Increased competition for your pet care dollars

Larger companies are beginning to recognize the economic potential of the pet industry. According to an article from Small Business Trends, big box retailers like Target and Walmart are both expanding their pet selection and using pets in their advertising. Petco and PetsMart continue to grow rapidly, increasing their total number of stores by over 160 stores in 2005, which is projected to continue in the coming years according to their annual reports. These companies are moving into the full service arena if they aren’t there already, to encourage customer loyalty.

As a longtime pet owner (we currently have two cats) I can tell you that I’ve been impressed by the increased variety offered by Target in the pet aisles over the past couple of years. It used to be that they only carried Purina and Meow Mix, and that Fancy Feast was the most premium food you could buy there. But now they offer a selection of Iams food, as well as a wider range of kitty litter, toys, beds, and catnip treats. This might sound trivial, but if it saves me a special trip to another store, I’m all for it.