Petsmart

[shaggis]

Don't know if this belongs in freshwater discussion but it is big news...

http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/288213209854251.php

[beowulf]

Great another Canadian company eaten up.  With all due respect to Petsmart, but I prefered Super Pet 10 times over and this is a bad day.

[markw]

I sure hope the Petsmart mentality doesn't destroy the helpful and friendly way Super Pet did business. But I won't expect much different.
Too bad for sure.
markw

[scorpion-stinger]

Me too, I prefer SUPERPET 100 times better that PETSMART. No offence PETSMART   

[babblefish1960]

The awful part of course, is that they will be "rebranding" the Superpet stores by summer 2007, all 4 stores in Ottawa are in the deal. No offence to Petsmart, but insofar as fish are concerned, they can't touch Superpet, Superpet has actual fish people managing their fish departments. There goes another Canadian icon, eaten up by an American corporation.

[succinctfish]

Let's cross our fingers and hope that Petsmart maintains Superpets atmosphere, professionalism and commitment to quality fishcare.   sigh... . I agree, there goes another Canadian business. 

[DavidJohnson]

This is unfortunate news.  I've generally been very pleased with my SuperPet experiences.  Hopefully rebranding the SuperPet stores doesn't include converting them to the warehouse feeling of the PetSmart stores, increasing the prices of their fish and hiring high school students to operate the fish departments.

[Nerine]

Look what I found online:

Date article posted
Thursday February 15, 5:42 pm ET

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070215/petsmart_acquisition.html?.v=1

(quick edit)

This site here has a list of the stores:

http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070215/0216221.html

I don't know what to say right now...

[Nerine]

ha I just posted in the lounge...didn't think it belonged in freshwater discussions...
I'm not happy!!!

if it is made like Petsmart does it mean they aren't going to be selling Rabbits, Ferrets or big birds?

[babblefish1960]

No need to delete nerine, you have things to say too, so I jumbled it all together for continuity of valuable comments.

[babblefish1960]

This begs the question, how many Superpet stores remain once the merger is complete? Surely the Hagen family didn't sell the entire chain?

[beowulf]

I wonder if they will make a run at the Nature chain in Québec which is owned by one of the Hagen daughters.  I believe this is the reason Super Pet never entered the market.

[RoxyDog]

Remember, those who own Super Pet also own PJ's Pet Centre and Pets Unlimited (and maybe more I can't think of right now!), so it appears as though there are quite a few stores left.  It does seem rather odd to me that they're doing this though.  *shrug*

[charlie]

This is not great news, the fish dept. (including plant selection) of the two chains are night & day, it also begs the question, on Merivale within 5 mins of each other are they going to have 2 Petsmart.
Regards

[Nerine]

they are going to HAVE to shut down at least one of them.
and I agree the two stores are night and day. I like superpet's staff that they have staff in all the departments. at petsmart they have staff...but fish department is also reptile, bird and small animal. and some of the people don't know anything about fish but know lots about birds etc.

maybe petsmart will divide up the departments better? and be more like superpet?

[aroc]

being a former employee of super pet I must say I am shocked by this news.. dissappointed as well.. knowing while the corporate aspect did limit employee's ability to really show customers true compassione and care, I think the employees for the most part were hired with thought of care and still a good customer experience was to be had.. I have never really enjoyed any of my experiences at pet smart finding them to be hospital like atmospheres, the customer just being another number. 

as for the store on merivale being closed, keep in mind that even when best buy bought out future shop, they still have stores side by side, so they may not nessessarily close that location if they can provide different experiences.

[RoxyDog]

I think they'll close one b/c I thought it said they're going to rebrand the Super Pet stores to PetSmart.  Best Buy and Future Shop share different names.

[darkdep]

I am saddened, not so much because of the rebranding, but because of how many people I know who work for Super Pet.  Times like these always bring fears of layoffs, which can be a horribly stressful thing.

[charlie]

as for the store on merivale being closed, keep in mind that even when best buy bought out future shop, they still have stores side by side, so they may not nessessarily close that location if they can provide different experiences.

That was intentional. the marketing strategy , was to target different brackets of consumers ( with sales approach & some different products)

[groan]

BUT Vivian at SP Innis!!!     They better leave her outta this!  She has been great and helpful in that practically brand new store!

GRRR...Maybe a letter is in order.