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PetSmart

PetSmart Inc. is a privately held American chain of pet superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company, and its direct competitor is Petco.[4][5] Its indirect competitors are Amazon, Walmart, and Target.[6] As of 2020, PetSmart has more than 1,650 stores in the United States and Canada.[1] Its stores sell pet food, pet supplies, pet accessories, and small pets. Stores also provide services including grooming, dog daycare, dog and cat boarding, veterinary care via in-store third-party clinics, and dog training. They also offer dog and cat adoption via in-store adoption centers facilitated by the non-profit PetSmart Charities.

PetSmart Inc.
FormerlyPetFood Warehouse,
PETsMART
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
FoundedAugust 14, 1986; 37 years ago (1986-08-14) in Phoenix, Arizona,
United States
FounderJim Dougherty
HeadquartersPhoenix, Arizona,
Number of locations
1,600+ (2020)[1]
Area served
United States
Canada
Key people
J.K. Symancyk (CEO)
ProductsPet food, pet supplies
ServicesGrooming, training, PetsHotel, Doggie Day Camp
Revenue$7 billion (2020)[2]
OwnerBC Partners
Number of employees
56,000 (2020)[3]
DivisionsPetSmart Charities
Websitewww.petsmart.com
PetSmart in Secaucus, New Jersey
PetSmart store in Oakville Place, Ontario

Founded in 1986 by Jim and Janice Dougherty, the company opened its first two stores in 1987 in Phoenix, Arizona under the name PetFood Warehouse, as warehouse-type stores that sold pet food in bulk at discount prices. Under new leadership the company changed its name to Pet Smart in 1989 and, along with expanding around the country, began a long-term shift away from visually unappealing discount warehouse stores to attractive stores that sold pet food and supplies and offered services such as grooming, adoption events, and vet visits. The company went public via an IPO in 1993, and thereafter increased its nationwide expansion and the types of goods and services it offered.

After opening nearly 300 stores in the U.S., in 1996, the company expanded to Canada. Around the same time, it also bought and renamed a pet-store chain in the UK, but the over-priced purchase was a failure financially and operationally, and PETsMART sold the UK chain at a substantial loss to rival UK pet-store Pets at Home, in late 1999. The failed UK expansion brought a loss in profitability and a low point for PETsMART stock in 2000. The company's third CEO, Phil Francis, re-tooled the company by emphasizing employee training and customer service, overhauling operations and systems, redesigning stores for visual appeal, and marketing PETsMART as a one-stop shop for pet products and services. By 2002, the company had fully integrated its in-store, online, and catalog sales. Francis also led the opening of an average of 100 new stores per year from 2002 through 2009.

In 2005, the company changed its name to PetSmart and refocused its branding on "pet parents" who considered their pets part of their families. Differentiating itself by emphasizing its channel-exclusive brands and its in-store services such as grooming, dog training, day care and boarding, veterinary care, and adoption centers, the company nonetheless experienced encroaching competition from big-box stores and online e-tailers. The company was acquired by a private equity consortium led by BC Partners in March 2015. In May 2017 PetSmart purchased the online pet-products e-tailer Chewy as a largely independent subsidiary. Chewy went public in an IPO in June 2019; As of March 2021, PetSmart no longer owns Chewy and they are independently operated companies.

Company history edit

Founding and expansion 1986–1993 edit

PetSmart is originally started as Pet Food Warehouse in 1986. The initial two stores opened their doors in 1987 in Phoenix. Jim and Janice Dougherty conceived the idea of a chain of discount pet-food warehouses, and, with the initial financial backing of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, incorporated under the name Pacific Coast Distributing in 1986.[7][8][9] In 1987 they opened their first two superstores, in the Phoenix, Arizona area, under the name PetFood Warehouse, offering pet food in large quantities for low prices, a new concept at the time.[10][11][7][12] The stores welcomed customers and their pets, which was a first for the retail industry.[7] In 1988 they opened five additional stores in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas,[13] and PetFood Warehouse stores began working with local animal welfare groups to hold fundraising and pet adoption events.[citation needed]

By 1989 PetSmart (name changed from Petfood Warehouse in 1988) continued to grow and began the search for new investors. The company also hired retail veteran Samuel J. Parker as president and CEO. Jim Dougherty retired from PetSmart in January, 1991; thereafter he was retained on a consulting basis with the company. Janice Dougherty retired in 1992. Under Parker's direction, that year the company added pet grooming services in some stores,[9] and departments for birds, fish, and small pets were added.[14] In 1990 mobile vet clinics were brought to stores to administer vaccinations.[9] Parker also redesigned stores to be more inviting, covering cement floors with tiles, widening and brightening aisles, and adding pet accessories and supplies.[15][8]

Parker also led expansion into new markets in the southwest and California, and in 1992 PETsMART opened its 50th store and registered a profit for the first time.[14][8] In-house grooming centers, veterinary clinics, and pet adoption centers began to be included in stores to create one-stop pet stores for services and supplies,[16][14][13] and in 1992 PETsMART introduced its own private-label premium and value brands of cat and dog foods.[16] In-store obedience training was offered.[17] In 1993 Parker was elected Chairman of the company in addition to being President and CEO.[18]

IPO, new services and expansion 1993–1998 edit

In July 1993, the company went public on the NASDAQ under the ticker "PETM".[17][15] The infusion of capital allowed CEO Parker to expand aggressively across the country, and also to acquire regional and competing companies, in an effort to become the national leader in pet stores in an increasingly competitive market.[13][9][15][19] Its 100th store was opened in 1994.[7]

In 1994, PETsMART Charities, Inc. – now PetSmart Charities – was formed, an independent nonprofit organization to help save the lives of homeless pets by partnering with animal shelters.[20][14] PETsMART had decided not to sell dogs and cats because of the hundreds of thousands of animals that are euthanized each year.[21] Instead, via PetSmart Charities it donates space inside its stores to local humane societies and animal shelters for them to display homeless animals that customers can adopt.[21] PetSmart Charities also offers grant funding and donations to animal-welfare programs and organizations.[20] As of 2020, the organization had facilitated the adoption of more than 9 million dogs and cats.[22]

Also in 1994, PETsMART signed a deal with Banfield Pet Hospital clinics to include their veterinary clinics, initially called VetSmart, in PETsMART stores.[23][9] PetSmart received rent and a share of the profits from the clinics, and had a 20% ownership of Banfield.[23][9][24] By 1996 each new PETsMART store included a clinic,[13] and by 1997 there were vet clinics in 213 North American stores.[16]

PETsMART entered the mail-order catalog business in April 1995,[25] and by 1996 had acquired the leading pet-products catalog business in North America and a major equine products catalog business.[9][16][13] PETsMART Direct, which encompassed several catalogs, was formed in October 1996.[25][18][21][26]

In 1996, the company opened its first eight Canadian stores,[9] and spread to the UK by acquiring and renaming Pet City, the UK's largest pet-products chain which had 50 stores at the time.[9][27][28] Petsmart.com was initiated as an information website.[16] By end of year PETsMART had 320 stores.[16]

Parker had retired as CEO in 1995, naming Mark Hansen as his successor CEO while Parker remained on as chairman.[13][29][18] Years of rapid expansion eventually exacerbated the company's lack of an adequate inventory infrastructure, resulting in heavy losses being reported in early in 1997.[30][31] Hansen resigned that year and Parker was brought back in to revive the company as chairman and CEO.[18][29][13] He initiated a series of "Back to Basics" initiatives to get the company on track,[18] and after it returned to profitability[21] he resigned again in March 1998, whereupon board member Phil Francis became president and CEO.[29][18][9]

New leadership begins 1998–2000 edit

New CEO Francis, a supermarket-chain veteran,[30] emphasized employee training and customer service,[13] and smaller stores with improved and more attractive design.[9] He led PETsMART to increasingly leave behind the warehouse concept in favor of shopper experience, eventually focusing on providing shoppers with a combination of attractive prices, variety, customer service, in-store experience, and ancillary services.[9] He also implemented major efficiencies and cost cuts in payroll, inventory, distribution, supply chain, and purchasing.[30][9]

In 1998 PETsMART opened its 500th store, and by year's end had 423 stores in the U.S., 93 stores in the UK, and 18 in Canada.[16]

Under Francis's direction, in 1999 the company launched an ad campaign promoting PETsMART as a one-stop shop for pet products and services.[9] Medical Management International (MMI), the holding company of Banfield Pet Hospitals, managed all vet clinics in company stores by 1999, and PETsMART acquired a 36% stake in MMI.[16] Eventually, in 2007 PetSmart sold off part of its stake in Banfield/MMI[32] and divested the rest of the stake in 2015,[33] and in 2018 the company began recruiting independent veterinary operators to house clinics inside its stores which did not yet have one.[34][35][36][37]

Also in 1999, to compete with Pets.com, via a joint venture with Idealab the website Petsmart.com became an e-commerce site and a subsidiary of PETsMART.[38][30][13][39][40] In 2000 PETsMART increased its 49.9% stake[21] in Petsmart.com to 81%,[41][42] and in January 2002 acquired the site outright for an additional $9.5 million.[43][44] It fully integrated its online operations and marketing with its existing brick-and-mortar business and with its direct-marketing catalog business.[43][40][19] In December 2000 it had also acquired the domain name Pets.com from the newly defunct e-tailer, and redirected all of its web traffic to Petsmart.com.[39][45]

The 1996 overpriced acquisition of the British chain store Pet City and its transformation into PETsMART UK had proved disastrous financially and operationally,[46][13] and in late 1999 PETsMART sold its acquisition back to a different UK pet retailer, Pets at Home, at a substantial loss.[47][48][13]

Rejuvenation and North American growth 2000–2005 edit

Although sales went up by over 5% in 2000, the company recorded a $31 million loss for the year,[43] and in mid 2000 its stock price hit an all-time low.[49][16][9][50] In an attempt to bolster growth, the company adopted a new vision statement, "to provide Total Lifetime Care for every pet, every parent, every time."[51][49][52] PETsMART began remodeling all of its stores, creating a new store format that was warmer and friendlier and organized by pet type, and adding emphasis on in-store customer service;[16][21][49][19] by the end of 2003, all stores had the new format.[9] In 2000 the company also re-prioritized and expanded its in-store services such as dog training and grooming.[51][49][16] It also acquired the pet boarding company PetsHotels Plus;[50][16] afterwards, two in-store PETsMART PetsHotels were tested in 2002 in Phoenix.[9] By the end of 2008 over 100 stores had PetsHotels offering daycare for dogs and boarding for dogs and cats,[53][14] and by 2020 there were eight stand-alone PetsHotels and hotels in 207 stores.[37]

In 2001, the company laid out a three-year plan to expand in-store services and products and provide high-quality customer service,[43] and began an extensive training program for its employees, to help them identify customers' needs and provide solutions.[51] In line with its new vision statement, a new ad campaign debuted, "All You Need for the Life of Your Pet".[9]

By early 2002, PETsMART's stock had recovered, more than quadrupling from its low in mid 2000.[19] By the end of 2002 there were Banfield Pet Hospitals in more than half of its 583 stores,[16] PETsMART had eight distribution centers around the country,[16] and the company embarked on a major new expansion opening an average of 100 new stores annually between 2002 and 2009.[9][43]

In 2004, the company launched its PetPerks loyalty card program, which offered promotional discounts and customization to shoppers, allowing PETsMART to also individually promote services or products a given customer had not yet used and to determine the effectiveness of each promotion and the strongest customer brand loyalties.[16][9][50] The company also tested its new concept, Doggie Day Camp daycare for dogs, in a store in Pasadena.[54]

Rename and rebranding 2005–2013 edit

In 2005, PETsMART rebranded itself PetSmart and embraced a new concept and image which focused on "pet parents" and the trend of humanizing pets.[50][55][56] It introduced a major television ad campaign appealing to pet owners who treated their pets as children or considered them family members.[55][57] The rebranding emphasized the company's focus on being a petcare company which provided services as well as numerous specialty products rather than simply being a big-box discount mart.[55][54][50][16] A new store format, including revamped signage and displays, easier navigation, and in-store pet training centers, accompanied the change in focus.[43][54][16] PetSmart tightened its focus further in 2007 by exiting its equine business.[58]

By 2008 PetSmart had 1000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.[43]

By the mid to late 2000s PetSmart was beginning to experience significant competition from Amazon,[59][6][60][61] Walmart,[62][63] and Target;[63][6][62] Walmart had entered heavily into the pet supplies market and was also beginning to offer services such as grooming.[56][64][65] The company's direct competitor is Petco, a nationwide big-box pet supplies retailer that was sold to private equity owners in 2006.[63][66]

In June 2009, Bob Moran, President and Chief Operating Officer of PetSmart, became CEO, succeeding Francis, who became executive chairman of the board until 2012.[67][68] Moran's vision was to slow the opening of new stores, and to focus instead on improving store productivity by pursuing the company's differentiation strategy, and on reaching its target market and improving its customer focus, especially regarding the humanization of animals.[9][64]

In 2010 PetSmart began to launch a series of exclusive products based on partnerships with high-profile entities like GNC and Martha Stewart, leading to the GNC Pets and Martha Stewart Pets lines.[69][70] These were followed by other exclusive product partnerships, including with Bret Michaels, Toys "R" Us, Marvel Comics, and Tommy Bahama[64][71] and in 2017 with Ellen DeGeneres.[72]

In a planned management succession, after four years at the helm of the company, Moran retired as CEO in June 2013 and was replaced by then President and COO David K. Lenhardt.[73][74]

Private equity ownership 2014 to present edit

Although it continued to differentiate itself by stressing and broadening its in-store services such as boarding, grooming, dog training, and veterinary care,[59][11] by 2014, with the increasing competition from online e-tailers PetSmart's profits began to slide, prompting activist investors to call for a buy-out of the company beginning in mid 2014.[75][76][77]

The winner in the bidding war was a consortium of private equity investors led by BC Partners,[78][79][80] which completed a leveraged buyout of PetSmart for $8.7 billion in March 2015.[77][81][82] The company ceased trading on the NASDAQ, and Lenhardt stepped down as CEO, replaced by Michael Massey, formerly CEO of Payless ShoeSource's parent Collective Brands.[81][83][84][85]

Massey and BC Partners replaced seven senior PetSmart managers and a significant portion of VP-level employees, and reorganized the company for quick decision-making.[80] Massey strategically shifted pricing, recalculated inventory shipping, reduced expenses, improved profit margins, and created a 30-person sourcing team in Asia for PetSmart's hard goods.[80]

This overhaul led to an initial increase in profitability,[80] followed by declining sales in PetSmart's brick-and-mortar stores due to online competition.[86][87] To combat this PetSmart purchased the still-unprofitable yet popular pet e-commerce site Chewy as a largely independent subsidiary in May 2017 for $3.35 billion.[88][86][89][90][91] Added to its debt acquired from its 2015 leveraged buyout, this brought PetSmart's total debt load to $8 billion,[86][76][92] which reached $8.6 billion as of February 2019.[93]

PetSmart CEO Massey abruptly resigned in August 2017; pending a replacement Raymond Svider, managing partner at BC Partners, served as executive chairman and oversaw the company with its senior leadership team.[94][95] In May 2018 J.K. Symancyk, previously CEO of Academy Sports + Outdoors, was appointed the new CEO.[96] In June 2018, PetSmart transferred a 20% stake in Chewy to its BC Partners–led parent holding company, and also transferred a 16.5% holding in Chewy to a wholly owned "unrestricted subsidiary" of PetSmart;[86][97][98][99][100] these transactions kept a substantial portion of Chewy out of reach of PetSmart's creditors.[86][98][99]

Chewy went public in an IPO in June 2019.[101][102][103] PetSmart used the proceeds of the IPO to pay down some of its debt.[37] Chewy temporarily remained an independent subsidiary of PetSmart, with PetSmart as its majority owner.[103][102] In late 2020, it was announced that Chewy and PetSmart would split to operate as separate companies.[104]

Leadership edit

At its startup in 1986, founders Jim and Janice Dougherty (there were no co-founders of PetSmart, aka Petfood Warehouse) led the company and its financial backers to success as a pet retail superstore.

Since 1989 the CEOs of the company have been:

  • W.R. (Ford) Smith (1986–1989)
  • Samuel J. Parker (1989–1995)[29]
  • Mark Hansen (1995–1997)[105][106][107]
  • Samuel J. Parker (interim; 1997–1998)[29]
  • Phil Francis (1998–2009)[18][67]
  • Bob Moran (2009–2013)[105][67][74]
  • David Lenhardt (2013–2015)[74][85]
  • Michael J. Massey (2015–2017)[85][94]
  • J.K. Symancyk (2018–present)[108]

Controversies edit

In January 2016, PETA released details of an investigation of Holmes Farm, a major supplier of live animals to Petsmart, Petco and Pet Supplies Plus, which highlighted abusive conditions at what is described as a complex of "filthy, windowless warehouses." Small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, rats, mice and gerbils were confined to overcrowded bins and often drank from contaminated water bowls or had no water altogether. Cats, who freely roamed around the facilities, regularly jumped in and out of bins and preyed on the animals within them. PETA's investigators reported that, during their observations, injured animals never received veterinary care, but instead were piled by the dozens in "feces-smeared coolers" and then gassed to death with carbon monoxide; others were put into ziplock bags and frozen to death. Over the span of roughly three months, PETA’s investigator found hundreds of dead animals at the complex, often in habitats which contained no drinking water.[109][110] In May 2016, PetSmart ceased utilizing the rodent dealer Holmes Farm, Inc. in Barto, Pennsylvania, after the dealer was cited for multiple infractions by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during an inspection.[111] The USDA inspection of the rodent dealer had followed the undercover investigation launched in late 2015 by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).[111][112]

In February 2016, another PETA investigation discovered rampant abuse and neglect at Mack, an Ohio reptile mill and a supplier for Petsmart, including, among other things, frogs, lizards, turtles and other animals being "crammed into filthy, crowded plastic bins stacked into shelving units like old bank statements. Living beings deprived of water for days or even weeks. Sick and injured animals denied veterinary care. Emaciated, severely dehydrated animals desperate for water. Animals cruelly killed by being gassed or frozen to death." The investigation did not find any abuse from PetSmart employees. The company released a statement saying “We are reviewing the matter internally, and if we find that our standards have not been met, we will take appropriate action immediately."[113][114]

An undercover operation by a PETA employee who got jobs at three PetSmart stores in Arizona,[115] Florida,[116] and Tennessee[115] led to a raid of a PetSmart store in Nashville by authorities in March 2018.[117][118] Six sick or injured small animals – a guinea pig, mice, and hamsters[119] – were confiscated from the store and sent to a veterinary hospital after video and photos were presented by the PETA operative.[117][119] Three employees of the Nashville store – the store manager, assistant store manager, and customer engagement manager – pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in June 2018 and were sentenced to 20 hours of community service and ordered to pay the veterinary bills for the animals seized by Nashville animal care and control authorities.[120] In June 2018 PetSmart filed suit against the undercover employee, on the grounds that she failed to disclose on her job application that she was a paid PETA operative, took secret surveillance videos and photos, and withheld medical care from the animals in question, instead filming them to produce an exposé.[121][122][123] In May 2019 PetSmart added PETA to the lawsuit as a defendant, describing it as a "militant, activist organization" that has "a long history of conducting unlawful, covert operations and infiltrations to eradicate pet ownership".[121][needs update]

In September 2018 NJ Advance Media published the results of a nine-month investigation documenting 47 cases across 14 states since 2008 in which families said their dog had died during or shortly after a grooming visit to PetSmart.[124][125][126][127] Thirty-two of the cases occurred after the start of 2015, the year the private-equity buyout of the company was finalized.[124] In PetSmart's response it said "We reviewed the list of pet names that NJ Advance Media provided, and any assertion that there is a systemic problem is false and fabricated."[128]

In 2021 and 2022 reports published by Vice Media, United for Respect, and World Animal Protection found that since the company was acquired by private equity firm BC Partners in a 2014 leveraged buyout, cost cutting has resulted in unsafe working conditions, inadequate training, understaffing, lack of supplies, consolidation of jobs, and increased animal deaths at multiple PetSmart stores, with freezers overfilled with dead animals. Former employees have reported that PetSmart managers would ask them to take dead animals with them after their shift to dispose of them off the clock.[129][130][131][132]

