Chewy, Inc. CHWY has taken a significant step to expand its presence in pet healthcare with its agreement to acquire Modern Animal, a rapidly growing veterinary platform known for its tech-enabled clinics and virtual care offerings. The deal marks an important milestone as Chewy moves beyond pet products and prescriptions to build a more integrated pet healthcare ecosystem, combining clinical services with its established commerce and pharmacy capabilities.
Scaling Chewy Vet Care’s Network
Modern Animal brings a well-established footprint of 29 clinics, along with round-the-clock virtual care and a membership-based model that has demonstrated strong customer retention. This addition will expand Chewy Vet Care’s presence, increasing its clinic network from 18 to 47 locations across the United States.
Financially, the deal appears compelling. Modern Animal is expected to contribute more than $125 million in annualized revenues while remaining EBITDA-neutral in fiscal 2026. The clinics typically mature over two to four years, positioning them to contribute meaningfully to profitability starting in 2027.
The acquisition also stands out due to Modern Animal’s strong unit economics. Mature clinics generate more than double the industry-average revenue per location, with EBITDA margins exceeding 20%. These metrics align well with Chewy’s existing clinic model, suggesting a smooth operational fit.
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Synergies and the Digital Flywheel
Management expects meaningful upside from integration. By leveraging Modern Animal’s proprietary technology across its network, Chewy aims to enhance appointment quality, increase average revenue per user and deepen engagement with pet owners. The company estimates that these synergies could drive a 15-20% increase in net sales per active customer within its veterinary ecosystem.
Strategically, this move strengthens Chewy’s position in a veterinary services market valued at roughly $40 billion in 2025 and growing steadily. With more than 21 million active customers, a strong Autoship subscription program, a scaled prescription platform and an existing vet care network, Chewy is well-positioned to capitalize on this expansion.
The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. From an investor perspective, low integration risk and the potential for the deal to become accretive to earnings per share within the first year underscore its importance in Chewy’s ongoing transformation.
Conclusion
The acquisition of Modern Animal represents a major step in Chewy’s expansion beyond retail into pet healthcare services. With a larger veterinary network, stronger integration across its ecosystem and growing cross-selling opportunities, the company is better positioned to tap into the expanding pet care market and drive long-term growth.
Chewy, which carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has seen its shares rising 3.2% over the past month. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Peer Price Performance
Shares of Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. WOOF and Phibro Animal Health Corporation PAHC have rallied 20.6% and 16.3%, respectively, over the past month, while Central Garden & Pet Company CENT has gained just 0.9%. WOOF sports a Zacks Rank #1, whereas PAHC and CENT each have a Zacks Rank #2.
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Central Garden & Pet Company (CENT): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).