71% Prefer Voice Search - Is Your Pet Business Discoverable?

Issue #222

July 30th, 2025

Quick Hits:

🇸🇬 Cultivated meat pet food gets approval in Singapore

🧢 New Zealand company launches PupLid, a better way to keep hats on the heads of pups

🤝 Tractive acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare

🪡 Needle little love? Watch this Boston get the felt treatment

🛫 Pet travel global market expected to hit $3.3B by 2029

📊 Central Garden & Pet to publish Q3 results on August 6th

Voice technology has reached a tipping point. From smart speakers and in-car assistants to voice search on TVs and wearables, consumers are embracing voice for everyday commerce.

In fact, over 153 million Americans use voice assistants and there are now over 8.4 B voice assistants embedded in devices worldwide, more than one for every person on the planet.

This figure represents total instances across phones, smart speakers, TVs, cars, and wearables—not unique users—but it highlights just how deeply voice tech is embedded in everyday life.

Voice commerce has surged from $19.4 B in 2023 to roughly $39.8 B in 2024 and is expected to top $81.8B globally in 2025.

That’s more than 55% growth 📈 YoY.

Analysts project the market will continue expanding at ~24–25% CAGR through 2030, surpassing $186 B worldwide as consumers increasingly shop hands‑free on cars, TVs, and smart devices .

It’s not just novelty: 71% of consumers prefer using voice commands over typing and 60% now shop via voice weekly, indicating a massive shift in behavior.

Smart speakers are in over half of U.S. households today, and by 2025 an estimated 75% of households will own at least one.

Automakers are integrating voice AI into the driving experience too – according to a Statista survey in 2021, 127M+ cars in the U.S. have voice assistants built-in (which is now most certainly a much larger number).

This isn’t just passive usage - 54% of U.S. consumers already use voice search for retail queries.

Yet, despite this explosive adoption, one sector has been largely silent on voice platforms: independent pet businesses.

Ask Siri or an in-car assistant for a “pet groomer near me” or “best organic dog food,” and chances are you’ll get an answer from a big-box retailer or only businesses that are indexed.

The local pet groomer, boutique pet store, or family-run vet clinic runs the risk of being invisible in this voice-first world.

The Visibility Problem for Independent Pet Businesses

For independent pet businesses, this discoverability challenge is stark.

Traditional local SEO on Google is hard enough; in voice search it’s even more competitive.

Nearly 50% of all voice searches are for local information, and 58% of consumers have used voice search to find a local business in the past year.

Critically, almost half (46%) of those voice search users search for local businesses daily.

These are high-intent, ready-to-buy customers – drivers looking for the nearest pet store, dog owners asking “Where’s an emergency vet right now?”, new pet parents saying “Find puppy training near me.”

If your business isn’t optimized for voice, you’re invisible during those crucial queries.

Why are small pet businesses missing out?

The voice platforms (Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, SoundHound, etc.) tend to pull data from major directories, map services, and various aggregators.

Big-box retailers and chains invest heavily to ensure they’re the default answer.

Meanwhile, independent groomers or pet boutiques often aren’t even listed in those voice search databases.

And even if you are, several of these business profiles are not optimized, meaning their profiles are incomplete and lacking critical data.

It’s a classic visibility gap – as voice dominates high-intent local search, the little guys get drowned out by giants or more tech savvy competition.

And unlike traditional search results, there’s no second page in a voice response; you either are the answer, or you’re nothing.

Enter PetMatrix.ai – Built for the Pet Industry

PetMatrix.ai is introducing a solution tailor-made for this new voice-driven landscape: the first AI-powered voice commerce network exclusively for the pet industry.

In short, PetMatrix is building a voice-search directory and commerce platform where groomers, pet sitters, veterinarians, pet supply shops, trainers, and more can be heard – literally – on voice assistants as well as through their web directory.

The mission is simple but ambitious: help pet businesses gain voice visibility without requiring any technical lift on their part.

How does it work?

PetMatrix.ai is using SoundHound AI – a leader in voice AI technology – to integrate pet businesses into SoundHound’s expansive voice assistant ecosystem.

SoundHound’s independent voice platform powers embedded voice assistants in over 100M devices (from cars by Hyundai & Kia to smart TVs by Vizio).

PetMatrix will serve as the pet industry’s gateway into that ecosystem.

If a user queries a SoundHound-powered device – say the voice assistant in a new Kia, or a voice search on a smart TV – for a pet-related need, PetMatrix’s directory will supply the answers, prioritizing its network of independent pet businesses.

The platform will route customers directly to pet businesses via voice commands, enabling real-time booking, voice-activated purchases, and even phone call connections initiated by an AI assistant.

All the pet business has to do is sign up and provide their info; PetMatrix handles the heavy tech integration with voice platforms.

It’s a plug-and-play solution to get small pet businesses indexed on voice search across 130M+ cars, 100M+ smart TVs, and an array of mobile devices (starting with Bixby/Samsung).

