Here are 1-3 brief analogies for Petco Health and Wellness:

• Like a Target or Walmart, but exclusively for pets and their supplies.
• A CVS or Walgreens, but focused on your pets' health, wellness, and everyday needs.

Petco Health and Wellness (WOOF) Major Products and Services

• Pet Food & Treats: Offers a comprehensive selection of dry, wet, raw, and specialized diets along with various treats for pets.
• Pet Supplies: Provides a broad range of essential and recreational items, including toys, bedding, collars, leashes, and grooming tools.
• Over-the-Counter Pet Medications & Supplements: Sells non-prescription health products, such as flea and tick treatments, vitamins, and calming aids for pets.
• Pet Grooming: Professional services including bathing, haircuts, nail trims, and other spa treatments designed to keep pets clean and healthy.
• Veterinary Services (Vetco Total Care/Vetco Clinics): Offers in-store preventative care, vaccinations, and full-service veterinary hospitals for routine and urgent pet medical needs.
• Dog Training: Provides group classes and private lessons focused on obedience, behavior modification, and socialization for dogs of all ages.
• Self-Serve Dog Wash: Facilities equipped for customers to conveniently wash their own dogs using provided shampoos, conditioners, and equipment.

Petco Health and Wellness (symbol: WOOF) primarily sells to individuals, rather than other companies. Its major customers can be broadly categorized into the following groups:

• Everyday Pet Parents: This category encompasses the largest segment of customers who regularly purchase essential pet supplies such as food, treats, toys, basic accessories, and general care items for their dogs, cats, birds, fish, and other small animals. They seek convenience, a broad product selection, and competitive pricing for their daily pet needs.
• Health- and Wellness-Focused Pet Parents: These customers prioritize their pets' health and well-being, often seeking premium, natural, organic, or specialized diets, supplements, and preventative care products. They are also key users of Petco's integrated health services, including Vetco clinics, full-service veterinary hospitals, and grooming services, reflecting Petco's "Health and Wellness" brand strategy. They are often willing to invest more in higher-quality products and comprehensive care for their pets.
• Service-Oriented Pet Owners: This segment primarily engages with Petco for its range of pet services beyond retail products. This includes customers utilizing professional grooming services, enrolling their pets in dog training classes, seeking basic veterinary care or vaccinations through Petco's in-store clinics, and those interested in pet adoption events.

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Joel D. Anderson, Chief Executive Officer

Joel D. Anderson joined Petco as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the company's Board of Directors in July 2024. He is a retail industry veteran with over three decades of experience. Prior to Petco, he served as CEO of specialty retailer Five Below, Inc., where he oversaw significant U.S. expansion, increasing the number of stores and growing revenue from $500 million to over $3.5 billion. He also led the successful launch of Five Below's e-commerce business. Before Five Below, Anderson was President and CEO of Walmart.com from 2011 to 2014. He also held the position of Senior Vice President of Walmart's Northern Plains division stores. Anderson currently serves on the Board of Directors for Sprouts Farmers Market.

Sabrina Simmons, Chief Financial Officer

Sabrina Simmons was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Petco, effective February 17, 2025. Before her appointment as CFO, she served on Petco's board of directors since 2021 and as audit chair. Simmons has extensive financial leadership experience, including nearly two decades at Gap, Inc., where she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2008 to 2017. During her tenure at Gap, Inc., she supported a multi-year operational transformation and contributed to significant margin expansion and shareholder value. She also serves on the board of the Columbia Sportswear Company and Coursera.

Glenn Murphy, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors

Glenn Murphy was appointed Executive Chairman of Petco's Board of Directors in 2024.

Michael Romanko, Chief Customer and Product Officer

Michael Romanko was appointed Chief Customer and Product Officer, effective February 24, 2025. He is a veteran retail executive with over 30 years of experience in merchandising, branding, and product development. Prior to joining Petco, he served as the Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer at Five Below, Inc. for a decade, where he played a pivotal role in the company's growth.

Jack Stout, Chief Merchandising Officer

Jack Stout was officially appointed Chief Merchandising Officer, effective February 24, 2025, after serving as Petco's Interim Chief Merchandising Officer since July 2024. He brings over 20 years of experience in merchandising, planning, category management, and logistics from senior roles in the consumer goods industry. Previously, Stout served as Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer at 7-Eleven, Inc.

