Meijer Grows Pet Departments
Meijer Inc. is now offering an even larger assortment of such everyday pet essentials as food, grooming supplies and its widest selection yet of Halloween costumes – an increasingly popular trend, according to the Washington, D.C.-based National Retail Federation, which estimates that 29 million consumers plan to outfit their furry companions for the coming spookfest.
The collection consists of 28 costumes and accessories for dogs, and nine hats and collars for cats. New this year, Meijer is selling extra-large costumes – a hot dog, a taco, a triceratops and a spider – created for big dogs.
“Halloween is a time for the entire family – even our favorite four-legged friends – to dress up for a fun night of trick-or-treating, and we wanted to make sure our assortment rose to the challenge,” noted Shana Ward, Meijer’s director of pets merchandising. “Pets are integral members of our customers' families, and we are working diligently to ensure our pet departments remain top of mind for those fun celebrations but also for their total pet care needs.”
The new items are part of the retailer’s overall hefty investment in its pet departments over the past few years. Each Meijer supercenter now features an extra aisle to accommodate a larger assortment of pet food. The company’s pet food offering encompasses national brands, among them Blue Buffalo, Nutro, Nature’s Recipe, Fresh Pet and Rachael Ray Nutrish, and private label True Goodness by Meijer.
Additionally, at 40 Meijer locations, the pet departments have been moved to a back corner to create a specialty store feel with spacious displays for products such as Halloween-themed pet toys. The new configuration increases the sections’ space in these stores by 30 percent.
A few Meijer supercenters even feature VetIQ Petcare clinics providing basic veterinary walk-in services that include routine shots and treatments for minor illnesses. The clinics are located at the front of the supercenter, with a separate exterior entrance that keeps the pets from entering the store.
Privately owned and family-operated Meijer operates 246 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company is No. 7 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
