Petco is rebranding themselves

Among the steps on that journey was its decision in 2014 to become the first national specialty retailer to discontinue the sale of China-made treats following consumer concerns. In May 2019, Petco likewise became the first to stop selling dog and cat food and treats with artificial ingredients. As an essential retailer during the pandemic, Petco said it has “served as the grocery store, the doctor’s office and the pharmacy for America’s pets, delivering on its promise as a partner to pet parents within a dramatically changed landscape.”

Petco is planning an expansion of pet care services and resources to reinforce its amplified health positioning, including:

• Expanding its full-service in-store vet hospitals from more than 100 currently to over 140 by January 2021;
• New and expanded healthcare solutions, including its recently-introduced Vital Care annual insurance program that’s tied to rewards;
• A redesign of petco.com and the Petco app to support health and wellness resources including online appointment booking, curbside pickup and same-day delivery;
• A newly-launched digital “Right Food Finder” to help pet owners determine optimal foods for their pets’ nutritional needs;
• Completing the removal of artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from food for aquatic life and small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and reptiles by the end of 2021 following the completion of such standards for dogs and cats in 2019.

A major marketing campaign highlighting the chain’s evolution is slated for early 2021.

The rebranding gained heightened attention as Petco at the same time announced it was ending the sale of electronic “shock” collars and launching a #StopTheShock campaign to ban the devices altogether. Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a statement, “As a health and wellness company, our mission is focused on improving pet lives and we think selling shock collars does the opposite.”

Source: Retailwire