Now, we all know how gaga people can be over their pets. But is there really a need for a dedicated delivery service, especially when animal food and treats can simply be added on to a regular supermarket shop?

To find out, I delved into what the app has to offer.

Money-off incentives

The main Monster Pet Supplies website features a lot of ‘tail-waggingly good’ deals and discounts.

Likewise, the app appears to be using the money-off angle as its main selling-point, as well as its strategy to encourage downloads.

First impressions deliver on this promise, as I am met with a veritable slideshow of savings.

    

Opening the app further, I was naturally intrigued by the ‘free food’ button in the main menu, which promised me £10 off an order if I shared the promotion.

 

Sounds good. I’m in.

I soon discovered that this meant £5 off for me, and £5 off for the recipient (only if they go on to use it, of course). Less good.

Despite this, the free delivery over £29 and focus on competitive prices are definitely a plus.

With most supermarkets and large pet stores charging for shipping, this will be an obvious draw for new consumers.

Homepage and navigation

The main carousel on the homepage once again highlights the various savings to be had.

One thing that is immediately obvious is the heavy promotion of Purina products. 

Unsurprising given the sponsorship, yet it still feels a little too biased… when you search by brand, Purina even gets its own dedicated filter.

 

In terms of the main navigation, the search and filter options are fluid and easy-to-use.

Allowing you to search by type of food, brand, life-stage and specific flavour – it’s easy to find what you’re looking for.

 

With many dedicated pet owners likely to have an existing favourite brand or treat, this makes features like the favourite list and automatic repeated delivery all the more convenient.

  

Product range and pricing

Despite the bias towards Purina, there is a large variety of brands to choose from.

The only downside is that the app so far only caters for dogs and cats, meaning other small pet owners are left out entirely.

In terms of pricing, there is a clear focus on beating the recommended retail price.

However, this appears to be a bit hit and miss, as while some products are certainly cheaper, I found other items selling for less on rival pet websites.

     

Checkout

One of the main reasons you might use an app like Monster Pet Supplies is convenience.

In line with this, I found the checkout process to be surprisingly fast and easy.

Allowing the user to enter details without the need for multiple click-throughs or waiting for pages to load, it was one of the fastest checkouts I’ve experienced in an app.

The option for Paypal checkout was similarly pleasing.

   

In summary…

Despite some negatives like heavy-handed sponsorship and embellishment of the amount of savings on offer, it’s a pretty decent ecommerce app overall.

Going back to the initial point – will people use it to buy their pet food instead of a regular supermarket?

If the app is able to deliver on its promise of price and convenience, I don’t see why not.

Like any new service, it all depends on how Monster Supplies is able to connect with the target market and whether it’s actually solving a genuine problem for its user.