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External links edit

  • Official website

petsmart, privately, held, american, chain, superstores, which, sell, products, services, small, pets, leading, north, american, company, direct, competitor, petco, indirect, competitors, amazon, walmart, target, 2020, more, than, stores, united, states, canad. PetSmart Inc is a privately held American chain of pet superstores which sell pet products services and small pets It is the leading North American pet company and its direct competitor is Petco 4 5 Its indirect competitors are Amazon Walmart and Target 6 As of 2020 PetSmart has more than 1 650 stores in the United States and Canada 1 Its stores sell pet food pet supplies pet accessories and small pets Stores also provide services including grooming dog daycare dog and cat boarding veterinary care via in store third party clinics and dog training They also offer dog and cat adoption via in store adoption centers facilitated by the non profit PetSmart Charities PetSmart Inc FormerlyPetFood Warehouse PETsMARTCompany typePrivateIndustryRetailFoundedAugust 14 1986 37 years ago 1986 08 14 in Phoenix Arizona United StatesFounderJim DoughertyHeadquartersPhoenix Arizona United StatesNumber of locations1 600 2020 1 Area servedUnited StatesCanadaKey peopleJ K Symancyk CEO ProductsPet food pet suppliesServicesGrooming training PetsHotel Doggie Day CampRevenue 7 billion 2020 2 OwnerBC PartnersNumber of employees56 000 2020 3 DivisionsPetSmart CharitiesWebsitewww wbr petsmart wbr com PetSmart in Secaucus New Jersey PetSmart store in Oakville Place Ontario Founded in 1986 by Jim and Janice Dougherty the company opened its first two stores in 1987 in Phoenix Arizona under the name PetFood Warehouse as warehouse type stores that sold pet food in bulk at discount prices Under new leadership the company changed its name to Pet Smart in 1989 and along with expanding around the country began a long term shift away from visually unappealing discount warehouse stores to attractive stores that sold pet food and supplies and offered services such as grooming adoption events and vet visits The company went public via an IPO in 1993 and thereafter increased its nationwide expansion and the types of goods and services it offered After opening nearly 300 stores in the U S in 1996 the company expanded to Canada Around the same time it also bought and renamed a pet store chain in the UK but the over priced purchase was a failure financially and operationally and PETsMART sold the UK chain at a substantial loss to rival UK pet store Pets at Home in late 1999 The failed UK expansion brought a loss in profitability and a low point for PETsMART stock in 2000 The company s third CEO Phil Francis re tooled the company by emphasizing employee training and customer service overhauling operations and systems redesigning stores for visual appeal and marketing PETsMART as a one stop shop for pet products and services By 2002 the company had fully integrated its in store online and catalog sales Francis also led the opening of an average of 100 new stores per year from 2002 through 2009 In 2005 the company changed its name to PetSmart and refocused its branding on pet parents who considered their pets part of their families Differentiating itself by emphasizing its channel exclusive brands and its in store services such as grooming dog training day care and boarding veterinary care and adoption centers the company nonetheless experienced encroaching competition from big box stores and online e tailers The company was acquired by a private equity consortium led by BC Partners in March 2015 In May 2017 PetSmart purchased the online pet products e tailer Chewy as a largely independent subsidiary Chewy went public in an IPO in June 2019 As of March 2021 PetSmart no longer owns Chewy and they are independently operated companies Contents 1 Company history 1 1 Founding and expansion 1986 1993 1 2 IPO new services and expansion 1993 1998 1 3 New leadership begins 1998 2000 1 4 Rejuvenation and North American growth 2000 2005 1 5 Rename and rebranding 2005 2013 1 6 Private equity ownership 2014 to present 2 Leadership 3 Controversies 4 References 5 External linksCompany history editFounding and expansion 1986 1993 edit PetSmart is originally started as Pet Food Warehouse in 1986 The initial two stores opened their doors in 1987 in Phoenix Jim and Janice Dougherty conceived the idea of a chain of discount pet food warehouses and with the initial financial backing of Phillips Van Heusen Corporation incorporated under the name Pacific Coast Distributing in 1986 7 8 9 In 1987 they opened their first two superstores in the Phoenix Arizona area under the name PetFood Warehouse offering pet food in large quantities for low prices a new concept at the time 10 11 7 12 The stores welcomed customers and their pets which was a first for the retail industry 7 In 1988 they opened five additional stores in Arizona Colorado and Texas 13 and PetFood Warehouse stores began working with local animal welfare groups to hold fundraising and pet adoption events citation needed By 1989 PetSmart name changed from Petfood Warehouse in 1988 continued to grow and began the search for new investors The company also hired retail veteran Samuel J Parker as president and CEO Jim Dougherty retired from PetSmart in January 1991 thereafter he was retained on a consulting basis with the company Janice Dougherty retired in 1992 Under Parker s direction that year the company added pet grooming services in some stores 9 and departments for birds fish and small pets were added 14 In 1990 mobile vet clinics were brought to stores to administer vaccinations 9 Parker also redesigned stores to be more inviting covering cement floors with tiles widening and brightening aisles and adding pet accessories and supplies 15 8 Parker also led expansion into new markets in the southwest and California and in 1992 PETsMART opened its 50th store and registered a profit for the first time 14 8 In house grooming centers veterinary clinics and pet adoption centers began to be included in stores to create one stop pet stores for services and supplies 16 14 13 and in 1992 PETsMART introduced its own private label premium and value brands of cat and dog foods 16 In store obedience training was offered 17 In 1993 Parker was elected Chairman of the company in addition to being President and CEO 18 IPO new services and expansion 1993 1998 edit In July 1993 the company went public on the NASDAQ under the ticker PETM 17 15 The infusion of capital allowed CEO Parker to expand aggressively across the country and also to acquire regional and competing companies in an effort to become the national leader in pet stores in an increasingly competitive market 13 9 15 19 Its 100th store was opened in 1994 7 In 1994 PETsMART Charities Inc now PetSmart Charities was formed an independent nonprofit organization to help save the lives of homeless pets by partnering with animal shelters 20 14 PETsMART had decided not to sell dogs and cats because of the hundreds of thousands of animals that are euthanized each year 21 Instead via PetSmart Charities it donates space inside its stores to local humane societies and animal shelters for them to display homeless animals that customers can adopt 21 PetSmart Charities also offers grant funding and