Petco and Wellness

On the Internet or in the stores?

I ask because a couple of years ago.. they were selling Eagle Pack,  but when I checked our newly opened store they did not carry it.   I checked back a couple of times...and finally asked the manager and he replied that not all stores carry the same thing...and he would check into it.  They never did get it,,,and that store didn't last but a year or so before it closed down. Huh,,,a brand new store, but they put it up within a block of a long time established Pet Supply Plus, a Petland ( ugh ) and then a newly built PetSmart.

Heathr6913

Just an FYI..Starting in June Petco's will start selling Wellness and Wellness Core. 

That's GREAT news!  I recommend CORE to many people and the most common reason they don't want to try it is lack of availability (aka they can't get it at Petsmart/Petco).  Do you know if the prices will be lower?

Yes Dyan Petsmart also has some foods online that I could not find in my store on the shelf...which blows. One by Breeder's Choice and the Avoderm.

 You mean years after the rest of us figured out that the crap sold in supermarkets and big box stores was crap???  All that has happened is that some corporate policy-maker finally figured out there was a MARKET for all this stuff.  Personally, I will continue to buy holistic foods at a local small retailer who was there for me when PETCO wasn't.  While I think it's great that they are finally doing this, especially for those who have no small store or viable online source, I hate to think how long they waited.  Now, if we could just convince them to sell dog and cat toys made in the USA, I'd be even happier.  My clients are demanding it, and I have a hard time supplying the play group with them because you either have to order, or pay an arm and a leg.  (Hey, PETCO - hint: Ruff Dog)

When we moved here two years ago, there was a local slightly upscale feed store that I never went to - it mostly catered to horse folks.  It sold Wellness and Nutro (including Ultra), but nothing else that was better than Purina Pro Plan.

There was also a small pet store which sold puppies, but also sold a few brands of holistic food.  Obviously I never went there either.  Instead, my husband picked up foods at a store that was sort of kind of on his way home when he commuted to the office.

About two months later, PetSmart opened.   The best thing they carried was Breeder's Choice. 

At the same time, the small feed store began to stock several more holistic brands.  Basically, if you requested it, they'd get it.  The owner, to whom I talked a few months later, said that they found out that a lot of people in the area were driving all the way to the same store we were getting our dog food, an hour away!  They recognized a niche and went after it aggressively.  They also made the decision to start discontinuing most of their lower end brands.  They still stock a couple, but most of their foods are all-natural, holistic brands now.

The people who were driving an hour to get their dog food were not shopping at the puppy store for obvious reasons.  They continued to do business as they always had, selling puppies, and got none of the holistic pet food business.  Meanwhile, the folks who came to them for pet supplies, got better prices at PetSmart and stopped shopping there.

The puppy store closed within a few months of PetSmart opening.  And the villagers rejoiced.

So PetSmart did one good thing here!  And really, it was great that its arrival got the owner of the feed store looking for a new way to attract customers.  Needless to say, I try to give whatever business I can to him! 

 my store carries eagle pac in the store. I guess it is just a store to store thing on what they carry. I bet if you asked they could order it in for you! my store now carries in the pretty good to good food category: Avoderm, Pinnacle, Ultramix, Solid Gold, Nutro Ultra, Natural Balance, Organix,  and Eagle Pac. and in June we will have Wellness! i'm so excited about it. yes, i'm a dork :) I bet that there will be even more better foods at Petco because they are trying to bring in as many of the good brands as possible. i have no clue on the price. I'm curious about that as well. (but i get 20% off so i'm very happy about that) i currently feed Wellness and have to buy it elsewhere without the discount.

 Selection does vary by store on all items.  We have a very small selection of natural treats, and some stores have much more.  I would get Eagle Pack from work if I could, but it is not in our stores assortment.  I looked up the prices for Wellness the other day at work and it looks like most of the largest bags (30#?) will be about $46.99.  I don't know if that is higher or lower than other places because the only other place to get it is over an hour away and I don't recall their prices.

spiritdogs

Personally, I will continue to buy holistic foods at a local small retailer who was there for me when PETCO wasn't.  While I think it's great that they are finally doing this, especially for those who have no small store or viable online source, I hate to think how long they waited.  Now, if we

Me too, actually.   Each of the big box stores may carry one or two holistic brands of food, but my little local store carries about 8 different brands in a whole slew of different formulas.   And when I ask her questions I get a thorough and knowledgable response -- you're not going to get that very often at the big box stores.

A 30# bag of Wellness Core here costs about $52 so I think you are getting a good price. 

 I looked at the prices again, and I was wrong...they are 25# bags on some and they cost about $55.

Petco has to find a nitch.  They are selling the same foods as Petsmart at 2-4 dollars a bag more.  And with both stores near each other here....Petco was losing big time.  The training room closed down and the groomers are out stocking shelves here.  So I am not surprised that they have gotten more and more holistic type foods on the shelf to find a way to survive.  I wish Petsmart would have gotten the idea sooner, they don't have enough of the trendy organics out there yet.  And hopefully Wellness who does food demo's in the Pet Supply Plus stores here will have people in the Petco stores to give the new product a good introduction to the Petco customers who have never heard of it before.  They give 5.00 off coupons at the PSP demo's!