Key Risks to Petco Health and Wellness (WOOF)

1. High Debt Burden: Petco Health and Wellness faces a significant challenge from its highly leveraged balance sheet, with a debt-to-equity ratio of over 258% as of November 2025. This substantial debt load, approximately $2.94 billion, limits the company's financial flexibility and raises concerns about its long-term sustainability, especially amidst a challenging economic environment. The company's attempts to reduce its debt have shown modest progress, but the overall level remains high, impacting its ability to weather economic downturns and potentially increasing interest costs.
2. Declining Sales and Market Share Erosion: Petco is experiencing a decline in net sales and comparable store sales, attributed to a fiercely competitive market, macroeconomic uncertainties, and inflationary pressures on consumer spending. The company's net sales fell by 2.3% year-over-year in Q1 2025 and are projected to decline in the low single digits for the full fiscal year 2025. Consumers are shifting towards online and broadline competitors, and Petco's previous "premiumization" strategy proved unsustainable as spending habits moved towards affordability post-pandemic. This ongoing struggle to reignite revenue growth in a competitive landscape poses a significant threat to its profitability and market position.
3. Legal and Regulatory Risks: Petco is currently facing multiple class-action lawsuits and investigations alleging violations of securities laws and misleading statements regarding its business strategy and sustainable growth. These lawsuits, which span from January 2021 to June 2025, claim that the company overstated the sustainability of its pandemic-driven growth and downplayed operational challenges. Such legal proceedings introduce significant uncertainty, potentially leading to costly settlements, reputational damage, and further straining the company's liquidity, which is already weakened by a low current ratio.

The proliferation of direct-to-consumer (DTC) and specialized online brands offering premium, niche, and often subscription-based pet food, supplements, and supplies. These agile, digital-native companies bypass traditional retail channels, leverage targeted social media marketing, and build direct relationships with pet parents seeking specific health and wellness solutions, effectively fragmenting the market and eroding Petco's share in its targeted high-margin segments.

Petco Health and Wellness Company (WOOF) operates in several key segments within the pet care industry. The addressable markets for its main products and services are identified below:

• Pet Food: The global pet food market was valued at approximately USD 123.86 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 179.48 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.84% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2032. In the U.S. specifically, the pet food market size was estimated at USD 43.45 billion in 2024. Another source indicates the U.S. pet food market size is projected to reach USD 77.01 billion in 2025 and USD 106.33 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 6.67% through 2030.
• Pet Supplies: The global pet supplies market was valued at USD 321.25 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 427.75 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2026 to 2032. Another estimate places the global pet supplies market size at USD 248.71 billion in 2025, expected to reach USD 369.85 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 8.26% during that period. North America holds the largest share of the pet supplies market.
• Veterinary Services: The global veterinary services market was estimated at USD 145.65 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 281.93 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 7.66% from 2025 to 2033. For the U.S. specifically, the veterinary services market was valued at USD 43.3 billion in 2023. Another report states the U.S. veterinary services market size reached $66 billion in 2024 and is projected to expand to $70 billion by 2029.
• Pet Grooming Services: The global pet grooming services market was estimated at USD 6.89 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 10.35 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.33% from 2025 to 2030. In the U.S., the pet grooming services market size was estimated at USD 2.06 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 2.99 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 6.7%.
• Pet Grooming Products: The global pet grooming products market size was estimated at USD 14.69 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 21.12 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2025 to 2030. The U.S. pet grooming products market size was estimated at USD 4.94 billion in 2023.
• Pet Training Programs: null
• Live Small Animals and Fish: null

Petco Health and Wellness (WOOF) is focusing on several key drivers to stimulate future revenue growth over the next two to three years, as the company progresses through its strategic transformation phases. These initiatives are designed to improve profitability and set the stage for sustainable top-line expansion by 2026.

1. Expansion and Optimization of Pet Services, particularly Veterinary Care: Petco views its services, especially veterinary offerings, as a primary differentiator and a fast-growing segment. The company is actively working to optimize its existing fleet of veterinary locations without significant new capital investments, aiming to drive in-store customer traffic, retention, and loyalty. Services remain Petco's fastest-growing business.

2. Merchandise Differentiation and Growth of Private Label Brands: Petco is placing a greater emphasis on product development and expanding its private-label offerings. The goal is to enhance merchandise differentiation, which is expected to drive higher basket sizes and improve margins. Strategic resets in product assortment, such as those in the cat and dog categories, are being executed earlier to support growth in the latter half of the year.

3. Enhanced Omnichannel Experience and Store Modernization: The company is strengthening its omnichannel strategy by seamlessly integrating its physical stores with digital platforms. This includes improvements in speed and convenience through features like online appointment booking, loyalty point management, same-day and two-hour deliveries, and buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) options. Enhancing the overall store experience is also a key pillar of its transformation.

4. Operational Efficiency and Profitability Initiatives Paving the Way for Sustainable Growth: While Petco anticipates a low single-digit percentage decrease in net sales for fiscal year 2025, primarily due to strategic store closures and a pivot away from unprofitable revenue, the company's underlying operational improvements are crucial for future growth. These "self-help" efforts include gross margin expansion, SG&A leverage, cost management, and optimizing the store fleet, which are intended to build a healthier economic model and enable a return to profitable sales growth, with positive comparable sales expected in 2026.