[ScoutandSadie]

I have always wondered what other people's opinion is in which store is better. They are about the same distance away from my house and I am always debating on which one to go to for my supplies like food toys and treats. What's your opinion?

 

[revolutionrocknroll]

I always try to support local businesses and shops that don't sell live animals (boutiques, feed stores, etc) when I have the opportunity.

I don't think there's a significant difference between Petco and Petsmart companies other than the differences between the individual stores in your area.

 

[PoppyKenna]

I also like smaller businesses. Plus I found that Target sells the FreshPet treats I use for cheaper, so that's usually where I go

Between Petco and Petsmart, though, I lean toward Petsmart. I just had a couple of bad experiences at Petco. Once when someone used my credit card to buy something from them and they refused to help or tell me anything about the order; the other time was when me and my roommate bought pet mice and after asking if male mice scented, the woman swore up and down they didn't (they totally do).

Petsmart staff in my area are a bit nicer, the selection a bit better even though the store is smaller.

But I'm lucky enough to have a really awesome locally owned pet food store.

 

[Sabina88]

Ive personally always equated petsmart and petco as pretty much the same, with slight differences. I think it all depends on what your looking for. Before I used to go petsmart all the time, but in the past year they opened up a petco closer to me, so I go there 90% of the time.

Like PoppyKenna and revolutionrocknroll, I also like the smaller stores as well. Plus you tend to find fun/new things you wouldn't normally find at chain stores.

 

[DuckDodgers]

I also like smaller businesses. Plus I found that Target sells the FreshPet treats I use for cheaper, so that's usually where I go

Between Petco and Petsmart, though, I lean toward Petsmart. I just had a couple of bad experiences at Petco. Once when someone used my credit card to buy something from them and they refused to help or tell me anything about the order; the other time was when me and my roommate bought pet mice and after asking if male mice scented, the woman swore up and down they didn't (they totally do).

Petsmart staff in my area are a bit nicer, the selection a bit better even though the store is smaller.

But I'm lucky enough to have a really awesome locally owned pet food store.

Lol, can confirm the male mouse thing. I had one I was trying to keep secret in my dorm room as an undergrad, and that was tricky!

Personally I prefer petsmart. I like that they don't sell ferrets, their prices generally seem better, and I like the stores in our area better than the petcos. However, the Petco is much closer to me so I often go there.

I buy food from our local pet market, but the guy who owns the store is overly friendly and I'm not a friendly person. Nice guy, but I would rather get in and get out. I also don't go with my dogs because the cell phone store next door got one of those wavy inflatable flailing tube men. They are convinced that thing is the devil straight from heck itself, and there is no convincing them otherwise. Was very embarrassing when they saw it...

 

[K9Chaos]

I go to both for different things. I buy bags of Aspen shaving and crickets at Petco
because their brand of Aspen is finer shavings - I use Aspen our Lizard tank and for the baby chicken pen. Then at Petsmart I buy their brand of paper pellets which I use for rabbit litter boxes, and our rat/mice cages.

For dog food I buy our kibble at a local family run store and I buy our raw food at the raw food dog co-op.

We make our own treats whenever possible!

 

[bowtiepomsky]

I'm in The same boat... but i prefer Petco cause it seems to me ppl are friendlier! haha

 

[TiggerBounce]

Neither.

I either support our local petstore, or I order off Amazon or another online store. I avoid at all possible supporting those two stores because I don't agree with them carrying things like shock collars, or selling live animals beyond fish.

 

[Rain]

I avoid shopping at both along with the more local Petsense if I can possibly do so. All three are massively overpriced. If I do happen to go in I like to check out the items, see if anything is on sale which I need, make note of the things I like, and only buy the sale items. I then go home, get on Chewy.com and see if I can't find the stuff that I decided I liked at the pet shop and buy it from them. Chewy generally beats the price by at least a couple of dollars, often more. A good example is a 24" exercise pen, the one at the pet shop was close to $90, chewy had the same size, different brand, exercise pen for $34.

 

[supaflyskye]

I like Pet Supermarket.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[patronizingrabbits]

I only really buy things at local pet shops, but I stop by the chain stores when I'm in the area and want to bring Jayne somewhere fun to sniff. The Petsmart here is a lot nicer than our Petco, but our Petco is also a lot older and on a dying side of town business wise. Walking into Petco here is like walking in a ghost town.

 

[jclark343]

I'll 'shop' at both, but really the most I tend to buy will be treats, with the occasional toy. Usually I will order everything off Chewy or Amazon, and I purchase my food off Chewy or buy from a local seller. We do not have any small dog food places. Any place that has tried as not lasted very long.

 

[Philo Vance]

There is no Petsmart near me but the Petco store is one of my least favorite retailers of all time. Sometimes I need things that my local independent store won't have on hand that I don't want to wait for: say a can top for a 3 oz can or a treat bag. I'll look the item up at petco.com and note a fairly reasonable price. When I get to the store the price is 25% more. What kind of store has different prices in-store and online in 2015?

The prices for food at the independent stores in my neighborhood (and we have a lot of them; lots of dogs here) are about 15% higher than chewy.com plus 9% tax, but I get it; rents are high in New York City and chewy's pricing is very aggressive. But why must Petco get 30% or more than Chewy for the same food?

At least Petco used to be an inexpensive option for basic (very basic) grooming but now they want $110 to bathe, brush and clip a 15 lb mutt. I can go to a groomer who gets dogs ready for Westminster for that kind of money.

Now I do like the "Unleashed" stores Petco started opening in affluent urban areas like Manhattan and San Francisco. They are much smaller than the big box stores. Everything is on one level and they don't sell live animals. The emphasis is on higher end foods and treats and customer "education." The employees are several notches better trained and well spoken than the big box staff. They do a big job with frozen raw and freshpet and sometimes have really good sales for rewards card members.

But again, the prices at Unleashed are *completely* different from the big box store a mile away. So now Petco is selling the same thing for three different prices: online, Petco big box, and Unleashed.

It's a hell of a way to run a business.

 

[kmes]

Of the 2, I prefer Petsmart.
But I rarely buy anything. Normally only when traveling and needing something or if I actually stumble onto a good deal. When I do go into the stores in my area I normally just walk around and train a bit. Prices always seem to be higher there. Most of my shopping for my crew is done online or at a small local business.

 

[jclark343]

Off of what @Philo Vance said, I recently learned that Petco prices are almost always considerably cheaper online, and they do not honor their prices in the store. A Petco associate told me that it can be up to 40% cheaper on THEIR website then it is in store. I thought that was crazy. I will probably stick to only buying the cheap sandwich cookies my dog loves from them from now on.

 

[Tucker12]

I only have a Petsmart and Pet Supermarket close by that I enjoy going to. Both are nice and have their pros and cons. Since I live in a dog enthusiast tourist town, the local pet shops are more expensive than the chains and aren't in any trouble of going out of business. Most of our chain pet stores have teamed up with local rescue groups and display rescue animals for adoption. They also allow different rescue groups to bring dogs every Saturday. Chain pet stores aren't all that bad and it's all about the staff. The workers at the petsmart here turn people away when they ask about shock collars and such.