donations to animal welfare programs and organizations 20 As of 2020 the organization had facilitated the adoption of more than 9 million dogs and cats 22 Also in 1994 PETsMART signed a deal with Banfield Pet Hospital clinics to include their veterinary clinics initially called VetSmart in PETsMART stores 23 9 PetSmart received rent and a share of the profits from the clinics and had a 20 ownership of Banfield 23 9 24 By 1996 each new PETsMART store included a clinic 13 and by 1997 there were vet clinics in 213 North American stores 16 PETsMART entered the mail order catalog business in April 1995 25 and by 1996 had acquired the leading pet products catalog business in North America and a major equine products catalog business 9 16 13 PETsMART Direct which encompassed several catalogs was formed in October 1996 25 18 21 26 In 1996 the company opened its first eight Canadian stores 9 and spread to the UK by acquiring and renaming Pet City the UK s largest pet products chain which had 50 stores at the time 9 27 28 Petsmart com was initiated as an information website 16 By end of year PETsMART had 320 stores 16 Parker had retired as CEO in 1995 naming Mark Hansen as his successor CEO while Parker remained on as chairman 13 29 18 Years of rapid expansion eventually exacerbated the company s lack of an adequate inventory infrastructure resulting in heavy losses being reported in early in 1997 30 31 Hansen resigned that year and Parker was brought back in to revive the company as chairman and CEO 18 29 13 He initiated a series of Back to Basics initiatives to get the company on track 18 and after it returned to profitability 21 he resigned again in March 1998 whereupon board member Phil Francis became president and CEO 29 18 9 New leadership begins 1998 2000 edit New CEO Francis a supermarket chain veteran 30 emphasized employee training and customer service 13 and smaller stores with improved and more attractive design 9 He led PETsMART to increasingly leave behind the warehouse concept in favor of shopper experience eventually focusing on providing shoppers with a combination of attractive prices variety customer service in store experience and ancillary services 9 He also implemented major efficiencies and cost cuts in payroll inventory distribution supply chain and purchasing 30 9 In 1998 PETsMART opened its 500th store and by year s end had 423 stores in the U S 93 stores in the UK and 18 in Canada 16 Under Francis s direction in 1999 the company launched an ad campaign promoting PETsMART as a one stop shop for pet products and services 9 Medical Management International MMI the holding company of Banfield Pet Hospitals managed all vet clinics in company stores by 1999 and PETsMART acquired a 36 stake in MMI 16 Eventually in 2007 PetSmart sold off part of its stake in Banfield MMI 32 and divested the rest of the stake in 2015 33 and in 2018 the company began recruiting independent veterinary operators to house clinics inside its stores which did not yet have one 34 35 36 37 Also in 1999 to compete with Pets com via a joint venture with Idealab the website Petsmart com became an e commerce site and a subsidiary of PETsMART 38 30 13 39 40 In 2000 PETsMART increased its 49 9 stake 21 in Petsmart com to 81 41 42 and in January 2002 acquired the site outright for an additional 9 5 million 43 44 It fully integrated its online operations and marketing with its existing brick and mortar business and with its direct marketing catalog business 43 40 19 In December 2000 it had also acquired the domain name Pets com from the newly defunct e tailer and redirected all of its web traffic to Petsmart com 39 45 The 1996 overpriced acquisition of the British chain store Pet City and its transformation into PETsMART UK had proved disastrous financially and operationally 46 13 and in late 1999 PETsMART sold its acquisition back to a different UK pet retailer Pets at Home at a substantial loss 47 48 13 Rejuvenation and North American growth 2000 2005 edit Although sales went up by over 5 in 2000 the company recorded a 31 million loss for the year 43 and in mid 2000 its stock price hit an all time low 49 16 9 50 In an attempt to bolster growth the company adopted a new vision statement to provide Total Lifetime Care for every pet every parent every time 51 49 52 PETsMART began remodeling all of its stores creating a new store format that was warmer and friendlier and organized by pet type and adding emphasis on in store customer service 16 21 49 19 by the end of 2003 all stores had the new format 9 In 2000 the company also re prioritized and expanded its in store services such as dog training and grooming 51 49 16 It also acquired the pet boarding company PetsHotels Plus 50 16 afterwards two in store PETsMART PetsHotels were tested in 2002 in Phoenix 9 By the end of 2008 over 100 stores had PetsHotels offering daycare for dogs and boarding for dogs and cats 53 14 and by 2020 there were eight stand alone PetsHotels and hotels in 207 stores 37 In 2001 the company laid out a three year plan to expand in store services and products and provide high quality customer service 43 and began an extensive training program for its employees to help them identify customers needs and provide solutions 51 In line with its new vision statement a new ad campaign debuted All You Need for the Life of Your Pet 9 By early 2002 PETsMART s stock had recovered more than quadrupling from its low in mid 2000 19 By the end of 2002 there were Banfield Pet Hospitals in more than half of its 583 stores 16 PETsMART had eight distribution centers around the country 16 and the company embarked on a major new expansion opening an average of 100 new stores annually between 2002 and 2009 9 43 In 2004 the company launched its PetPerks loyalty card program which offered promotional discounts and customization to shoppers allowing PETsMART to also individually promote services or products a given customer had not yet used and to determine the effectiveness of each promotion and the strongest customer brand loyalties 16 9 50 The company also tested its new concept Doggie Day Camp daycare for dogs in a store in Pasadena 54 Rename and rebranding 2005 2013 edit In 2005 PETsMART rebranded itself PetSmart and embraced a new concept and image which focused on pet parents and the trend of humanizing pets 50 55 56 It introduced a major television ad campaign appealing to pet owners who treated their pets as children or considered them family members 55 57 The rebranding emphasized the company s focus on being a petcare company which provided services as well as numerous specialty products rather than simply being a big box discount mart 55 54 50 16 A new store format including revamped signage and displays easier navigation and in store pet training centers accompanied the change in focus 43 54 16 PetSmart tightened its focus further in 2007 by exiting its equine business 58 By 2008 PetSmart had 1000 stores in the U S and Canada 43 By the mid to late 2000s PetSmart was beginning to experience significant competition from Amazon 59 6 60 61 Walmart 62 63 and Target 63 6 62 Walmart had entered heavily into the pet supplies market and was also beginning to offer services such as grooming 56 64 65 The company s direct competitor is Petco a nationwide big box pet supplies retailer that was sold to private equity owners in 2006 63 66 In June 