The rollout timeline underscores how fast this is coming.

PetMatrix plans to integrate their smart device ecosystem by the end of Q4 2025 or Q1 2026, connecting pet businesses to voice-search capabilities across cars, smart TVs, wearable devices, AR glasses, and other connected platforms.

In other words, the network is being built now.

PetMatrix is led by a team with expertise across pet care, enterprise tech, and performance marketing.

• CEO | Alexa Elliot brings over 37 years of hands-on experience running pet businesses and serving in C-suite roles across franchising and retail.

• CTO | Yael Gomez, a former tech executive at Walgreens Boots Alliance, helped lead innovation for a $140B global enterprise spanning 25+ markets.

• CMO | James Durdy managed $45M+ brand portfolios at agencies like Young & Rubicam and Saatchi & Saatchi.

• COO | Mike Carey, an executive veteran in FinTech and consumer packaged goods, brings deep affiliate and growth experience from startup to IPO.

• General Sales | Ryan Lommel brings 25 years of sales and distribution leadership in insurance and financial services

SoundHound AI – The Technical Weapon

Behind the scenes, PetMatrix’s power comes from leveraging SoundHound AI’s tech and distribution.

If you’re not familiar, SoundHound (NASDAQ: SOUN) is a prominent voice AI company that’s been quietly embedding its technology in all sorts of products we use every day.

It IPO’d in 2022 and has since inked deals to put custom voice assistants in cars (Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis brands), smart TVs (Vizio), music apps (Pandora), social apps (Snapchat) and more.

Unlike Alexa or Siri, SoundHound specializes in white-label voice AI – meaning companies can have SoundHound’s voice assistant inside their product, with custom wake words and domain knowledge.

SoundHound’s tech also runs on-device in 25 languages, allowing speedy responses without cloud lag, an important feature for in-car or real-time interactions.

For pet businesses, PetMatrix’s directory leveraging SoundHound could be a big deal.

It effectively plugs pet brands into a voice ecosystem already trusted by automotive and consumer electronics giants. 

When a driver asks their car for a pet service, or a family uses voice search on their smart TV, SoundHound’s system will tap into PetMatrix’s pet-specific index.

This means even a small pet shop or local vet can become the top voice result if they’re part of PetMatrix.

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It’s worth noting that this doesn’t mean PetMatrix will be the only possible way to participate in voice commerce, they’re just the first platform/directory to focus on bringing this tech and distribution directly to pet businesses at scale.

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PetMatrix is tapping into SoundHound's established voice AI infrastructure, which processes over 5B voice queries annually and has been pioneering voice ordering capabilities in cars, as demonstrated at CES 2025.

They’re already processing orders for tens of thousands of restaurants through their system.

What Voice Commerce Might Look Like for Pet Businesses

Let’s run through a few examples of how this platform could transform everyday customer interactions for pet businesses:

• 🔎 Discovery & Foot Traffic: A pet owner in a new town sits in their Kia with SoundHound voice assistant (aptly named ‘Hound’) and says, “Find raw dog food near me open now.” With PetMatrix, the assistant could reply, “Pete’s Pet Nutrition on 3rd Street is open and specializes in raw food. It’s 1.5 miles away. Want to place an order for pick up and add it to your route?” – highlighting a local independent retailer that’s part of the network. In one sentence, a small shop gains a new customer simply because it was indexed in the voice directory.

• 📺️ At-Home Voice Search: A family watching TV (with a built-in voice search) asks, “Where’s the nearest emergency vet?” Hound assistant immediately responds with a PetMatrix-registered veterinary clinic, “Emergency Pet Care Clinic on Elm is 4 miles away. They are open 24/7. Shall I call them for you or get driving directions?” The voice assistant can even initiate a call or appointment booking through PetMatrix’s integration. No fumbling with phones or web searches – it’s an instant connection between a pet owner in crisis and a local vet who might have otherwise been hard to find.

• 🗣️ Service Booking via Voice: A busy pet parent uses their smartphone assistant to say, “Book boarding for my dog this weekend.” The voice AI (through PetMatrix) finds a local dog boarding facility with availability. “Happy Tails Boarding has space for Friday through Sunday. It’s $45 per night. Shall I reserve a spot for Luna?” With a confirmed “Yes, book it,” the assistant finalizes the reservation – even processing a deposit or payment – all hands-free. The boarding kennel gets a confirmed booking literally delivered by AI voice, without any phone tag.

These examples illustrate how voice commerce turns search into action instantly.

For the customer, it’s ultra-convenient. For pet businesses, it means capturing sales and bookings they might otherwise lose to large competitors or disorganized web search results.

Busy groomers and boarding facilities can even have AI answer incoming calls for them to answer any FAQs, set appointments, and take payments all while they continue servicing in-person customers.

Okay Cool, but What About Revenue?

Let’s address the all-important question: What’s in it for the pet business in terms of potential ROI?

Well hard to say exactly given that this hasn’t launched yet, but we can use SoundHound’s restaurant integrations as a proxy, the potential upside is clear.

