by Parija Kavilanz, CNN
NEW YORK – Horses, cows, goats, pigs and sheep have food and grooming needs, too, and Petco is stepping up to deliver its products and services to their owners.
Petco announced Thursday it is launching a new, smaller store concept that’s specifically designed to meet the needs of both pets and farm animals in small towns and rural communities.
The first Petco Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply store is set to open June 17 in Floresville, Texas, which is 28 miles southeast of San Antonio. The pet supplies and services retailer said the new store will carry a curated assortment of food products and services, including mobile vaccination, grooming, and self-service stations for owners to wash their farm animals.
In partnership with Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), the neighborhood farm and pet supply locations will offer adoption services and other health and wellness programs to further support local pets. Customers can also buy “companion animals” like guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, reptiles and amphibians at the store, as is the case at some existing outlets.
Similar to Petco’s city stores, the neighborhood stores will offer same-day delivery and curbside pickup.
Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a statement that small towns and rural communities “are rapidly-growing markets” for the pet care industry. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to serve more pets by dramatically expanding local access to healthy pet products and services.”
The company, which operates more than 1,300 locations in the US, said it expects to open a handful of these stores in 2022 as the company strives to expand its market beyond urban centers….