2009 Bob Moran President and Chief Operating Officer of PetSmart became CEO succeeding Francis who became executive chairman of the board until 2012 67 68 Moran s vision was to slow the opening of new stores and to focus instead on improving store productivity by pursuing the company s differentiation strategy and on reaching its target market and improving its customer focus especially regarding the humanization of animals 9 64 In 2010 PetSmart began to launch a series of exclusive products based on partnerships with high profile entities like GNC and Martha Stewart leading to the GNC Pets and Martha Stewart Pets lines 69 70 These were followed by other exclusive product partnerships including with Bret Michaels Toys R Us Marvel Comics and Tommy Bahama 64 71 and in 2017 with Ellen DeGeneres 72 In a planned management succession after four years at the helm of the company Moran retired as CEO in June 2013 and was replaced by then President and COO David K Lenhardt 73 74 Private equity ownership 2014 to present edit Although it continued to differentiate itself by stressing and broadening its in store services such as boarding grooming dog training and veterinary care 59 11 by 2014 with the increasing competition from online e tailers PetSmart s profits began to slide prompting activist investors to call for a buy out of the company beginning in mid 2014 75 76 77 The winner in the bidding war was a consortium of private equity investors led by BC Partners 78 79 80 which completed a leveraged buyout of PetSmart for 8 7 billion in March 2015 77 81 82 The company ceased trading on the NASDAQ and Lenhardt stepped down as CEO replaced by Michael Massey formerly CEO of Payless ShoeSource s parent Collective Brands 81 83 84 85 Massey and BC Partners replaced seven senior PetSmart managers and a significant portion of VP level employees and reorganized the company for quick decision making 80 Massey strategically shifted pricing recalculated inventory shipping reduced expenses improved profit margins and created a 30 person sourcing team in Asia for PetSmart s hard goods 80 This overhaul led to an initial increase in profitability 80 followed by declining sales in PetSmart s brick and mortar stores due to online competition 86 87 To combat this PetSmart purchased the still unprofitable yet popular pet e commerce site Chewy as a largely independent subsidiary in May 2017 for 3 35 billion 88 86 89 90 91 Added to its debt acquired from its 2015 leveraged buyout this brought PetSmart s total debt load to 8 billion 86 76 92 which reached 8 6 billion as of February 2019 93 PetSmart CEO Massey abruptly resigned in August 2017 pending a replacement Raymond Svider managing partner at BC Partners served as executive chairman and oversaw the company with its senior leadership team 94 95 In May 2018 J K Symancyk previously CEO of Academy Sports Outdoors was appointed the new CEO 96 In June 2018 PetSmart transferred a 20 stake in Chewy to its BC Partners led parent holding company and also transferred a 16 5 holding in Chewy to a wholly owned unrestricted subsidiary of PetSmart 86 97 98 99 100 these transactions kept a substantial portion of Chewy out of reach of PetSmart s creditors 86 98 99 Chewy went public in an IPO in June 2019 101 102 103 PetSmart used the proceeds of the IPO to pay down some of its debt 37 Chewy temporarily remained an independent subsidiary of PetSmart with PetSmart as its majority owner 103 102 In late 2020 it was announced that Chewy and PetSmart would split to operate as separate companies 104 Leadership editAt its startup in 1986 founders Jim and Janice Dougherty there were no co founders of PetSmart aka Petfood Warehouse led the company and its financial backers to success as a pet retail superstore Since 1989 the CEOs of the company have been W R Ford Smith 1986 1989 Samuel J Parker 1989 1995 29 Mark Hansen 1995 1997 105 106 107 Samuel J Parker interim 1997 1998 29 Phil Francis 1998 2009 18 67 Bob Moran 2009 2013 105 67 74 David Lenhardt 2013 2015 74 85 Michael J Massey 2015 2017 85 94 J K Symancyk 2018 present 108 Controversies editIn January 2016 PETA released details of an investigation of Holmes Farm a major supplier of live animals to Petsmart Petco and Pet Supplies Plus which highlighted abusive conditions at what is described as a complex of filthy windowless warehouses Small animals such as rabbits hamsters rats mice and gerbils were confined to overcrowded bins and often drank from contaminated water bowls or had no water altogether Cats who freely roamed around the facilities regularly jumped in and out of bins and preyed on the animals within them PETA s investigators reported that during their observations injured animals never received veterinary care but instead were piled by the dozens in feces smeared coolers and then gassed to death with carbon monoxide others were put into ziplock bags and frozen to death Over the span of roughly three months PETA s investigator found hundreds of dead animals at the complex often in habitats which contained no drinking water 109 110 In May 2016 PetSmart ceased utilizing the rodent dealer Holmes Farm Inc in Barto Pennsylvania after the dealer was cited for multiple infractions by the U S Department of Agriculture during an inspection 111 The USDA inspection of the rodent dealer had followed the undercover investigation launched in late 2015 by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA 111 112 In February 2016 another PETA investigation discovered rampant abuse and neglect at Mack an Ohio reptile mill and a supplier for Petsmart including among other things frogs lizards turtles and other animals being crammed into filthy crowded plastic bins stacked into shelving units like old bank statements Living beings deprived of water for days or even weeks Sick and injured animals denied veterinary care Emaciated severely dehydrated animals desperate for water Animals cruelly killed by being gassed or frozen to death The investigation did not find any abuse from PetSmart employees The company released a statement saying We are reviewing the matter internally and if we find that our standards have not been met we will take appropriate action immediately 113 114 An undercover operation by a PETA employee who got jobs at three PetSmart stores in Arizona 115 Florida 116 and Tennessee 115 led to a raid of a PetSmart store in Nashville by authorities in March 2018 117 118 Six sick or injured small animals a guinea pig mice and hamsters 119 were confiscated from the store and sent to a veterinary hospital after video and photos were presented by the PETA operative 117 119 Three employees of the Nashville store the store manager assistant store manager and customer engagement manager pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in June 2018 and were sentenced to 20 hours of community service and ordered to pay the veterinary bills for the animals seized by Nashville animal care and control authorities 120 In June 2018 PetSmart filed suit against the undercover employee on the grounds that she failed to disclose on her job application that she was a paid PETA operative took secret surveillance videos and photos and withheld medical care from the animals in question instead filming them to produce an expose 121 122 123 In May 2019 PetSmart added PETA to the lawsuit as a defendant describing it as a militant