Walmart has announced it will offer extensive pet care services and open five new pet service centers in the next month after closing its human medical centers across the US earlier this year.
The retail giant announced that it will be opening three new pet clinics in Arizona and two new pet clinics in Georgia over the coming month – they will offer vet services as well as food, supplies and grooming services.
The new clinics will add to their only existing pet services center, which opened in Dallas, Georgia last year.
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The news comes as the company stepped out of the human health center sector back in April of this year, when it announced it was closing all of its 51 health clinics in five states.
At the time, the “difficult decision” was blamed on the “challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs” which resulted in a lack of profitability and made the business unsustainable.
The pet care services sector, however, appears to be more profitable.
Walmart has described the pet category as “one of the most dynamic in retail” – a category which is projected to have an annual spending growth of 7% by 2030 and $1,445 per pet by 2026.
Research conducted by Morgan Stanley has shown that veterinary services are now the second largest pet spending category after consumables – this is expected to continue to grow as pet owners prioritize their pets’ wellbeing.
“Walmart understands that pets are family, and we’re proud to be a trusted destination for our pet parents,” said Kaitlyn Shadiow, vice president of merchandising, Pets, Walmart U.S.
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“Our Dallas, Georgia customers have shown us how much they value the affordable, convenient pet care solutions our first Walmart Pet Services center brought them.
“We’re excited to bring Walmart Pet Service centers to more markets and help meet our customers’ pet needs in one convenient destination,” she added.
