Petco rolls out new small-town, rural store format

Petco Health and Wellness Co. has launched of a new store concept aimed at serving the health and wellness needs of pets and farm animals in small towns and rural areas.

Called Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply, the pet care centers are designed as one-stop shops offering health and wellness solutions for pets and livestock such as horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats, among other animals. The stand-alone stores serve up a curated assortment of high-quality products and pet care services, with the pet-focused support that Petco is known for, the San Diego-based retailer said.

Petco noted that the Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply stores are strategically and conveniently situated at the heart of small-town and rural communities. The first Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply center opened last month in Floresville, Texas, and is slated to be followed by “a handful” of additional locations in 2022, according to the company.

“These are rapidly growing markets where pet parents are looking for an experienced, pet-dedicated partner like Petco to help them care for the health and wellness of their animals,” Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a statement. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to serve more pets by dramatically expanding local access to healthy pet products and services.”

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Fourteen percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, a demographic that’s growing rapidly and represents an estimated $7 billion total addressable market in small-town and rural locations, providing an opportunity to capture significant incremental share of market and wallet, Petco reported.

The full suite of offerings at Petco Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply stores will include high-quality nutrition, a curated farm and feed assortment, live companion animals, mobile vaccination and grooming services and self-wash stations, along with online services such as same-day delivery and in-store/curbside pickup. Petco added that the new-concept stores also will serve as places for community gatherings, with each location offering local events and an in-store community board to drive safe, pet-friendly interaction amongst neighbors. The pet centers, too, will offer adoption services and other health and wellness programs to further support local pets.

Overall, Petco operates more than 1,500 pet care centers across the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico.