of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.
From Lassie to Marley, “man’s best friend” has been a steady companion in pop culture. But as younger cohorts navigate the rising cost of living, a volatile job market, and the relentless squeeze of the “sandwich generation,” pets are more than a narrative device—or even sidekicks. Now, they’re our children.
Many Millennials and Gen Zers are now completely foregoing procreation in favor of pet parenthood. In a survey of 2,070 U.S. adults, including 1,625 pet owners, Harris Poll found that more consumers picked having a pet (40%) over a child (21%), largely because they’re easier to care for (35%), less of a financial strain (32%), and are, overall, less of a responsibility (28%).
Among Gen Z and Millennials, 54% said they would leave their pet an inheritance if they could.
- Harris Poll
That’s why Petco has leaned heavily into creating spaces that bring pet parents and their furry, scaly, and feathered friends together. In a category typically rooted in routine purchases, the 60-year-old retailer is driving growth through “retailtainment.” By transforming its stores from points of transaction into interactive community hubs, it’s showing how Petco can help every shopper foster that human-animal bond.
A big reason for this increased investment is that Petco’s emerging cohort—Gen Z and even Gen Alpha—now prefer to visit stores so they can touch, feel, enjoy, and belong. NielsenIQ found that a third of Gen Z now shops exclusively in stores, and 73% of Gen Alpha now prefer to shop in stores.
“Both insights and customer feedback show today’s pet parents, including Gen Z and Millennials, crave genuine connection and joyful, hands-on experiences, especially those they can share with their pets,” said Alison Hiatt, Petco’s SVP of Brand and Creative, in an interview with Future Commerce. “We’re bringing the fun back into every aspect of our brand, and physical Petco stores play a key role by offering an experience that cannot be replicated online.”
The work so far is paying off. Petco exceeded its profitability outlook for Q2 2026 and attributed the retailtainment component of its “Reach for the Sky” growth strategy to its success.
The Strategy in Motion: ‘Where the Pets Go’ Becomes a Cultural Mandate
“Reach for the Sky” is Petco’s strategy for sharpening its competitive position, focusing on exclusive brand collaborations and expansion into fresh and frozen food categories. But retailtainment adds context, even meaning, to an assortment plan. And tying cultural trends and events to these community-driven experiences makes a trip to a store feel far more elevated and enjoyable.
For example, Petco hosted the “Piggy Cup” guinea-pic soccer tournament alongside the World Cup and “Super Spiders” events on July 25, coinciding with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. And “Feed the Sharks,” an event designed to give young visitors the chance to feed aquarium pets, was timed with Shark Week.
“Our Petco stores offer local pet parents special opportunities to connect with their pets as well as fellow pet parents, building IRL community and bonds that we simply can’t achieve through digital touchpoints.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
These kitschy, themed events show that the retailer is doubling down on a concept most retailers apply half-heartedly, and the catalyst was its 60th birthday. All year long, the retailer has been hosting culturally relevant free events that “honor our deep roots and heritage of enriching pet lives,” Hiatt said. “This brand milestone is more than a celebration of our legacy; it is the perfect moment to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to helping pets live their best lives, and highlight the fun, real side of pet parenthood.”
As part of its 60th birthday, Petco also reintroduced its iconic "Where the Pets Go" tagline. Hiatt noted: “Every single one of our retailtainment activations has been carefully crafted to bring that tagline to life as only Petco can.”
But the brand promise goes beyond brick-and-mortar. Whether a pet parent is venturing through store aisles, browsing the eCommerce site, or scrolling social media, Hiatt noted that the team’s underlying objective remains the same: “to make it easier and a lot more fun for families to immerse themselves in the world of pet parenthood.”
For example, the retailer launched an online soccer shop this summer to help pets join the World Cup fun with their humans. Beyond these fun, novelty-driven moments, Petco provides pet parents with a full suite of content and resources so they can be the best possible caretakers. Striking this balance between seamless product discovery and trusted pet care guidance is what helps Petco maintain its position as a source of truth and support as consumers go through their pet parenthood journey.
Vision: Turning Culture into a Branded Moment
Hiatt and her team work hand in hand with other key Petco teams, including merchandising, pet services, and live animal care experts, to activate against real-time trends and white space opportunities. The Piggy Cup was the clearest example of how Petco tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, but even hands-on experiences like puppy playdates and milestone photo-ops represent a deep cultural and emotional understanding of what pet parents want.
