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Don’t tell Petco that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Yesterday, in a first for the pet-care giant, it opened a flagship store for one of its owned brands: Reddy.
- The millennial-centric lifestyle brand, which sells everything from dog leashes and collars to denim jackets and travel bags for pets, was introduced in 2018.
- While all of Petco’s owned brands have experienced double-digit growth YoY, according to the company, Reddy has led the pack in popularity.
What’s inside: Beyond traditional pet supplies, Reddy is billed as a 1,774-square-foot experiential store that includes...
- A fitting station for pet clothes
- On-site product monogramming
- A nutrition station with treats and supplements
- A lounge area
The store, located in New York City’s Soho neighborhood, also plans to host events in the coming months like adoption drives, Jason Burris, Reddy’s store manager, told Retail Brew. He said creating a sense of community through the shop is important for bringing in repeat customers.
“We want to strengthen that bond—both pet parent and pet, but also with the community. That’s something here in Soho we’re going to be able to do on a different, elevated level,” Burris said.
In the coming months, Reddy’s in-store customers will also be able to sign up for Petco services like grooming and vet visits, which CEO Ron Coughlin previously noted are reliable recurring revenue streams.
The big picture: Petco told us that it wants to deliver new ways for customers to buy, including via “shop-in-shops” in Petco pet care centers for Reddy and other owned brands. In an August earnings call, for example, Coughlin said that 39% of their customers say they want both online and in-store experiences.
- “We have a significant runway for continued growth as we execute against our proven multi-year transformation strategy across services, veterinary care, digital, owned and premium brands, and more,” he said in the call.—KM