Smithland Cares: Giving Back on Every Transaction

When a customer brings home a new pet, their journey, and the expenses are just beginning. The toys, the treats, the training pads, the food—pet ownership is an investment. Smithland, a community-rooted retailer known for its garden and pet supply offerings, saw this moment as a chance to give back.

That idea gave rise to Smithland Cares, a program built on one simple belief: when customers spend money caring for their new pet, they should also be able to care for the shelter that helped make the adoption possible.

What started years ago as a well-intentioned but manual initiative has since grown into a fully automated, tech-forward program that supports local animal shelters while strengthening customer loyalty. And it all ties back to a smarter way of doing business—thanks in no small part to the same Clutch-powered platform that transformed Smithland’s loyalty and marketing.

How It All Started

Originally called the Sidekicks program, Smithland’s early give-back effort was driven by heart. Customers who adopted a pet from a participating shelter received a special Sidekicks card. Each time they shopped at Smithland, they had to remember to pull out the card and have it scanned at checkout. If they did, a percentage of their purchase—calculated quarterly—would be turned into store credit for the shelter.

This system worked, but not without friction. Participation relied on customer memory, point-of-sale scanning, and internal tracking. Gift cards had to be processed manually and either mailed to the shelter or picked up in person. While the intent was pure, the process left too much room for missed opportunities and inefficiency.

A Smarter System

Enter Rachel Iazzetta, Head of Marketing at Smithland, who saw the potential for something better. She recognized that by integrating this charitable initiative directly into Smithland’s loyalty infrastructure—now powered by Clutch—they could eliminate the barriers and build a program that was automatic, scalable, and far more impactful.

Today, the program is known as Smithland Cares, and it's embedded directly into the customer experience. Shoppers can enroll with a simple text message, selecting their shelter of choice from a list of partners. From that point forward, 3% of every purchase they make is automatically credited to the selected shelter’s account.

No more scanning cards. No more quarterly reconciliations. No more missed chances.

And the results speak for themselves.

Powered by Loyalty, Fueled by Community

Smithland Rewards now boasts over 350,000 enrolled customers. Each of those individuals has the opportunity to be linked to a specific shelter, creating a direct and transparent channel of support. The platform—driven by Clutch’s customer data and loyalty tools—tracks every eligible purchase and seamlessly allocates funds to the right organization.

This matters for two big reasons. First, it removes friction for the customer, which increases participation. Second, it ensures shelters get more consistent and reliable support throughout the year, instead of relying on one-time donations or end-of-quarter reviews.

Here’s where the data gets exciting. The average new puppy owner spends around $950 in their first year. With 3% of each purchase going back to the shelter, Smithland Cares generates an average of $28.50 per customer per year in direct shelter support—without anyone lifting a finger after enrollment. The costs continue to add up over the lifetime of a pet. The cost of insurance, food, supplies, medical visits can reach up to $14,250. Lifelong members of Smithland Cares would reward those shelters with over $350 during that time period. 

Multiply that by thousands of customers, and Smithland is redirecting thousands of dollars in annual retail value back into the community.

Why It Works

The genius of Smithland Cares lies in how naturally it fits into the shopping experience. There’s no hard sell. No separate platform to navigate. Just a one-time opt-in and a clear promise: every time you shop, you're helping the shelter that helped your pet find their forever home.

It also taps into something deeper in consumer psychology. Customers want to feel good about where they spend their money. And when their dollars create measurable, local impact, that loyalty becomes emotional, not just transactional.

Building Bonds Beyond the Basket

There’s another layer of brilliance here that marketing teams should take note of. By aligning the program with pet adoptions, Smithland is reaching customers at a critical and emotional inflection point. New pet owners are making high-stakes decisions and major purchases. By offering support, guidance, and a feel-good way to give back, Smithland becomes part of that formative journey.

It’s also smart business. Remember that $950 figure? That’s not a small investment. Smithland’s ability to capture those purchases, offer relevant promotions through the Clutch platform, and tie it all to a loyalty-based give-back program is exactly the kind of flywheel effect that drives long-term retention and higher customer lifetime value.

It’s no coincidence that this charitable program and their loyalty transformation go hand in hand.

Conclusion

Smithland Cares is what happens when community values meet smart technology. By building this program into their customer experience, Smithland has created a seamless way for shoppers to support the shelters they care about—all while strengthening their own brand and bottom line.

This is more than corporate responsibility. It’s customer-centric loyalty with real-world impact. And for the shelters, the animals, and the adopters? It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

To read more about Smithland's success on the Clutch platform, click here