“Together, we identify culturally relevant milestones and translate them into hands-on experiences for our customers.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
And once consumers are drawn in and bought into the Petco experience, there is a clear pipeline for retention and loyalty. Petco’s expanded product offerings show reliability, while the revamped Petco Perks membership program shows a commitment to service and value.
Feedback from retailtainment events has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Hiatt said. That’s why Petco has built a repeatable cultural-relevance engine that will bring more events to the calendar to drive education, authentic connection, and yes, conversion.
With cat ownership now exceeding 53 million U.S. households, Petco has officially rebranded September as “Catember” to celebrate all things feline. Catember deals and events, including a store-wide hide-and-seek challenge and cat-food tasting events, will run through October 4, which will then transition to “Petcoween,” when Halloween costume contests, trick-or-treating, and other spooky soirees will be on the docket.
“Our upcoming ‘Petcoween activations are great examples of how we blend customer insights, cultural trends, and more to strengthen the bond we have with Petco shoppers, which, in turn, helps them strengthen the bond they have with their own pets,” Hiatt said. “We will continue hosting these high-energy, engaging moments throughout the holidays, giving families even more reasons to celebrate, explore, and create lasting memories with their pets.”
Bringing these events to life is a collaborative effort “driven by expert guidance and powered by the passion our store teams have for supporting pets and their families,” Hiatt said. “Their commitment to fostering community around a shared love of pets enables us to scale programs like this with confidence, providing unique moments of discovery and connection every step of the way.”
From Lassie to Marley, “man’s best friend” has been a steady companion in pop culture. But as younger cohorts navigate the rising cost of living, a volatile job market, and the relentless squeeze of the “sandwich generation,” pets are more than a narrative device—or even sidekicks. Now, they’re our children.
Many Millennials and Gen Zers are now completely foregoing procreation in favor of pet parenthood. In a survey of 2,070 U.S. adults, including 1,625 pet owners, Harris Poll found that more consumers picked having a pet (40%) over a child (21%), largely because they’re easier to care for (35%), less of a financial strain (32%), and are, overall, less of a responsibility (28%).
Among Gen Z and Millennials, 54% said they would leave their pet an inheritance if they could.
- Harris Poll
That’s why Petco has leaned heavily into creating spaces that bring pet parents and their furry, scaly, and feathered friends together. In a category typically rooted in routine purchases, the 60-year-old retailer is driving growth through “retailtainment.” By transforming its stores from points of transaction into interactive community hubs, it’s showing how Petco can help every shopper foster that human-animal bond.
A big reason for this increased investment is that Petco’s emerging cohort—Gen Z and even Gen Alpha—now prefer to visit stores so they can touch, feel, enjoy, and belong. NielsenIQ found that a third of Gen Z now shops exclusively in stores, and 73% of Gen Alpha now prefer to shop in stores.
“Both insights and customer feedback show today’s pet parents, including Gen Z and Millennials, crave genuine connection and joyful, hands-on experiences, especially those they can share with their pets,” said Alison Hiatt, Petco’s SVP of Brand and Creative, in an interview with Future Commerce. “We’re bringing the fun back into every aspect of our brand, and physical Petco stores play a key role by offering an experience that cannot be replicated online.”
The work so far is paying off. Petco exceeded its profitability outlook for Q2 2026 and attributed the retailtainment component of its “Reach for the Sky” growth strategy to its success.
The Strategy in Motion: ‘Where the Pets Go’ Becomes a Cultural Mandate
“Reach for the Sky” is Petco’s strategy for sharpening its competitive position, focusing on exclusive brand collaborations and expansion into fresh and frozen food categories. But retailtainment adds context, even meaning, to an assortment plan. And tying cultural trends and events to these community-driven experiences makes a trip to a store feel far more elevated and enjoyable.
For example, Petco hosted the “Piggy Cup” guinea-pic soccer tournament alongside the World Cup and “Super Spiders” events on July 25, coinciding with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. And “Feed the Sharks,” an event designed to give young visitors the chance to feed aquarium pets, was timed with Shark Week.
“Our Petco stores offer local pet parents special opportunities to connect with their pets as well as fellow pet parents, building IRL community and bonds that we simply can’t achieve through digital touchpoints.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
These kitschy, themed events show that the retailer is doubling down on a concept most retailers apply half-heartedly, and the catalyst was its 60th birthday. All year long, the retailer has been hosting culturally relevant free events that “honor our deep roots and heritage of enriching pet lives,” Hiatt said. “This brand milestone is more than a celebration of our legacy; it is the perfect moment to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to helping pets live their best lives, and highlight the fun, real side of pet parenthood.”
