Colombia’s leading pharmacy chain opens pet store concept

Colombian pharmacy chain Cruz Verde has recently launched Cruzpet, its pet store concept dedicated to animal health, nutrition and care. The group claims to be the first pharmaceutical retailer in the country to integrate human and animal care.

The first store, opened in the capital Bogotá, offers pet food, medicines, supplements, hygiene supplies, wellness and accessories products for both cats and dogs.

“We identified a structural shift in the market: accelerated growth in the pet segment, with a clear need for accessible and professionally supported solutions,” Julio César Martínez De Vivero, Cruz Verde Colombia’s President, tells GlobalPETS.

A long-term strategy?

The pharmacy player hopes to leverage its credibility in health to attract pet owners seeking science-backed options, which is also why it opted to offer in-store expert orientation.

For Vivero, this is a “long-term bet”. “Our focus is not on occasional consumption, but on monitoring the daily care of pets, from a preventive and long-term perspective,” he says. 

According to the President, Cruzpet’s planning began a year ago, during which time work was carried out to understand the market, design the model, build the portfolio, develop the in-store experience, and train the teams.

Expansion plan

The company plans to open physical stores in “strategic locations” at a gradual pace, though it has not disclosed specific sites for this expansion. 

“In the medium term, our vision is to validate the format, consolidate the value proposition, and move toward a network of stores that allows the model to scale while maintaining operational consistency,” says Vivero.

The brand doesn’t yet have digital channels, but is working on building its own e-commerce with nationwide delivery and integration of services offering.  The parent pharma chain, on the other hand, has a wide range of products available online, as well as an app, click-and-collect and delivery options.

Cruz Verde is part of the health division of Mexican multinational FEMSA, operating in Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay and Colombia. It operates 380 locations across the latter.

More players 

Earlier in the year, home improvement retail chain Sodimac also opened a pet store and services provider in Bogotá.

The concept, called Petizoos Pet Center, is divided into retail, pharmacy and services, with grooming, vaccination and veterinary consultations. Currently, there is only one physical unit of the pet center and no e-commerce integration. 

Sodimac operates more than 260 stores across Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

Pet market in Colombia

An analysis conducted by the data and technology company Numerator and analytics provider Kantar in 2025 found that more than 73% of Colombians buy pet products. More than half of them (56%) are for dogs.  

According to the research, this represents a 9% growth in the last 2 years and contrasts with a 9% drop in the purchase of baby diapers, suggesting a greater penetration of pets than babies in households. 

In Vivero’s assessment, the pet segment in the country is undergoing structural and sustainable growth, “driven by the transformation of the family concept and a greater awareness of animal wellbeing.”