Petco Review 2024 – Info, Pros, Cons, & FAQ

Review Summary

Petco and PetSmart are probably the first names that come to mind when you think of nationwide pet stores. With over 1,500 locations each, these two chains offer similar products for comparable prices. While Petco is older, it doesn’t have as big of a product selection and currently doesn’t rake in as much revenue as its rival. However, Petco was the first to jump onto the online shopping platform and is expanding its stores at a much faster rate, so they may emerge as the ultimate pet store of the future. Here’s what we think about Petco and all of its offerings, including how they stack up against PetSmart.

At a Glance: The Petco Experience

In 2022, Petco is no longer just a pet store. They have grooming services, veterinary clinics, and recently added boarding services on location that make them a one-stop shop for your pet’s needs. Their one-size-fits-all approach makes them a convenient option, but maybe not the best choice for every pet owner, which we’ll delve into in a minute. Additionally, it’s important to realize that their veterinary services are a new concept that isn’t available in all locations.

Petco Reviewed

How Many Petco Stores Are There? Where Are They Located?

According to their website, Petco has over 1,500 stores across the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Petco has been growing at an astonishing rate since the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated 300 stores added in the last three years. This sudden growth has propelled them to nearly the same number of stores as PetSmart, which has 1,600+ locations.

Who Is Petco Best Suited For?

If you’re the pet parent of a dog, cat, guinea pig, ferret, or fish, then Petco sells supplies to meet your needs. Some locations might sell more small pets such as fish than others in-store, but as a corporate rule they’ve never sold dogs or cats. Instead, they hold adoption events and shelter rescue cats in their store to encourage adoption. As a result, Petco is a great place to go to adopt a new cat or dog or buy supplies for your current fur babies.

In 2018, Petco decided to pull all foods and treats with artificial ingredients off their shelves. This is one reason why their selection might seem more limited than PetSmart. This decision certainly doesn’t imply that every bag of pet food on Petco’s shelf is a healthy choice. However, Petco might be a better option for health-conscious pet parents who don’t want to worry about cancer causing artificial preservatives such as BHT in their animal’s food.

How Is Petco’s Online Shopping Experience?

Petco offers free shipping on every order over $35. Their repeat delivery service is comparable to Chewy’s AutoShip function, which puts them in direct competition. With Petco, you also have the option of buying online and picking up in store. The in-store option arguably gives them an edge over Chewy because some customers may prefer to shop in person.

A Quick Look at Petco

Reviews of Petco’s Services and Prices

Vetco Review

Formerly known as THRIVE, Petco recently changed the name of their in-store animal hospitals to Vetco. Unlike PetSmart who solely sells their veterinary services as a subscription package under Banfield, Petco approaches Vetco differently. They offer both a-la-carte and subscription veterinary services, including their very own pet insurance policy. Certain low-cost medical procedures have set prices, such as standard vaccines. In fact, certain vaccines are even cheaper at Vetco than at a standard veterinary clinic.

As part of new changes that occurred when Petco acquired THRIVE, Petco now offers a Vital Care subscription program that includes unlimited routine vet exams, $15 monthly rewards, 20% off dog grooming or cat litter, 10% nutrition and more. Vital Care is Petco’s equivalent of Banfield, and an annual subscription is required.

Petco has their own pet insurance policy that covers accidents and illnesses. One of the most attractive features is that they let any dog enroll, regardless of age or breed. You can visit any licensed vet with this insurance and receive your reimbursement within 30 days after submitting a claim. Of course, pre-existing conditions aren’t covered, neither are wellness visits.

The main disadvantage might be the inconsistency. The first Petco animal clinic opened in 2018, so most stores don’t have full-service hospitals yet. Banfield, by contrast, is highly established as it’s been around since the 1960’s, long before it partnered with PetSmart. As Petco expands their new veterinary clinics, there will undoubtedly be some rough patches as adjustments are made and they discover what works and what doesn’t. Customer experience also tends to vary widely by store with the grooming services, so we expect the same might be the case with their veterinary clinics.

Petco Boarding Services

Through a February 2022 partnership with Rover, Petco customers now have the option to board their pets through their platform. The arrangement provides a third-party medium between individual sitters on Rover’s site and Petco members looking for boarding, house sitting, dog walking, doggy daycare, and drop-in services. It’s important to note that these services aren’t offered in store but are hired out through Rover. PetSmart, by contrast, offers onsite boarding but this service isn’t available at all locations.

Petco Grooming Services

You can usually book a grooming appointment with Petco with near availability, but unfortunately, they don’t offer walk-in services. Their prices are a little above average, but comparable to PetSmart. For example, a bath & haircut costs $38-$66+ at Petco, and ranges between $19-$75 at PetSmart. It seems that smaller dogs would benefit the most from going to PetSmart since the grooming price starts much lower and is usually based on size.

The biggest dilemma customers have seemed to find with both Petco and PetSmart is how much the quality of customer service varies by location. Pet parents have expressed displeasure over their “unruly” pets being denied grooming services when independent grooming salons have groomed the same animal with no trouble.

Who’s Cheaper? Petco vs. PetSmart

The extra in-store perks are nice, but chances are you’re mostly wondering about how the prices compare since you purchase litter more frequently than you take your cat for baths and annual checkups. Here are a few sample prices from Petco and PetSmart for popular dog and cat supplies:

As you can see, the prices are very similar. Some products are even listed for the exact same price in both stores, with even more products differing only by pennies. However, on rare occasions, certain products may be listed for substantially more or less at one store than another, such as the KONG classic toy that’s listed for $13.99 at Petco but is listed for under $10 at PetSmart.

If you’re looking to save money, Petco has a store brand called WholeHearted. Some of their products may be less expensive than name brand items. However, we still don’t consider them bargain prices. On the other hand, PetSmart doesn’t have a store brand, but they carry more exclusive products such as the Simply Nourish line of pet food.

What Other Users Are Saying

On Consumer Reports, customers rated Petco at 2.9/5 stars. PetSmart received a slightly higher rating of 3.5/5 stars. Given the enormous popularity of both chains, we expected higher reviews. While there were definitely some highly positive reviews, customer experience varied greatly depending on the store they visited. They praised and complained mostly about the same issues such as limited items in stock, delivery of the wrong merchandise, and customer experience.

Overall, when it comes to grooming it seems like most customers would probably be better off visiting a local salon where the groomer has the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with the dog or cat, rather than a chain store with a high turnover rate which produces slightly different results every time.

Vetco looks promising, with some prices well below those at a standard animal clinic. However, they’re still too new for us to give a verdict yet.

Conclusion

As Petco expands their services, they’re an up-and-coming option as a place for all your pet care needs. Their online shopping options rival Chewy, and they’re scrambling to add more stores and services at a rate that’ll soon exceed PetSmart. However, their individual product selection and quality of services varies considerably depending on the store location, so we only give them a 3.5-star review on average.