Come for the grooming… stay for the groceries. Yesterday Walmart opened its first pet-services center in an Atlanta exurb, offering everything from $15 nail trims to $25 rabies shots. It added vet services to some of its stores in 2019, and this year it gave Walmart+ subscribers free access to virtual vet visits. The new pet vet and grooming center has its own entrance next to Walmart, and is staffed by workers from pet health and wellness company PetIQ. Walmart plans to open more locations next year (or sooner).
Purr-fect opportunity: Well over half of Americans have a pet, and vet-clinic traffic is on the rise as more folks check up on their fluffy companions. And businesses have taken note.
Stocking up on squeaky toys… Pet adoption has really slowed since the pandemic, but that didn’t keep Americans from splurging $137B on their fur babies last year, up 11% from 2021. Retailers want to cash in on the pet-palooza. In July, home-improvement biggie Lowe’s said it would expand its Petco shop-in-shops from 15 locations to nearly 300 by the end of the year. Petco itself has grown its vet biz from 10 clinics in 2018 to 247. And this year Kohl’s said it would make room for more pet goodies.
Capitalize on the habits you create... 31M people visit Walmart daily for their budget-shopping needs like groceries. Adding pet services next to stores could create a convenient two-in-one habit, giving shoppers more to add to their list (picture: dropping Rosie off for a trim while you grab eggs). Chewy and Petco said pet owners are increasingly opting for wallet-friendly supplies, and Walmart could capitalize on its discount reputation.