Bark Shifts Focus to Resonate With Consumers Beyond Subscriptions

Despite the economic changes, pet essentials remain highly valued by pet parents. However, Bark, the omnichannel dog brand known for its BarkBox and Super Chewer pet subscription boxes, has faced challenges in securing a top position on consumers’ priority lists. The company reported net losses for the fourth quarter due to lower ordering volume. However, there was an improvement compared to the previous year, with the losses narrowing to $14.2 million from $36.7 million.

Going Beyond Subscription

In recent quarters, Bark has introduced a range of options to its customers, providing them with the choice between subscribing and saving or making one-time purchases to enhance its conversion rate. The future of this approach will depend on the specific product mix offered by BarkBox, said Matt Meeker, co-founder, CEO and executive chairman of Bark, during the company’s latest earnings call.

After stepping down as CEO in 2020, Meeker made a comeback 16 months later in early 2022 due to the challenges faced by the company’s bottom line. The organization had encountered difficulties with excess inventory and the consequences of rapid expansion in order to meet the demands of an industry that had experienced significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Last year when I returned to running the business, we were facing some notable challenges, the biggest of which was that we were burning cash at a high rate,” Meeker said. “Along with a high burn rate, our cost of goods and fulfillment costs were rising rapidly, our inventory balances growing out of control, and the faster we grew, the faster we burned cash.”

Bark intends to maintain its subscription-based model for BarkBox and Super Chewer. However, products such as food are more likely to be regular delivery, making them suitable for subscriptions. While BarkBox offers the option for one-time purchases, it may not be applicable to all products. The future arrangement will be determined by the product mix and its trajectory, particularly concerning consumables.

Getting Lean

According to Meeker, the company has made strides in the past two quarters to cut costs by decreasing inventory and implementing workforce reductions of 12%. In fiscal 2022, the company experienced a cash burn of $194 million. In fiscal 2023, this figure improved to $17 million, with the second half of the year even generating a positive cash flow of $17 million.

“We expect to be free cash flow positive for the full fiscal year,” said Meeker. “We believe that this profile will give us a healthy foundation for long-term growth.”

Lessons From Petco and Chewy

As indicated by a recent report from PYMNTS, Petco, has fully embraced the notion that whatever humans require, pets require as well. During Petco’s quarterly earnings call on May 24, the company revealed a 20% surge in the number of pets attending veterinary appointments compared to the previous year.

Petco’s new flagship store in New York City includes a grooming salon, veterinary hospital, JustFoodForDogs kitchen, and a curated selection of merchandise.

Read more: Petco Gets Paws Deep on Pet Essentials

Then there’s Chewy, who’s stock witnessed its most significant increase in nearly four years, the result of the pet-products retailer’s sales performance, which exceeded expectations.

Chewy CEO Sumit Singh reported record highs in net sales per active customer and sales through its autoship program which offers benefits like prescription refills, discounts, and scheduled deliveries.

Read more: Chewy’s Recurring Orders Drive Growth and Investor Enthusiasm

Bark by the Numbers

In the latest quarter, Bark’s total revenue fell 2% year over year, to $126 million, which exceeded the company’s guidance by $5 million, as stated in a press release.

Breaking it down by channel, direct-to-consumer (D2C) revenue fell 1.5% from the previous year, to $116 million, while wholesale revenue dropped by 9.3% to $10 million. These declines coincided with a 15% increase in advertising and marketing expenses, totaling $15.4 million in Q4.

Over the course of the full year, Bark witnessed a 5.5% year-over-year increase in revenue, reaching $535.3 million. Furthermore, the net loss for the year narrowed by about 10% to $61.5 million.