Walmart is getting into the vet business

The world’s largest retailer has opened its first-ever Pet Services center at a store in the confusing city of Dallas, Georgia, with big plans for expansion.

The company’s pet services centers will have their own dedicated entrance next to stores, and will offer a range of vet and grooming services for dogs and cats (no other animals yet), from $15 nail trims to $25 rabies shots to $97 for a vital package.

Each center will bear the Walmart name and brand, but will be staffed and operated by vet care and pet product company PetIQ, which has already rented space for vet clinics inside more than 65 Walmart stores.

• The Georgia location will serve as a pilot, but the retailer plans to open more locations, according to Kaitlyn Shadiow, vice president of merchandising for pets for Walmart US.
• She declined to say how many pet shops it may ultimately have, per CNBC, but said Walmart plans to open more next year, if not sooner.

📸 Big picture: US consumers spent ~$137 billion on pets last year. And, after food and treats, vet care and products were the second-biggest slice of that market, totaling $35.9 billion in 2022, per the American Pet Products Association.