Here, too, there is a search bar for specific items. As noted above, many products displayed on the site are available for in-store purchase only. There is no online chat. Both vendors offer free shipping.
The minimum order to qualify at Petco. And finally, Petco. Our pet stores comparison found that both chains offer some similar and some different in-store services. In this category, PetSmart is the clear winner given its broader range of animal-care services.
Select Petco and PetSmart locations train dogs and are active in their respective local communities hosting seminars and events. Participating Petco stores run six-week training classes geared to the age of the dog puppy or adult and the experience of the dog-owner duo level 1 or level 2 , as well as private sessions; a free consult with a trainer is also available. PetSmart offers four levels of training puppy, beginner, intermediate, and advanced , each in six-week units, in addition to private sessions.
On a discussion board dating back several years, dog owners generally recommend turning to independently-owned stores for training events but note that the distraction-rich environment during the chain stores' sessions has its advantages in terms of teaching focus and discipline.
Posts at Baby Center , also from a few years ago, conclude that the events are good for the basics when just beginning to train a dog. Moreover, as participants point out, events and classes are an opportunity for dogs and their owners to socialize with others of their kind.
Many Petco and PetSmart locations also house grooming salons whose services include baths, nail and paw care, spa treatments, coat treatments, and even doggy facials. PetSmart also offers grooming services for cats. Both vendors provide medical care for dogs and cats, but PetSmart holds the upper hand owing to its partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital, which largely operates out of PetSmart stores.
These clinics offer a range of medical services and procedures, including preventive, emergency, and dental care; surgery; and ID microchipping. Pet owners can buy any of three wellness plans that cover free office visits, routine vaccinations, comprehensive exams and screening, and discounts on Banfield's other services and products; they can also be customized with additional services and wellness products. For its part, Petco operates clinics on a rotating schedule that focus on preventive care.
Services include vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, and some standard wellness tests. It also maintains a blog-like resource dubbed Wholepets that provides information about pet maintenance, particularly cats and dogs. The section is user-friendly with mini-articles that can be searched by animal type and further filtered by topic.
Pet Talk Place is a community forum with discussions about animal breeds, care, and products. A price comparison on 10 items available at both Petco and PetSmart finds prices to be lower on seven items at Petco. To our mobile visitors: This chart is too big to display properly on a small screen, so please visit Cheapism. And yet, the few current Petco reviews posted by shoppers express dissatisfaction with online customer service.
At Site Jabber and Reseller Ratings the Petco reviews report weak performance when it comes to fulfilling orders in a timely fashion or, in some cases, fulfilling them at all. One shopper says an item ordered shortly after Black Friday had not arrived two days before Christmas and another reports ordering emergency supplies and paying for next-day shipping only to receive the item three days hence. Several Petco reviews gripe about the site being out of date, with one noting that an order for a bird cage was initially accepted but a subsequent email indicated the item was on backorder and yet another weeks later said the order had been automatically canceled because the item was still not available.
Reviewers also write that unfulfilled orders are difficult to cancel and refunds hard to claim. We read one post asserting that store employees are sometimes short on knowledge about the inventory. Petco offers a smattering of services -- dog training and grooming, occasional preventive-care clinics -- at many of its brick-and-mortar stores. Vet clinics operate at select locations on a rotating basis. The Petco website hosts an advice blog, called Wholepets, featuring articles on pet care.
For specific products, the prices charged by Petco and PetSmart could still differ quite a bit. Let us look at 2 examples. Depending on the specific product you are buying, the prices charged by Petco and PetSmart could differ by 14 percent or more.
Similarly, while the average prices at Petco. For example:. The average prices at select stores were:. For online retailers, Chewy. As you can see, prices at different retailers, both offline and online ones, vary a great deal. If there is one thing to take away from this study — always compare prices before you buy. Even after you have bought your pet supplies at Petco or PetSmart, it would still make sense for you to compare prices with other retailers.
