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Cat Forum / General Topics / November 2006How does Petco survive?
On every item I have checked, Petco is more expensive than Petsmart. Also, the two often have branches near each other. Do you understand why some people visit Petco and why it survives despite higher prices? I understand exactly what you mean. I think the answer is 'loss leaders'. Stores, like Petco and Petsmart run specials or have lower prices on certain items to lure you into the store. So you buy that cheap bag of Kitten Chow and then see a cute collar as you are going towards check-out. It's a ploy, a game that they all play. I'm not bad-mouthing them, I'm just saying that it is a pretty universal practice. With gas prices being what they are, I'm less likely to shop around, if you know what I mean. Stan www.Kitten-Pictures.com For the most adorable Kitten Pictures on the net! > I understand exactly what you mean. I think the answer is 'loss > leaders'. Stores, like Petco and Petsmart run specials or have lower [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > www.Kitten-Pictures.com > For the most adorable Kitten Pictures on the net! All retail stores do this - grocery, mini-marts, anyplace that sells (yes, even resteraunts) will run a special on something to bring in the customers, in the hopes that they will buy something in addition to the special. Reputable stores will offer rainchecks (a card or slip of paper that states that you will get the special price when the item is back in stock) when the special item is sold out, or a comparable item at a comperable price. Seedier stores will do the bair-and-switch - lure you into the store with the special item, then try and sell you a different, supposedly better, item at a much higher cost. In our town, there is a Petco on the east end, and a PetsMart on the west end. The PetCo is located in a building that used to be a Circuit City, but it closed up after a much larger Best Buy was built. This town is screwy - all the elctronic stores on the east end, pets stores all over, and all the 'home improvement' stores on the west end (Furrow, which closed when Lowes opened, now there is also a Menards, and they are buidling a Super WalMart, and a Home Depot will be taking over the old WalMart building. All three existing stores withing a mile of each other <boggle>). >> I understand exactly what you mean. I think the answer is 'loss >> leaders'. Stores, like Petco and Petsmart run specials or have lower [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >and a Home Depot will be taking over the old WalMart building. All three >existing stores withing a mile of each other <boggle>). And soon Wal-Mart will open an electronics chain to comepete with Best Buy. Here we have two Home Depots, one is about to get a Lowes across the steeet. > And soon Wal-Mart will open an electronics chain to comepete with Best > Buy. Let's hope it ends up like Incredible Universe >On every item I have checked, Petco is more expensive than Petsmart. >Also, the two often have branches near each other. Do you understand >why some people visit Petco and why it survives despite higher prices? Been to a super market lately? You go into a supermarket in city AAA go into the same chain a couple towns over and you'll notice the prices are different. Same item, same chain, different prices. Many retailers do that. You also have to consider rent/utilities/etc. at the store. I've found around here the prices at both Petco and Petsmart are about equal. I tend to avoid our local PetsMart since when you get close to christmas it tends to take more than an hour to get out of their parking lot (large shopping center, one exit.) > On every item I have checked, Petco is more expensive than Petsmart. And almost every item at PetSmart is more expensive than other places I can buy it. > Also, the two often have branches near each other. Do you understand > why some people visit Petco and why it survives despite higher prices? PetSmart refuses to sell live or frozen prey for reptiles. This is absolutley insane. They will sell cow meat for dogs and cats, and feeder fish, but not rodent meat for reptiles. That's why I don't patronize them. So I have to buy my mice at PetCo, when I run out of mice (I order them frozen on the internet). PetSmart also does not carry small feeder Goldfish - they carry some really small useless species. AFAIC, all of these stores suck. I have to buy my dog and cat chow from PetCo. I pay 21.99/bag for Eukanuba dog food - 15# - in San Jose I went to a smaller non-chain pet store and got it for $14.99/bag. Insane. -L. >> On every item I have checked, Petco is more expensive than Petsmart. > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > -L. Do you have a boa constrictor? I *LOVE* them, they are so cool. I had a friend who had a huge boa - about 7 foot long and 8 inches thick. How often do you have to give it a mouse? My friend also gave his boa small chickens.  