As part of its 60th birthday, Petco also reintroduced its iconic "Where the Pets Go" tagline. Hiatt noted: “Every single one of our retailtainment activations has been carefully crafted to bring that tagline to life as only Petco can.”
But the brand promise goes beyond brick-and-mortar. Whether a pet parent is venturing through store aisles, browsing the eCommerce site, or scrolling social media, Hiatt noted that the team’s underlying objective remains the same: “to make it easier and a lot more fun for families to immerse themselves in the world of pet parenthood.”
For example, the retailer launched an online soccer shop this summer to help pets join the World Cup fun with their humans. Beyond these fun, novelty-driven moments, Petco provides pet parents with a full suite of content and resources so they can be the best possible caretakers. Striking this balance between seamless product discovery and trusted pet care guidance is what helps Petco maintain its position as a source of truth and support as consumers go through their pet parenthood journey.
Vision: Turning Culture into a Branded Moment
Hiatt and her team work hand in hand with other key Petco teams, including merchandising, pet services, and live animal care experts, to activate against real-time trends and white space opportunities. The Piggy Cup was the clearest example of how Petco tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, but even hands-on experiences like puppy playdates and milestone photo-ops represent a deep cultural and emotional understanding of what pet parents want.
“Together, we identify culturally relevant milestones and translate them into hands-on experiences for our customers.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
And once consumers are drawn in and bought into the Petco experience, there is a clear pipeline for retention and loyalty. Petco’s expanded product offerings show reliability, while the revamped Petco Perks membership program shows a commitment to service and value.
Feedback from retailtainment events has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Hiatt said. That’s why Petco has built a repeatable cultural-relevance engine that will bring more events to the calendar to drive education, authentic connection, and yes, conversion.
With cat ownership now exceeding 53 million U.S. households, Petco has officially rebranded September as “Catember” to celebrate all things feline. Catember deals and events, including a store-wide hide-and-seek challenge and cat-food tasting events, will run through October 4, which will then transition to “Petcoween,” when Halloween costume contests, trick-or-treating, and other spooky soirees will be on the docket.
“Our upcoming ‘Petcoween activations are great examples of how we blend customer insights, cultural trends, and more to strengthen the bond we have with Petco shoppers, which, in turn, helps them strengthen the bond they have with their own pets,” Hiatt said. “We will continue hosting these high-energy, engaging moments throughout the holidays, giving families even more reasons to celebrate, explore, and create lasting memories with their pets.”
Bringing these events to life is a collaborative effort “driven by expert guidance and powered by the passion our store teams have for supporting pets and their families,” Hiatt said. “Their commitment to fostering community around a shared love of pets enables us to scale programs like this with confidence, providing unique moments of discovery and connection every step of the way.”
From Lassie to Marley, “man’s best friend” has been a steady companion in pop culture. But as younger cohorts navigate the rising cost of living, a volatile job market, and the relentless squeeze of the “sandwich generation,” pets are more than a narrative device—or even sidekicks. Now, they’re our children.
Many Millennials and Gen Zers are now completely foregoing procreation in favor of pet parenthood. In a survey of 2,070 U.S. adults, including 1,625 pet owners, Harris Poll found that more consumers picked having a pet (40%) over a child (21%), largely because they’re easier to care for (35%), less of a financial strain (32%), and are, overall, less of a responsibility (28%).
Among Gen Z and Millennials, 54% said they would leave their pet an inheritance if they could.
- Harris Poll
That’s why Petco has leaned heavily into creating spaces that bring pet parents and their furry, scaly, and feathered friends together. In a category typically rooted in routine purchases, the 60-year-old retailer is driving growth through “retailtainment.” By transforming its stores from points of transaction into interactive community hubs, it’s showing how Petco can help every shopper foster that human-animal bond.
A big reason for this increased investment is that Petco’s emerging cohort—Gen Z and even Gen Alpha—now prefer to visit stores so they can touch, feel, enjoy, and belong. NielsenIQ found that a third of Gen Z now shops exclusively in stores, and 73% of Gen Alpha now prefer to shop in stores.
“Both insights and customer feedback show today’s pet parents, including Gen Z and Millennials, crave genuine connection and joyful, hands-on experiences, especially those they can share with their pets,” said Alison Hiatt, Petco’s SVP of Brand and Creative, in an interview with Future Commerce. “We’re bringing the fun back into every aspect of our brand, and physical Petco stores play a key role by offering an experience that cannot be replicated online.”
The work so far is paying off. Petco exceeded its profitability outlook for Q2 2026 and attributed the retailtainment component of its “Reach for the Sky” growth strategy to its success.
