Chewy, Inc.
Company History
Chewy History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2011 in Plantation, Florida
When was Chewy founded?
Chewy was founded in 2011 in Plantation, Florida by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day, making it 15 years old.
- Founded
- 2011
- Founding place
- Plantation, Florida
- Founders
- Ryan Cohen and Michael Day
- Headquarters today
- Plantation, Florida
- Milestones documented
- 9 (2011–2026)
- Current CEO
- Sumit Singh
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Chewy Founded |
| 2017 | PetSmart Acquisition |
| 2018 | Sumit Singh Becomes CEO |
| 2019 | NYSE IPO |
| 2020 | Veterinary Telehealth Launched |
| 2024 | Chewy Vet Care Clinics Open |
| 2025 | SmartPak Equine Acquired |
| 2026 | Fiscal 2025 Net Sales Reach $12.6 Billion |
| 2026 | Modern Animal Acquisition |
- Where was Chewy founded?
- Chewy was founded in Plantation, Florida in 2011.
- Who founded Chewy?
- Chewy was founded by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day.
- When did Chewy start?
- Chewy was founded in 2011.
- How old is Chewy?
- Chewy is 15 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 2011, Ryan Cohen and Michael Day were college dropouts trying to build an online jewelry business, but their hearts weren't in it. Cohen realized he spent significantly more time obsessing over the diet of his toy poodle, Tylee, than he did caring about jewelry. He saw that while the pet industry was large, the online experience was completely transactional and sterile. He wanted to build an online pet store that felt like the friendly, knowledgeable guy at the local neighborhood pet shop. They pivoted immediately, launching Chewy with a total obsession on customer delight.
Founders
Ryan Cohen
Chewy was founded in 2011 by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day, two ambitious young entrepreneurs who recognized a vulnerability in the seemingly impenetrable armor of Amazon. The founding of the company occurred in Dania Beach, Florida, and represents one of the most successful David-vs-Goliath retail stories in modern corporate history. Cohen, a college dropout, and Day, an effective software developer, initially attempted to launch an online jewelry business. They quickly abandoned the idea, realizing the market was saturated and lacked emotional resonance. Cohen, the owner of a teacup poodle named Tylee, recognized that 'pet parents' shopped entirely differently than normal consumers. When buying pet food, they didn't just want speed and low prices (Amazon's advantage); they wanted expertise, empathy, and trust. They launched MrChewy.com (later shortened to Chewy) with a foundational philosophy of 'delighting' the customer. While Amazon was entirely transactional and automated, Cohen mandated that Chewy provide personalized, 24/7 customer service. The company famously sent handwritten holiday cards to customers and commissioned custom oil paintings of their pets. When a customer called to cancel a subscription because a pet died, Chewy sent a bouquet of sympathy flowers. This emotional investment created a level of brand loyalty that was entirely in e-commerce. Despite skepticism from Silicon Valley venture capitalists who believed they would be annihilated by Amazon, Cohen raised capital to build fulfillment centers. In 2017, in the largest e-commerce acquisition in history up to that point, PetSmart acquired Chewy for $3.35 billion, vindicating Cohen's conviction that emotional resonance could financially defeat algorithmic efficiency. Ryan Cohen was born in 1985.
