PetSmart is a privately held American chain of pet superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company. As of 2020, PetSmart has more than 1,650 stores in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Its stores sell pet food, pet supplies, pet accessories, and small pets. Stores also provide services including grooming, dog daycare, dog and cat boarding, veterinary care via in-store third-party clinics, and dog training. They also offer dog and cat adoption via in-store adoption centers facilitated by the nonprofit PetSmart Charities.
Founded and Expansion
Founded in 1986 by Jim and Janice Dougherty, the company opened its first two stores in 1987 in Phoenix, Arizona under the name PetFood Warehouse, as warehouse-type stores that sold pet food in bulk at discount prices. The company went public via an IPO in 1993, and thereafter increased its nationwide expansion and the types of goods and services it offered.
After opening nearly 300 stores in the U.S., in 1996 the company expanded to Canada. It also bought and renamed a pet-store chain in the UK, but the over-priced purchase was a failure financially and operationally, and PETsMART sold the UK chain at a substantial loss to another pet-store company in the UK in late 1999. The failed UK expansion brought a loss in profitability and a low point for PETsMART stock in 2000.
Rebranding
In 2005 PETsMART rebranded itself PetSmart and embraced a new concept and image which focused on “pet parents” and the trend of humanizing pets It introduced a major television ad campaign appealing to pet owners who treated their pets as children or considered them family members.
Reviews
- “We have bought quite a few fish from the store in the past few months for them all to end up dying or contracting ich”
- “I would not go back to Grape Road PetSmart if you paid me to they are horrendous they did a horrible job on my Yorkie’s they came back bald copy all through their hair no blending whatsoever I do hair for a living and they had their hair in the face so chopped up that I had to go over and blend it myself. Whatever you do do not take your pets to PetSmart on Grape Road. Ireland Road does an excellent job I must say Grape Road is horrible they have horrible customer service there managers are even rude both of my Yorkie’s bad razor burn their nails were cut Jagged and sharp and cut one of my family members to blood. They did the worst job I’ve ever seen of my babies being groomed ever. I would never ever take my dogs to PetSmart on Grape Road they will do a butcher job on your pets you will be highly disappointed and like I said you couldn’t pay me to go back to that Salon if that’s what you call it they don’t even know what they’re doing they don’t get the right training obviously because they don’t know how to cut dog’s hair. They don’t even deserve one star the only reason they got one is cuz I had to put something they get a zero in my book and I will spread this around to all my clients and make sure everyone that I’ve come across knows not to take them to Grape Road PetSmart. And also their manager Chris he’s a delightful person loll luckily corporate fixed the issue they were very polite and they are going to hear about Chris’s attitude when I came in don’t take your dogs to Grape Road PetSmart period!!!! Like I said Ireland Road is a different story they do an excellent job and they actually know how to cut animals hair. This quote-unquote Salon is not a salon they do the quickest most horrible job I’ve ever seen in my life I’d like them to come to my salon and let me cut their hair. Give them razor burn and have unblended uneven hair that they even have left it’s pitiful that “Salon” should be shut down I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau”
- “I like to get my freshwater fish from PetSmart. They have a good selection of live bearers. Someday, I hope to buy cichlids but I need a larger tank!”