Petco: Engaging Pet Parents and Leveraging Pet Partners To Nurture Emotional Loyalty

Send us Fan MailIn 1965, a mail-order veterinary supplies business named UPCO was founded in San Diego, California. By 1979, it became Petco, and in 1980, the first Petco store located outside of California opened in Tigard, Oregon. Petco’s significant growth began in the late 1980s after acquiring two pet supply chains, WellPoint and the Pet Department. The purchase not only expanded the footprint of the company but more than tripled the brand’s store number from 40 to 130. In the early 1990s, Petco opened its first East Coast stores, and by 2001, Petco.com was launched. In 2013, the company opened its first Petco stores in Mexico, with one in Mexico City and another one in Guadalajara.  Today, Petco is a successful pet health and wellness company, reflecting nearly six decades of providing thoughtful customer service to “pet parents” and their beloved pets. The brand has created an environment in which customer loyalty is built through the emotional connections nurtured by in-store employees.     Mark Johnson, CEO of Loyalty360, spoke with Justin Tichy, Chief Operating Officer for Petco, about growing into a health and wellness company, building emotional loyalty with pet parents, and fostering an environment of engaged employees.