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Many pet owners love the convenience of large chain pet stores. They have everything you could possibly need for your dog, cat, hamster, rabbit, reptile, or fish. Two reputable top pet chain stores in the United States are PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus. On the surface, these two chain stores might seem exactly the same, but there are some differences.
PetSmart is a larger chain than Pet Supplies Plus, meaning finding a PetSmart location in your state is going to be easier. However, both offer online as well. PetSmart’s larger size also allows the store to match competitive prices more often than Pet Supplies Plus. People often have an easier time finding specific or specialty products that they need for their pets at PetSmart. But customers of both chain stores state that Pet Supplies Plus offers better customer service.
If you are deciding between PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus for your pet shopping needs, this article will go over essential details about both companies, the pros and cons, and what the customers felt about each company.
At a Glance
Let’s look at the key points of each chain store and what they offer overall to their customers. More details about these stores will be covered in the rest of the article.
Overview of PetSmart
PetSmart has been around for over 30 years and has about 1,600 stores. It is definitely a well-known company due to the size, location, and products offered. It remains a top competitor among pet supplies retailer stores and companies.
Overview of Pet Supplies Plus
Pet Supplies Plus was founded in 1988 and has grown to be among the top five pet product retailing company in the United States. Currently, there are 560 locations spread out over 36 states. Although not as large as some major competitors, they still have a decent selection of popular pet products.
How Do They Compare?
Price
Since PetSmart is a larger chain store, they can offer more competitive prices on their products when compared to Pet Supplies Plus. Both PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus will be similar or close on some products. Shopping online at either store usually has better deals than the physical stores.
Location
PetSmart has over 1,500 locations in the United States as well as some locations in Canada and Puerto Rico. PetSmart stores can be found in almost all of the lower 48 states, with California having the highest concentration of PetSmart stores overall. Pet Supplies Plus has fewer locations and stores in general. There are only about 560 stores open, making this store harder to find depending on what state you live in.
Variety of Products
This is where PetSmart shows an advantage over Pet Supplies Plus. As PetSmart is a larger chain store, customers can easily find unique or specific products (especially foods) they need for their pets. While Pet Supplies Plus does have a decent variety, people should either check online or call their local store to see if the product they want is available.
Customer Satisfaction
A customer’s experience can vary daily; however, the overall view on customer service offered through Pet Supplies Plus has been positive. Since the company is smaller, people feel they can reach customer service easily. While PetSmart does get positive reviews on its customer service, the results are mixed. Some people find that because PetSmart is such a large company, it is much harder to speak to someone on the phone if they have a problem.
What The Users Say
One way to determine if you want to spend your money at a particular place or company is to hear what past or current customers have to say about their experiences. We have looked over some recent reviews of what PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus customers had to say about their experiences with in-store experiences, online shopping, or grooming services. To make it unbiased, we have pointed out both the positive experiences and some negative ones.
PetSmart
Many people are pleased to find so many different and specialty foods, treats, and accessories at PetSmart. Larger chain stores offer the convenience of finding what you need in one location.
There have been some negative experiences when trying to reach customer service on the phone about an issue. Another issue that customers complained about was the quality of the grooming services offered at store locations. Customers like the prices of the grooming options, but some people have not been pleased with the results or treatment of their pets.
Pet Supplies Plus
Overall, many customers were pleased with the service employees offered them at Pet Supplies Plus. They were polite, eager to assist with product location, and helped them carry more oversized items to their car. Customers were impressed with the employee’s knowledge of the products and the animals they sell as pets.
However, a handful of people reported that the small pets they purchased at the store got sick, which ended up costing them a lot in vet bills. Some other people could not find specific items for their pets at the in-store locations. Since Pet Supplies Plus is a smaller company, they more often will stock popular name brands that they know will sell easily instead of special items.
Conclusion
If you want to look for more specialized or unique pet foods or products, PetSmart is going to be a better choice. They are a larger store and have more locations across the country. If you are more budget-conscious, PetSmart will likely have more competitive prices on many of its products. However, checking online at either PetSmart’s site or Pet Supplies Plus site can offer you better deals when compared to in-store prices. Both companies offer their customers similar services, but more people would recommend Pet Supplies Plus if you highly value customer service. Happy shopping!
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