activist organization that has a long history of conducting unlawful covert operations and infiltrations to eradicate pet ownership 121 needs update In September 2018 NJ Advance Media published the results of a nine month investigation documenting 47 cases across 14 states since 2008 in which families said their dog had died during or shortly after a grooming visit to PetSmart 124 125 126 127 Thirty two of the cases occurred after the start of 2015 the year the private equity buyout of the company was finalized 124 In PetSmart s response it said We reviewed the list of pet names that NJ Advance Media provided and any assertion that there is a systemic problem is false and fabricated 128 In 2021 and 2022 reports published by Vice Media United for Respect and World Animal Protection found that since the company was acquired by private equity firm BC Partners in a 2014 leveraged buyout cost cutting has resulted in unsafe working conditions inadequate training understaffing lack of supplies consolidation of jobs and increased animal deaths at multiple PetSmart stores with freezers overfilled with dead animals Former employees have reported that PetSmart managers would ask them to take dead animals with them after their shift to dispose of them off the clock 129 130 131 132 References edit a b About PetSmart Retrieved August 25 2020 Petsmart Forbes Louch William PetSmart Workers Ask Retailer s Private Equity Owner for Coronavirus Protections Wall Street Journal July 8 2020 Petco vs PetSmart BestCompany com Retrieved August 25 2020 Kalaygian Mark The Top 25 Pet Retailers in North America Pet Business March 1 2019 a b c Thau Barbara Why Bed Bath And Beyond PetSmart Should Fear Showrooming More Than Best Buy Forbes March 1 2013 a b c d A Look Back The Birth of PetSmart Pet Age June 1 2014 a b c PETsMART Inc In Derdak Thomas Grant Tina eds International Directory of Company Histories Vol 14 St James Press 1996 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Brennan David Case study PetSmart searches for a sustainable strategy University of St Thomas 2013 PetSmart Corporate Office CorporateOfficeHQ com Retrieved August 25 2020 a b Hill Brian Who s the Top Dog in Pet Products The Motley Fool November 9 2013 Gilliard Debora J PetSmart A Case Analysis Metropolitan State University of Denver 2006 a b c d e f g h i j k PETsMART Inc In Grant Tina ed International Directory of Company Histories Vol 41 St James Press 2001 a b c d e Company History PetSmart Corporate Archived December 9 2013 a b c Novellino Teresa PetSmart founder s idea became an 8 7B company The Business Journals December 15 2014 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q History Timeline PetSmart Archived December 18 2008 a b Antilla Susan Petsmart Hits the Market Leaping New York Times August 1 1993 a b c d e f g PETsMart Inc Form 10 K Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended February 1 1998 U S Securities and Exchange Commission 1998 a b c d Associated Press PETsMART stocks skyrocketing Berkeley Daily Planet February 19 2002 a b PetSmart Charities America s Charities Retrieved August 25 2020 a b c d e f Facenda Vanessa L StoreFront Retail Merchandiser July 1 2000 The Fund for Animals Rural Area Veterinary Services Program receives 40 000 grant from PetSmart Charities to increase access to veterinary care in rural Native American communities in South Dakota Humane Society of the United States March 12 2020 a b Make Jonathan The Scott Thomason of veterinarians Portland Business Journal July 6 1997 Smith Aaron How much would you spend on your dog CNN October 11 2005 a b In Re PETsMART Inc Leagle com May 28 1999 Retrieved August 25 2020 Walker Leslie Online Cat Fight Heating Up Washington Post January 7 1998 Cope Nigel Pet City founder to buy back superstore chain back The Independent February 18 1999 Ziemba Stanley Petsmart Buys English Chain Chicago Tribune October 26 1996 a b c d e PETsMART chairman resigns while Day Runner on the run from Street CNN August 31 1999 a b c d Kapner Suzanne Stock Mart PetsMart The Street June 18 1999 Standard amp Poor s Creditweek Volume 17 Issues 49 52 Standard amp Poor s Corporation 1997 p 80 1Q revenue profits rise for PetSmart Phoenix Business Journal May 16 2007 US Specialty Retail PetSmarts sale of its minority stake in Banfield is credit positive no impact on debt ratings Moody s Investors Service January 15 2016 Lau Edie PetSmart looks beyond Banfield for veterinary clinic operators VIN News March 8 2018 Lengyel Kerry Q amp A With PetSmart s First Independent Veterinary Operator Veterinarian s Money Digest August 3 2018 PetSmart opens door to independent clinic owners Today s Veterinary Business July 2018 a b c Wahba Phil It s a dogfight at America s pet stores as COVID 19 upends the 96 billion industry Fortune May 19 2020 When pet Web sites attack Forbes December 16 1999 a b Grenier Melinda Pets com sells name to rival Petsmart ZDNet December 5 2000 a b Weintraub Arlene A Smarter Pets com Bloomberg News January 23 2001 Rosencrance Linda Petsmart com buys URL of former rival Pets com Computerworld December 1 2000 Petsmart Agrees to Acquire Controlling Stake in Web Site Wall Street Journal November 15 2000 a b c d e f g PetSmart Inc In Long Steven Jacques Derek Kepos Paula eds International Directory of Company Histories Vol 147 St James Press 2014 PETsMART Inc Form 10 K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 2 2003 U S Securities and Exchange Commission 2003 Enos Lori PetSmart com Buys Pets com Domain Name E Commerce Times December 5 2000 Cope Nigel How to lose a fortune in two years The Independent February 24 1999 Business Wire PETsMART Inc Announces Sale of United Kingdom Subsidiary Company Achieves Major Milestone In Implementing 30 Month Strategic Plan The Motley Fool December 15 1999 Forest Dylan PETsMART Dumps British Subsidiary Animal People January 1 2000 a b c d Zook Chris Beyond the Core Expand Your Market Without Abandoning Your Roots Harvard Business Press 2004 pp 61 63 a b c d e Selling services to pet parents fetches comeback for PetSmart Arizona State University W P Carey School of Business October 10 2007 a b c Hitt Micheal Ireland R Duane Hoskisson Robert Strategic Management Competitiveness and Globalization Concepts Cengage Learning 2008 p 97 Callum Danny Chung Chloe Dombroski Laura Filipczyk Cristin et al PetSmart Partners with Dogs on Deployment James Madison University May 7 2014 Stern Neil Z Willard N Greentailing and Other Revolutions in Retail John Wiley amp Sons 2008 PetSmart created PetsHotel as a full service in store boarding facility for dogs and cats in 2005 opening their 100th location in February 2008 with plans to ultimately roll out 435 PetsHotels a b c Lori Luechtefeld Petsmart Plans Accelerated Growth Expanded Offerings Pet Product News December 2004 a b c Howard Theresa PetSmart thinks outside the big box targets pet parents USA Today December 4 2005 a b Wolf Carol Passion for pets makes PetSmart a success Seattle Times December 29 2006 Sink Elizabeth PetSmart s Perfect Toy Naturalized portrayals from pet to child to consumer National Communication Association November 2007 Parry Tim PetSmart Exiting Equine Business Multichannel Merchant April 1 2007 a b Stock Kyle How PetSmart Shampoos Its Way Around Amazon Bloomberg News November 22 2013 Duprey Rich Did Amazon Kill the Specialty