SignatureHugs, CatNipped See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/ > Do you have a boa constrictor? I *LOVE* them, they are so cool. I had a > friend who had a huge boa - about 7 foot long and 8 inches thick. How often > do you have to give it a mouse? My friend also gave his boa small chickens. not boa constrictor, but both of my snakes are constrictors. I have a anerythristic corn snake (grey and white with yellow along his neck - he lacks the red gene of the wild-type) and a Ball python. They both get two adult mice every 7-10 days. I grew both of them from tiny snakelets, which is the fun part of owning a snake, but they live 30+ years in captivity. I feed thawed frozen mice so no squeaking at meal time here. ;) The coolest snake I had was a brazilian Rainbow Boa: http://www.vpi.com/5VPIBreeders/BrazilianRainbowBoa/BrazilianRainbowBoa.htm His Daddy was 7 ft long, and by a year and a half, he was almost 5 feet. I was afraid he would take my cat Mimi - she would sit outside his tank and taunt him. So I traded him to a guy I know who had a huge collection of exotic snakes, and took really good care of them. -L. >> Do you have a boa constrictor? I *LOVE* them, they are so cool. I had a >> friend who had a huge boa - about 7 foot long and 8 inches thick. How [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > http://www.vpi.com/5VPIBreeders/BrazilianRainbowBoa/BrazilianRainbowBoa.htm Gorgeous!!! I never could understand why so many people have phobias about and hate snakes - I think they are awesome. Their skin feels like silk, and, like a cat, their movements are so graceful it's hynotizing! SignatureHugs, CatNipped See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/ > His Daddy was 7 ft long, and by a year and a half, he was almost 5 > feet. I was afraid he would take my cat Mimi - she would sit outside > his tank and taunt him. So I traded him to a guy I know who had a huge > collection of exotic snakes, and took really good care of them. > > -L. >PetSmart refuses to sell live or frozen prey for reptiles. This is >absolutley insane. They will sell cow meat for dogs and cats, and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >carry small feeder Goldfish - they carry some really small useless >species. Local regulations? >AFAIC, all of these stores suck. I have to buy my dog and cat chow >from PetCo. I pay 21.99/bag for Eukanuba dog food - 15# - in San Jose >I went to a smaller non-chain pet store and got it for $14.99/bag. >Insane. Want to know a secret? If you go to your local grocery store they often have IAMS/Eukanuba food for less than the pet store. >>AFAIC, all of these stores suck. I have to buy my dog and cat chow >>from PetCo. I pay 21.99/bag for Eukanuba dog food - 15# - in San Jose >>I went to a smaller non-chain pet store and got it for $14.99/bag. >>Insane. >Want to know a secret? If you go to your local grocery store they >often have IAMS/Eukanuba food for less than the pet store. Another secret - Iams, Fancy Feast, Purina, etc. in Wal-mart, Zellers (or any large department store) is cheaper than in the pet stores (at least this is true where I am in Canada). : Another secret - Iams, Fancy Feast, Purina, etc. in Wal-mart, Zellers (or any : large department store) is cheaper than in the pet stores (at least this is : true where I am in Canada). I don't have a Walmart near me but I have looked at Target. Their regular prices are comparable but Petsmart has better deals on sales. Another advantage of Petsmart is you can buy single cans if you are in mood to experiment. Grocery stores are more expensive than either. >Another secret - Iams, Fancy Feast, Purina, etc. in Wal-mart, Zellers (or any >large department store) is cheaper than in the pet stores (at least this is >true where I am in Canada). This will be true when wal mart goes into the grocery business. Right now ours don't have them. Wal-Mart does have good prices, but not the variety of products that Petsmart does. For example, I buy the Purina One cat food, but Wal-Mart doesn't carry the variety that I use. When Petsmart puts it on sale, it's pretty much the same price anyway. Jon Cat's site: <a href="http://jon-maxson.ic-nso.com">My Lenaptalf</a> >Wal-Mart does have good prices, but not the variety of products that >Petsmart does. For example, I buy the Purina One cat food, but Wal-Mart [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >Cat's site: <a href="http://jon-maxson.ic-nso.com">My Lenaptalf</a> How can it be the same price when Wal-mart doesn't carry it? > >PetSmart refuses to sell live or frozen prey for reptiles. This is > >absolutley insane. They will sell cow meat for dogs and cats, and [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Local regulations? Nope. I can buy them at PetCo. <snip> > Want to know a secret? If you go to your local grocery store they > often have IAMS/Eukanuba food for less than the pet store. I have seen Iams cat food but no Eukanuba dog food. I wish they did carry it! -L. >> Local regulations? > >Nope. I can buy them at PetCo. But maybe the town allows one store to sell it but the other in the same town not to sell it? (Maybe Petco found the right official in the town to buy off?) > >> Local regulations? > > > >Nope. I can buy them at PetCo. > But maybe the town allows one store to sell it but the other in the > same town not to sell it? (Maybe Petco found the right official in > the town to buy off?) it's evidently a chain difference as I have been to multiple PetCos who have them and PetSmarts who do not. But they sell larger feeders - go figure. -L. -- My Petco sells some premium brand cat food that PetSmart does not carry. Sue > On every item I have checked, Petco is more expensive than Petsmart. > Also, the two often have branches near each other. Do you understand > why some people visit Petco and why it survives despite higher prices? |
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