per-unit price, though. Chewy’s customer service is famously generous — they’ve refunded without return slips, and they often send flowers when a pet dies. Use that to your advantage. If you spot a lower price on the same product at Petco or PetSmart, a quick chat or phone call usually earns you a price adjustment. Don’t be scared to ask.

Petco, on the other hand, has pivoted hard to a membership-model approach. Their Vital Care program is a paid subscription that gives you a daily twenty percent off food and treats, and a monthly set of service rewards. This is an absolute no-brainer if you have a large-breed dog or more than one cat. Do the math: if your monthly food bill at Petco is over one hundred dollars, the membership fee becomes irrelevant. You’re essentially paying a fee to unlock a permanent sale price. The danger is that you might start buying more just because the discount is there. Stay on target. Also, Petco has been known to price match Chewy and PetSmart in-store, so pull up the competitor’s price on your phone and show the associate. They want the sale, and they’ll often match it on the spot.

PetSmart is the wildcard because they rely heavily on their Treats loyalty program and visible clearance sections. The free Treats program gives you points on every purchase, and those points turn into dollars off future visits. But the real gold is their app-based coupons. Almost weekly, you’ll see a code for twenty percent off a single regular-priced item. That’s perfect for buying toys or a specific bag of food when you need it immediately and can’t wait for Chewy’s delivery. More importantly, PetSmart clearance racks are the best-kept secret in pet retail. Products get marked down simply because the packaging changes or the season passes. You can find premium grain-free canned food, dental treats, and pet beds at seventy percent off. Make a habit of strolling through the clearance aisle every time you walk into a store. Whatever you don’t see, ask a stocker if there’s more in the back.

So what’s the actual strategy? Use Chewy for your big, bulky, routine deliveries. Use Petco for items you need to buy weekly with a predictable discount, but only if you’ve crunched the numbers on Vital Care. Use PetSmart for impulse buys and clearance hunting. And never, ever purchase anything at full retail price from any of these retailers without first checking the other two plus a quick online coupon search. The pet supply market is fiercely competitive, which means the stores have to constantly offer discounts to keep you from wandering. Treat them accordingly. Sign up for all three loyalty programs, download all three apps, and set push notifications so you get the sale alerts the moment they launch. When you see a big sale at Petco on Chewy’s price-matched product, you’ll know exactly what to do.

The bottom line is that paying full price for pet supplies is a choice, and it’s not a choice a smart shopper makes. With just a tiny bit of effort maintaining a rotating system among Chewy, Petco, and PetSmart, you can keep your cat fed, your dog happy, and your budget intact. Every dollar you save on the predictable stuff is a dollar you can spend on emergency vet visits or an extra bag of treats. Spend the money you save on something fun — like a new toy for your pet, or a coffee for yourself while they chew it up.