By late 2024, their platform had facilitated an estimated $300M–$400M in food orders across partners like White Castle, Jersey Mike’s, Torchy’s Tacos, and more.

With SoundHound typically earning a ~5% cut per transaction, that means every $1 of platform revenue represents roughly $20 in sales for the business.

If even a fraction of that volume translates into the pet space, early adopters of PetMatrix could see meaningful downstream revenue, especially for high-ticket services like boarding, veterinary care, or grooming.

One big question remains if consumers will use this tech in pet like they do for food…

Be Discovered by Voice Across 130M+ Cars and 100M+ Homes

First and foremost, the platform puts your business where customers are searching. Instead of spending ever-increasing dollars on Google or Meta ads, you get organic exposure via voice queries.

These voice leads are ultra high-intent – the customer literally asked for the service you offer – and come at a fraction of the cost of traditional ads. In fact, PetMatrix is making basic participation free for early sign-ups (more on that below), so the ROI on visibility alone is huge.

One relevant voice referral could be more valuable than hundreds of generic ad impressions.

Accept Bookings and Purchases Directly via Voice 

PetMatrix isn’t just about leads; it enables actual transactions.

If you’re a groomer, a vet, a pet sitter, etc., the platform can take a booking on your behalf when a user requests it via voice. If you sell products, it can facilitate a purchase or reservation for in-store pickup.

Voice-enabled shopping often yields markedly stronger results than mobile checkout.

Sephora saw a 35 % higher average order value via voice assistant compared to their website.

Appear in Sponsored or Priority Slots (Optional)

While the core directory listing is free, PetMatrix plans to offer sponsored placements or advertising tiers down the road for those who want extra visibility.

Businesses that sign up now can get listed in the voice directory at no cost and start receiving voice-based leads as the system comes online (the company has even been populating the directory with thousands of pet businesses proactively).

According to PetMatrix, early partners will enjoy free leads for a period (e.g. 60 days) once the voice system activates, and potentially lock in lower fees for any paid features in the future.

There’s also an option for a one-time $98 upgrade that gives lifetime access to advanced features (like deeper voice integration, data analytics, etc.) for the first 1,000 businesses.

The philosophy is to remove barriers so that the first cohort of pet businesses can prove the value. If PetMatrix delivers even a handful of new customers, it pays for itself many times over.

Long-term, the revenue model for PetMatrix will likely include a small fee per lead or transaction (only when a customer actually books or is on-route to you), and optional advertising packages.

PetMatrix’s approach is performance-based: you pay when value is delivered, not just for exposure.

Also, with every purchase or booking, PetMatrix gives back by donating 3% to rescues, shelters, and emergency vet care for pets in crisis.

Why This Matters Now & What to Do Next

As of 2025, over half of smartphone users regularly use voice search to find information about brands and businesses, and more than 1B voice searches are performed each month.

This isn’t a future trend – it’s here and accelerating.

Experts predict that conversational and voice searches could make up 50% of all online queries by 2026, effectively becoming as important as traditional text search.

For pet businesses that rely on local discovery and quick answers, this is a critical moment. Optimizing for voice now is akin to getting a website or joining Google Maps a decade ago – soon it will be standard, but those who move early reap the biggest benefits.

Voice searches with local and transactional intent are surging (76% of voice searches are “near me” queries for local info, and a growing portion involve commerce).

So, what should you do next if you’re interested in joining?

• Get Your Business Listed on PetMatrix.ai. It’s free to sign up and just takes filling out your business details (services, hours, location, etc.). This ensures that as the voice directory goes live, your business is in the mix for relevant searches.

• Secure the Founder’s Deal (if it fits your needs). If you’re interested in the enhanced features, consider the one-time $98 upgrade for lifetime voice integration and discounted lead fees. It’s a low cost for potentially huge long-term benefit.

• Stay Engaged. PetMatrix is a new platform, so engage with their community – provide your feedback, and take advantage of any beta tools. Early partners often get to shape the platform, so your input could influence features that benefit your business.

If you're planning to attend SuperZoo 2025, PetMatrix will be there to answer questions, provide demos, and help you understand how the platform could work for your business.

PetMatrix is promising something potentially transformative for the pet industry, but as with any emerging technology platform, we'll have to wait and see if they can deliver on these ambitious goals and whether voice commerce adoption reaches the scale they're betting on.

Time will tell…

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While interest has always had a seasonal pulse, peaking around spring and late summer, 2025 is seeing an unprecedented surge.

Search interest is up nearly 2x from its 2023 lows, suggesting a wave of consumers actively shopping for outdoor, travel, or pet lifestyle gear - right in time for peak vacation season.

For brands, this isn’t just about bags, it’s about mobility, aesthetics, and the continued humanization of pets.

Whether it’s carriers for toy breeds, rugged hiking packs for dogs, or fashion-forward city wearables, this trend speaks to how owners are integrating pets into their daily adventures.

See you Friday!