Chewy (NYSE: CHWY), the online pet store which counts PetSmart as its majority owner, had a good year even before the coronavirus pandemic pushed people to order more essential items online. The company grew net sales by 40% to $4.85 billion for the full year. That actually exceeded its fourth-quarter growth, with the company closing its year with $1.35 billion in sales, a gain of 35%. Dogs still need to eat. Image source: Getty Images. Will pandemic circumstances help Chewy? Chewy faces a difficult battle for customers against Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). The current pandemic may help Chewy gain more users, as Amazon has extended shipping times on items it deems non-essential or that are out of stock. But pets need to eat no matter what's happening in the world at large. They also still need toys and other supplies, like litter for cats. With people going out less (or not at all) and Amazon struggling to meet the needs of its human customers, it's very likely that Chewy will benefit. "While 2019 closed on a high note, and 2020 got off to a strong start, the world changed dramatically with the coronavirus outbreak," CEO Sumit Singh said in a press release. "In times like these, we know how special and comforting the bond is between humans and pets, and we devote ourselves every day to supporting those special relationships." Will customers stay? If Chewy meets pet owners' needs during a time of crisis, it's very likely that at least some of those people will stay customers. That should help the company stay on a growth track even after the coronavirus pandemic has passed and the world returns to some form of normal. 10 stocks we like better than Chewy, Inc.When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Chewy, Inc. wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of March 18, 2020 John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Daniel B. Kline has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon and recommends the following options: short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon and long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source