Retailer The Motley Fool January 18 2015 Seghetti Nicole The Next Victims of Showrooming The Motley Fool March 1 2013 a b Smith Rich PetSmart s Animal Instincts The Motley Fool November 14 2006 a b c Smith Rich Fool on the Street PetSmart Still Young Even in Dog Years The Motley Fool September 14 2007 a b c Glazer Emily PetSmart Thrives Treating Owners Like Parents Wall Street Journal September 11 2012 Kavilanz Parija B Wal Mart s recession time pet project CNN May 13 2008 Troy Mike Petco trades private equity owners Chain Store Age November 23 2015 a b c PetSmart Names CEO RetailWire June 18 2009 Petsmart Names Moran Chairman Lenhardt President Pet Product News June 1 2012 PetSmart GNC to offer pet vitamins Albuquerque Business First May 11 2010 Martha Stewart Pet Collection Launches In Petsmart Pet Product News June 30 2010 Manning Sue Togs day afternoon Dress your pooch for the beach Morning Sun Associated Press May 22 2013 Callari Ron At PetSmart Ellen DeGeneres In Martha Stewart Out PetsLady com February 3 2017 Smith Rich PetSmart Picks a New CEO The Motley Fool January 22 2013 a b c Jones Kristin PetSmart outgoing CEO to step down from board MarketWatch June 11 2013 Harwell Drew PetSmart s goldmine Americans are spending more than ever on fancy dog food Washington Post December 15 2014 a b Ronalds Hannon Eliza Coleman Lochner Lauren The Most Expensive Takeover in Retail Is Drowning in Debt Bloomberg News April 25 2018 a b De la Merced Michael J PetSmart Accepts 8 7 Billion Buyout New York Times December 14 2014 Richter Wolf Is This the Next Big Retailer to Melt Down Its Bonds Crashed Wolf Street May 25 2018 Associated Press Investor Group Makes Multi Billion Offer for PetSmart Inc December 15 2014 a b c d Gara Antoine PetSmart s 8 7 Billion LBO Is Already Paying Off For Consortium Led By BC Partners Forbes February 18 2016 a b Hansen Kristena PetSmart Buyout Deal Complete New CEO Appointed KJZZ March 11 2015 Walton Justin 10 Most Famous Leveraged Buyouts Investopedia January 15 2020 Brown Brandon PetSmart s new owners name new chairman and CEO Phoenix Business Journal March 11 2015 Dezember Ryan PetSmart Gets New Leadership Upon Buyout Wall Street Journal March 11 2015 a b c Wilson Marianne PetSmart names former Collective Brands chief as CEO as David Lenhardt steps down Chain Store Age March 11 2015 a b c d e DiNapoli Jessica Brumpton Harry PetSmart taps advisers to trim 8 billion debt pile sources Reuters June 6 2018 Gottfried Miriam How PetSmart Swallowed Chewy and Proved the Doubters Wrong Wall Street Journal October 1 2019 PetSmart Completes Acquisition of Chewy Business Wire May 31 2017 Totten Steven This is how PetSmart was able to acquire Chewy Phoenix Business Journal May 19 2017 PetSmart Enters Agreement to Acquire Chewy Pet Product News April 18 2017 Rocco Matthew PetSmart s Chewy files for IPO Financial Times April 29 2019 Safdar Khadeeja Gottfried Miriam PetSmart vs Petco A Dogfight That Neither One Is Winning Wall Street Journal February 20 2019 Syed Sarah Porter Kiel An 8 7 Billion Burden Casts Doubt Over BC Partners Newest Fund Bloomberg News May 1 2019 a b Wilson Marianne PetSmart CEO resigns Chain Store Age August 11 2017 Ronalds Hannon Eliza Robinson Phoebe PetSmart Lenders Are Worried About a Chewy com Spinoff Bloomberg News December 7 2017 Biswas Soma PetSmart Names New CEO as Retailer Grapples With Retail Disruption Wall Street Journal May 22 2018 Biswas Soma PetSmart Sues Citibank in Escalating Battle With Lenders Wall Street Journal June 28 2018 a b Scigliuzzo Davide Chewy worries don t dent PetSmart bond rally IFR Extra June 4 2018 a b Scaggs Alexandra PetSmart gives shares of its growth engine to PE sponsor Financial Times June 5 2018 Biswas Soma PetSmart Spinning Off Stake in Chewy com to Private Equity Owner Wall Street Journal June 5 2018 Franklin Joshua PetSmart s Chewy gets Wall Street tails wagging with 1 billion IPO Reuters June 13 2019 a b Hirsch Lauren Picker Leslie Chewy com PetSmart s online business prices IPO at 22 a share above expected range CNBC June 13 2019 a b Pounds Marcia Heroux Hurtibise Ron Chewy com s stock soars in initial public offering Sun Sentinel June 14 2019 Reports Chewy PetSmart Split to Operate as Separate Entities Pet Age October 28 2020 Retrieved July 20 2023 a b Hogan Gypsy Fleming Picks New Leader Exec Bringing Ups Downs Unknowns The Oklahoman December 6 1998 PETsMART Inc From DEF 14A Other definitive proxy statements U S Securities and Exchange Commission May 16 1997 Gonderinger Lisa PetSmart puts 25M account review on hold Phoenix Business Journal July 27 1997 Acosta Gina Former Walmart exec becomes CEO at PetSmart Retail Leader May 21 2018 Animals Frozen Alive Crudely Gassed at Petco PetSmart Supplier Mill PETA January 19 2016 Lobrutto Christina January 21 2016 PETA video shows alleged animal abuse at Petco PetSmart supplier mill in Pa PhillyVoice Retrieved February 14 2016 a b PetSmart cuts ties with rodent dealer under federal abuse probe WWL TV May 26 2016 Wiles Russ USDA uncovers abuse at rodent supplier that PETA claims is used by PetSmart USA Today May 24 2016 Reptiles Suffer Left to Die at Another Massive PetSmart Supplier Mill PETA February 29 2016 Wiles Russ February 29 2016 PETA claims reptile abuse by PetSmart supplier in Ohio Retrieved February 14 2016 a b PETA Expose Reveals Suffering At PetSmart Including Peoria Store Arizona Daily Independent March 29 2018 White D Ann Lawrence Brandon PetSmart Under Fire As Tampa Store Cleared In Dog s Death Patch May 9 2018 a b Alund Natalie Neysa Nashville PetSmart raided sick animals confiscated after videos photos surface USA Today March 29 2018 Arradondo Briona Apel Kara 6 animals seized after raid at Bellevue PetSmart WSMV March 29 2018 a b Gibson Kate PetSmart raid could lead to animal abuse charges CBS News March 30 2018 Lind J R Bellevue PetSmart Employees Plead Guilty To Animal Cruelty Patch June 28 2018 a b PetSmart Adds PETA to Smear Campaign Lawsuit Pet Product News May 14 2019 WTVF PetSmart suing PETA activist over undercover stings KNXV TV June 26 2018 Ludwig Hayden Taking PETA Radicals to Court Capital Research Center February 13 2019 a b Nieto Munoz Sophie Napoliello Alex Groomed then Gone NJ Advance Media NJ com September 20 2018 Dogs are dying after groomings at PetSmart and families are left wondering why The Oregonian September 20 2018 2019 NJ SPJ Signature Awards New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists June 2019 Peterson Pia O M G Look at That Dog New York Times October 20 2018 PetSmart Response dead link NJ com September 2018 Gurley Lauren Kaori March 9 2022 Some Understaffed PetSmarts Are Dealing With Freezers Overflowing With Dead Pets Vice Retrieved March 14 2022 Mishler Jennifer March 11 2022 Dead Animals Are Piling Up in PetSmart s Freezers Sentient Media Retrieved March 14 2022 Greed Unleashed PetSmart BC Partners and what happens when private equity preys on workers and pets PDF United for Respect September 2021 Holtz Liz Cabrera March 9 2022 PetSmart s Unsafe Working Conditions Are Killing Animals World Animal Protection Retrieved March 14 2022 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to PetSmart Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title PetSmart amp oldid 1222072700, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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