Michael Day
Michael Day co-founded Chewy with Ryan Cohen in 2011 and served as the company's Chief Technology Officer. Day met Cohen in an internet chat room as a teenager, bonding over shared interests in website design and programming. While Cohen focused on customer service, brand, and investor relations, Day built the technical infrastructure that enabled Chewy's rapid growth. He architected the e-commerce platform from scratch, designed the inventory management system that supported the transition from third-party logistics to in-house fulfillment, and developed the data pipeline that powered Chewy's personalization and Autoship algorithms. Day's technical decisions, including the choice to build custom systems rather than rely on off-the-shelf e-commerce platforms, gave Chewy flexibility and scalability that competitors lacked. He remained with the company through the PetSmart acquisition and IPO, though he maintained a lower public profile than Cohen. Day's engineering culture emphasized reliability, speed, and data-driven decision-making, principles that continue to shape Chewy's technology organization. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Chewy Founded
Ryan Cohen and Michael Day launched MrChewy.com in Dania Beach, Florida, later shortened to Chewy.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPetSmart Acquisition
PetSmart, owned by BC Partners, acquired Chewy for $3.35 billion, then the largest e-commerce acquisition on record.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSumit Singh Becomes CEO
Sumit Singh, who joined as COO in 2017, succeeded co-founder Ryan Cohen as CEO.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNYSE IPO
Chewy listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CHWY in June 2019.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVeterinary Telehealth Launched
Chewy launched its Connect With a Vet telehealth service in 2020.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgChewy Vet Care Clinics Open
Chewy opened its first Chewy Vet Care clinics, moving into in-person veterinary care.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSmartPak Equine Acquired
Chewy agreed in October 2025 to buy SmartPak Equine (SmartEquine) from Covetrus, adding equine health products; the deal closed in November 2025.
Source: investor.chewy.comFiscal 2025 Net Sales Reach $12.6 Billion
Chewy reported $12.6 billion in fiscal 2025 net sales and record free cash flow of $562.4 million for the year ended February 1, 2026.
Source: investor.chewy.comModern Animal Acquisition
Announced April 8, 2026, the purchase of Modern Animal added 29 clinics, expanding Chewy's vet network from 18 to 47 locations.
Source: investor.chewy.comMajor Acquisitions
Modern Animal
2026Announced April 8, 2026, Chewy agreed to buy Modern Animal, a technology-led veterinary platform with 29 owned clinics, 24/7 virtual care and a membership model. Chewy said the deal would expand Chewy Vet Care from 18 to 47 locations and add more than $125 million in annualized run-rate revenue.
SmartPak Equine (SmartEquine)
2025Announced October 30, 2025, Chewy agreed to acquire SmartPak Equine from Covetrus to expand its equine health category with supplements, tack and horse-care products.
SmartPak Equine
2025Strengthen position in the equine health market.
Petabyte Technology
2022Provider of cloud-based practice management software for veterinary clinics.
Keep researching Chewy
Chewy Company History FAQ
When was Chewy founded and where did it start?
Chewy was founded in September 2011 in Dania Beach, Florida, by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day under the original name MrChewy.com, with a vision to deliver pet supplies with leading customer service.
When did Chewy build its own fulfillment center?
After third-party logistics providers could not keep up with its growth in 2013, Chewy brought fulfillment in-house and opened a fulfillment center in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
When was Chewy acquired by PetSmart for $3.35 billion?
PetSmart, owned by BC Partners, acquired Chewy for $3.35 billion in 2017, then the largest e-commerce acquisition on record.
When did Chewy launch Chewy Pharmacy?
Chewy launched Chewy Pharmacy in 2018, selling prescription pet medications and prescription diets verified with veterinarians.
When did Chewy complete its initial public offering on the NYSE?
On June 14, 2019, Chewy completed its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol CHWY, raising $1.0 billion at an initial market valuation of $8.8 billion.
When did Chewy expand internationally into Canada?
Chewy launched in Canada in 2023, initially shipping to parts of Ontario. The United States remains the source of nearly all of its revenue.
When did Chewy open its first physical Chewy Vet Care veterinary clinics?
Chewy opened its first Chewy Vet Care clinics in 2024. The network reached 18 locations before the 2026 Modern Animal acquisition expanded it to 47.
What is Chewy's industry standing in the pet economy today?
Chewy is the largest U.S. pure-play online pet retailer, with $12.6 billion in fiscal 2025 net sales and 21.7 million active customers as of Q2 fiscal 2026.
Who owned Chewy?
Chewy was founded in 2011 by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day. In 2017, the physical retailer PetSmart acquired Chewy for $3.35 billion (the largest e-commerce acquisition ever at the time), before eventually spinning it back out via an IPO.
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