PetSmart opens test store

PetSmart held the grand opening of its new concept store, the PetSmart Pet Spa in Oceanside, on Aug 13. The new store features new elements to test out various ideas for consideration within PetSmart’s growing store chain.

The new PetSmart store, located at 529 Atlantic Ave, features pet services, a new design with approximately 7,400-square feet of space – a smaller footprint than their other stores.  According to the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent more than $60 billion on their pets last year, including on services such as grooming, and the new store geared to that trend. 

In a first for the chain, the store has a self-service dog wash where pet parents can personally bathe their pups, or choose from a range of grooming services where pets receive hands-on care by academy-trained, certified stylists.  The store’s pet food collection includes a refrigerator/freezer section and is focused on nutrition. 

A coffee bar-lounge area provides complimentary coffee and comfortable seating for pet parents while pets receive grooming or clinic services, or for a break after the fun of a self-dog wash.  A pet hospital operated by PetSmart partner Banfield® is adjacent and among the largest of its kind at a PetSmart store.

“In order to innovate at retail, you have to try new concepts and that’s really what the PetSmart Pet Spa in Oceanside, New York, is all about,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer, “Like any spa, our Pet Spa store is intended to provide the amenities and comforts to enhance one’s lifestyle, but this time with your pet. We are eager to see consumer reaction to the Pet Spa concept, learn from our Oceanside customers and apply that learning going forward.”