Petco in big rollout of in-store shops at Canadian Tire stores

Petco Health and Wellness Company is expanding its retail partnership with Canadian Tire.

Dedicated Petco shop-in-shops will be available in 450 Canadian Tire stores — or 90% of the chain’s locations — across the country by this summer. The expansion will help the U.S. retailer further its reach into Canada’s $5.3 billion pet market with an expanded offering of Petco’s premium, owned and exclusive pet products.  An estimated 90% of Canadians live only 15 minutes away from a Canadian Tire store.

Petco’s partnership with Canadian Tire, the seventh largest retailer in Canada based on revenue, dates back to 2018, when it entered into a deal for Canadian Tire to carry an assortment of Petco’s products in stores and online.

"Canadian Tire's legacy as an admired go-to retailer for living, playing, fixing, automotive and seasonal products has cemented them as a household name in Canadian homes,” said Amy College, chief merchandising officer, Petco. “Through our exclusive expanded partnership with Canadian Tire, we're growing awareness of — and access to — Petco's health and wellness products within Canada's dynamic and rapidly growing pet market. These shop-in-shops will continue to bring innovation to existing Canadian Tire pet parents and attract new customers for years to come."

The companies will significantly increase inventory of Petco's premium, owned and exclusive pet products, including its popular pet lifestyle and fashion brand Reddy. The shop-in-shop experience will also feature a variety of additional Petco brands, including Well & Good, a pet care line with a wide range of expert-formulated, high-quality first-aid solutions, remedies and grooming products and tools.

"With 60% of Canadian households home to a family cat or dog, pet is an important product category with strong potential for growth rooted in value, relevance and trusted brands for our customers," said Michael Magennis, senior VP, general merchandising at Canadian Tire Retail. "Since partnering with Petco in 2018, we have seen double-digit growth in the category with a marked increase in customers shopping the pet category for the first time."

Petco operates more than 1,500 locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, which offer merchandise, companion animals, grooming, training and a growing network of on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics. In June 2022, the company unveiled a new concept, Petco Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply, in. Floresville, Texas. The store is designed as a one-stop-shop for customers with pets and livestock such as horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats and other animals. 

Canadian Tire Corp. includes a retail segment, a financial services division and CT REIT. The retail business, which includes about 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets, is led by Canadian Tire, which offers a wide variety of merchandise across its living, playing, fixing, automotive and seasonal & gardening divisions. PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network.

The retail segment also includes Mark's, a leading source for casual and industrial wear, and FGL Sports, which includes Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, Sports Rousseau, L'Entrepôt du Hockey, National Sports, Intersport, Pro Hockey Life and Atmosphere.