Because both Petco and PetSmart offer price match guarantees. The Petco brick and mortar stores and the Petco. Likewise, the PetSmart brick and mortar stores and the PetSmart. Let us take a look at the specific detail of these policies:. Both Petco and PetSmart offer various levels of training classes for puppies and adult dogs.
PetSmart does not offer online classes. The main difference between the 2 retailers is that Petco only offers grooming services for dogs while PetSmart caters to both dogs and cats. Prices depend on the breed of your pet and whether it is a puppy, kitten, or adult. With PetSmart, you can go to their grooming service website , enter your location, and the breed and age of your pet, and you will be able to see the prices of the grooming services available to your pet.
With Petco, you have to call your local Petco grooming salon before your visit to receive an estimated price. Let us take a look at these 2 programs in more detail. Both Petco and PetSmart refuse to sell dogs or cats and promote adoption instead. That is the good news. The bad news is that they both sell other live animals such as hamsters, gerbils, chinchilla, guinea pigs, and more. Both of them also sell animals that can be used as live foods — rats, mice, and crickets.
Based on these facts, we would say it is a tie. Their average prices are comparable. Petsmart and Petco seem to be everywhere! These stores have a reputation for delivering quality, but at the same time, not being too out-of-this-world expensive that all customers are driven out the automatic double doors and directly to the nearest Wal-Mart.
When my friend asked me this question, I admit that I did not have any resemblance of an answer! Because the analysis on SlyMiser. However, I also wanted to check on the answer to this question using some of my own personal findings with current data as of April, To do this, I decided to compare the online prices excluding shipping of 10 of the most common pet products to see if any significant differences could be found.
Truly amazing! While the results were slightly less definitive than I was hoping for, I think we can still draw meaningful conclusions. Since Petsmart and Petco featured the lower-priced item exactly half of the time, we can conclude that both are good options. Furthermore, if you are going on a general pet-supply-buying trip planning to purchase multiple items , probably the best strategy is to do a quick Google Maps search and find out which store is closest to you and go there.
However, if you are in the market for a specific item especially if it is high-dollar that you don't need to buy frequently, the best approach would be to compare prices online between the two stores to decide which to buy from. For example, a dog crate or something that you only buy once a year or more would good candidates for this specific price comparison.
How about you all? Do you shop at Petco or Petsmart? Which do you prefer? Does store layout play a role in which you prefer? Buying pet supplies online can also make a big difference so make sure to look into that. You also need the best pet insurance for your pet. It doesn't matter what kind of expensive healthy food you've been feeding your pet because they still may have a surprise health issue or injury.
Trust me this insurance coverage pays for itself in the long run. Make sure to check out our review! Very informative! I used to go to Petco all the time because they were the only ones that carried the food I fed my dogs: Natural Balance. I switched the dogs to a comparable food that a local small businessman carries. For the same price I was paying for Natural Balance, he delivers the food to my door. It actually sent me into a rage where I walked out of the store.
Amanda — I would definitely agree that Petco and Petsmart are more expensive than grocery store prices. The grocery store is a good source too for non-specialized foods, toys, etc. Nicely done! It fascinates me how stores are deliberately cheaper on different items to not start price wars. I also see this strategy at the supermarket too. Different stores have different low price niches. The Petco we go to is close to our grocery store so we keep the car trip to minimal.
Good post! It pains me to see people go in to DEEP debt over a pet. It is a tough call though. I could save some money on all the food I buy! Retireby40 — From the looks of the prices, for just your average shopping trip to the pet store, going to the one that is closer will do you just fine. As far as Petsmart v Petco goes, I went to Petsmart for a long time before I realized there was a Petco much closer to me. I not only save money on gas, but Petco seems to carry the Blue Buffalo dog food I need for my Charlie at a couple dollars cheaper than Petsmart.
You have a year to buy the 10 bags and redeem your free bag. This is a great deal for me, since Charlie will definitely go through 10 bags by the time the year is up! Thanks for putting this together. I will need to look more closely.
I can hardly tell the difference, but my wife is a firm believer in PetSmart.
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