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I'm a new dog owner - we got 2 new puppies on the 2nd. We went to Petco today looking for a carrier, a little pet bed, and some toys but the prices seemed outrageous. I came home empty handed and ordered everything I needed from Amazon for less than the cost of the carrier alone at Petco.
I'm new to the pet shopping arena...is this typical of all pet superstores?
Don't know if it is true about ALL, but PetSmart is VERY expensive also. I only shop there if I know they are the ONLY suppliers of a particular health item. I have found feed stores better price-wise, but I live in an area that has a lot of farming and we have many feed stores. Otherwise, I shop for pet items at the supermarket (food anyway).
In my opinion Petco is very expensive as well as PetsMart but they are no different than any other specialty shop as far as price goes.
We have one big dog and he is never in a crate and never has been, our girls have their own crates but they are only used when traveling and I ordered those from amazon. We get their food at Kmart because they carry the food we use and neither PetsMart or Petco carry any of the food or cat litter we use.
I would look for a feed store in your area for food. I used to buy food from one and I live in Houston. They were quite a bit cheaper. For other than food, check out Tractor Supply Co. There should be one fairly near you.
If you have a Tractor Supply nearby, they generally carry all the name brands of dog and cat food.
We feed "Taste of the Wild" and TSC carries both the dog and cat dry food. I think they also carry the canned food.
I choke on the cost of Taste of the Wild but I would choke a lot more if I bought it at the Petsmart and the other designer pet care store in our county.
As has been mentioned look at your local feed stores, too. Our Co-Op has a lot of dog and cat things; almost to the point of shoving the livestock items into warehouse
P.S. Congratulations on the puppies! Wishing you the very best with them and a long life of companionship
I don't shop there because all they sell is pet quality stuff.
I buy crates, X-pens, and some of my collars from Jeffers or Pet Edge online. A lot of stuff I buy at dog shows: collars, leashes, fleece dog beds. 3C's is online; that's a dog show vender and they are where I buy shampoo and coat care from.
PetSmart and Petco are both expensive, in my opinion. Petco seems to be a little worse. I buy most of our food, treats, toys, etc. at a local hardware store or a local farm/fleet store (Runnings....similar to Tractor Supply but WAY better!). I recently bought a wire crate at Walmart and I didn't think it was obnoxiously priced.
The most expensive pet store I think is petsupermarket. Even with their coupon, they are still very pricy and have limited selections. I find petsmart to be cheaper here than petco. Sometimes they have good deals, I.e. buy 1 dog toy get a second for 50% off or buy 2 cat toys get one free. I have 2 dogs and a cat who loves his toys so it works out.
Usually I buy all my food, toys and everything else at chewy.com. They have good prices, superb customer service and gives you a full refund if you are not happy (you get to keep the item, they suggest you donate it).
I'm in the minority here, but I don't think Petsmart is expensive at all. Petco varies. On some items they are expensive and on some they are reasonable, though they tend to be more expensive than not when compared to the competition.
I bought a clicker from Petco a few months ago and they were nearly 3X as much as Petsmart was, but Petsmart was sold out. I also bought some chew toys because they were cheaper than what Petsmart had. Of course, neither store can beat Amazon prices, but that is true for all brick and mortar retailers. PetSmart does offer free store pickup which negates having to pay for shipping. Then again, if you are a Amazon Prime member there are no shipping costs and shipping is free if you buy more than $X of stuff.
On big stuff like crates I think Chewy.com is going to have to best prices and you can't beat their customer service. Super fast shipping as well. When you need a selection of 100+ items then Amazon will be your best bet. For small stuff like the occasional dog treat or toy then Petsmart will usually be the best bet unless you can afford to wait and can find someone offering free shipping that stands behind their return policy, but I don't think anyone can afford free shipping on the small items unless you are making a larger purchase.
I alternate between Chewy, Amazon, Petsmart, and Pet Supplies Plus. I rarely go to Petco because Petsmart will usually have the same item cheaper and have a larger selection. Plus, Petco's website does not allow you to order and pick up at the store.
Usually I buy all my food, toys and everything else at chewy.com. They have good prices, superb customer service and gives you a full refund if you are not happy (you get to keep the item, they suggest you donate it).
I love chewy.com. Their customer service alone is worth it. i ordered a raised feeder for my pup last year and it arrived damaged. I called and they sent another one the same day. Told me to keep the one that was damaged - I kept the two large stainless bowls that came with it, anyway! Shipping on food is free, if you do the autoship. My pup has to have a special diet, and his food isn't cheap, but chewy has the best price. Plus I love that it comes right to my door, and I don't have to haul the 30 lb bags all over town.
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