On Sept. 20, Walmart opened its first-ever Pet Services center in Dallas, Georgia, in a pre-existing Walmart store. According to Walmart’s announcement, “The new center will offer a variety of pet services, including veterinary care and grooming, in a dedicated storefront.”
Fox Business noted that plans for this move began in 2019 when Walmart announced that it aimed to “open up several dozen more veterinary clinics in its stores throughout the country as well as launching an online pet pharmacy that will deliver pet meds straight to your door in hopes of luring millennial pet owners who spend more than $1,285 a year on their furry loved ones.”
Dog and cat owners no longer have to wander far for top-notch care; the Walmart Pet Services center provides routine vet services, from timely vaccines and wellness exams to minor medical procedures. The center also offers a full suite of grooming services, including baths, nail trimming, and teeth cleaning sessions.
The new pet center in Georgia was specially chosen since Walmart also built its first-ever health center in this same location in 2019. The company plans to roll out future Walmart Pet Services centers based on the Georgia model. Additionally, “Walmart currently offers 65 locations with in-store vet clinics, which are owned and operated by PetIQ.”
Fox Business explained that “the push for more affordable pet health care comes as prices continue to rise in the pet category higher than the national inflation rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” With 66% of U.S. households owning pets, per the American Pet Products Association, millions of Americans are feeling the pressure of these rising costs to care for their animals.
In its announcement, Walmart stated that its new pet services center “will offer low, transparent pricing for key pet services.” It also said that “increasing access to convenient and affordable health care for our customers is central to our mission of helping people save money and live better.”
Walmart also recently released a new subscription service that allows customers to “schedule automatic deliveries of their favorite frequently purchased items at a cadence that fits their preference,” including pet food, cat litter, treats, and more.
In the U.S., pets like dogs and cats are increasingly regarded as part of the family, leading to a rise in consumer spending on everything from veterinary care to trendy pet accessories — and Walmart isn’t the only retailer that has noticed this trend. Various companies are making efforts to tap into this growing market. For instance, Kohl’s has begun allocating sections of its stores specifically for pet-related products. Similarly, Lowe’s, after a successful trial, is broadening its initiative by incorporating mini Petco Health and Wellness boutiques and offering mobile veterinary services in many more locations.
CNBC explained that “retailers consider the pet space, much like items for kids, an attractive area because consumers are usually still willing to spend when their budgets are tight or the economy hits a rough patch.”
However, this sector is never guaranteed. Earlier in 2023, Petco, Chewy, and General Mills, which makes Blue Buffalo dog food, “warned that some pet owners are becoming more price-sensitive and even trading down to cheaper pet food as they deal with inflation.”
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