Checkers opens 10th pet store in seven months as it expands its Petshop Science footprint around the country
Last year Checkers launched a pet insurance product in South Africa, which formed part of its plan to offer more financial services and as it looks for new fintech innovations. File photo.
Retailer Checkers, the first South African supermarket to launch a pet shop, said this week it had opened its 10th Petshop Science store in just seven months and would have 12 standalone stores by the end of the year.
Last year Checkers launched a pet insurance product in South Africa, which formed part of its plan to offer more financial services and as it looks for new fintech innovations.
Checkers the pet shop launch came amid the country’s booming pet economy with increased pet ownership and Millennials replacing babies with fur babies.
Checkers said the specialist Petshop Science stores featured everything pet owners could want or need, at supermarket prices.
Willem Hunlun, the chief operating officer of Checkers, said: “We saw a gap in the market when it came to pet care and following the great customer response to the first Petshop Science, we've been hard at work rolling out more specialist pet shops. Our aim has always been to bring customers everything their four-legged companions could want and need – at supermarket prices.”
The tenth Petshop Science store opened in Eden Meander in George on December 6, with two more stores opening in the Western Cape (Table Bay Mall in Sunningdale) and KwaZulu-Natal (St Johns Centre in Pinetown) in mid-December.
Checkers recently opened the first standalone Checkers Little Me baby store, the smaller format Checkers Foods store as well as the new MediRite Plus.
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