The Strategy in Motion: ‘Where the Pets Go’ Becomes a Cultural Mandate
“Reach for the Sky” is Petco’s strategy for sharpening its competitive position, focusing on exclusive brand collaborations and expansion into fresh and frozen food categories. But retailtainment adds context, even meaning, to an assortment plan. And tying cultural trends and events to these community-driven experiences makes a trip to a store feel far more elevated and enjoyable.
For example, Petco hosted the “Piggy Cup” guinea-pic soccer tournament alongside the World Cup and “Super Spiders” events on July 25, coinciding with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. And “Feed the Sharks,” an event designed to give young visitors the chance to feed aquarium pets, was timed with Shark Week.
“Our Petco stores offer local pet parents special opportunities to connect with their pets as well as fellow pet parents, building IRL community and bonds that we simply can’t achieve through digital touchpoints.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
These kitschy, themed events show that the retailer is doubling down on a concept most retailers apply half-heartedly, and the catalyst was its 60th birthday. All year long, the retailer has been hosting culturally relevant free events that “honor our deep roots and heritage of enriching pet lives,” Hiatt said. “This brand milestone is more than a celebration of our legacy; it is the perfect moment to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to helping pets live their best lives, and highlight the fun, real side of pet parenthood.”
As part of its 60th birthday, Petco also reintroduced its iconic "Where the Pets Go" tagline. Hiatt noted: “Every single one of our retailtainment activations has been carefully crafted to bring that tagline to life as only Petco can.”
But the brand promise goes beyond brick-and-mortar. Whether a pet parent is venturing through store aisles, browsing the eCommerce site, or scrolling social media, Hiatt noted that the team’s underlying objective remains the same: “to make it easier and a lot more fun for families to immerse themselves in the world of pet parenthood.”
For example, the retailer launched an online soccer shop this summer to help pets join the World Cup fun with their humans. Beyond these fun, novelty-driven moments, Petco provides pet parents with a full suite of content and resources so they can be the best possible caretakers. Striking this balance between seamless product discovery and trusted pet care guidance is what helps Petco maintain its position as a source of truth and support as consumers go through their pet parenthood journey.
Vision: Turning Culture into a Branded Moment
Hiatt and her team work hand in hand with other key Petco teams, including merchandising, pet services, and live animal care experts, to activate against real-time trends and white space opportunities. The Piggy Cup was the clearest example of how Petco tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, but even hands-on experiences like puppy playdates and milestone photo-ops represent a deep cultural and emotional understanding of what pet parents want.
“Together, we identify culturally relevant milestones and translate them into hands-on experiences for our customers.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
And once consumers are drawn in and bought into the Petco experience, there is a clear pipeline for retention and loyalty. Petco’s expanded product offerings show reliability, while the revamped Petco Perks membership program shows a commitment to service and value.
Feedback from retailtainment events has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Hiatt said. That’s why Petco has built a repeatable cultural-relevance engine that will bring more events to the calendar to drive education, authentic connection, and yes, conversion.
With cat ownership now exceeding 53 million U.S. households, Petco has officially rebranded September as “Catember” to celebrate all things feline. Catember deals and events, including a store-wide hide-and-seek challenge and cat-food tasting events, will run through October 4, which will then transition to “Petcoween,” when Halloween costume contests, trick-or-treating, and other spooky soirees will be on the docket.
“Our upcoming ‘Petcoween activations are great examples of how we blend customer insights, cultural trends, and more to strengthen the bond we have with Petco shoppers, which, in turn, helps them strengthen the bond they have with their own pets,” Hiatt said. “We will continue hosting these high-energy, engaging moments throughout the holidays, giving families even more reasons to celebrate, explore, and create lasting memories with their pets.”
Bringing these events to life is a collaborative effort “driven by expert guidance and powered by the passion our store teams have for supporting pets and their families,” Hiatt said. “Their commitment to fostering community around a shared love of pets enables us to scale programs like this with confidence, providing unique moments of discovery and connection every step of the way.”
From Lassie to Marley, “man’s best friend” has been a steady companion in pop culture. But as younger cohorts navigate the rising cost of living, a volatile job market, and the relentless squeeze of the “sandwich generation,” pets are more than a narrative device—or even sidekicks. Now, they’re our children.
Many Millennials and Gen Zers are now completely foregoing procreation in favor of pet parenthood. In a survey of 2,070 U.S. adults, including 1,625 pet owners, Harris Poll found that more consumers picked having a pet (40%) over a child (21%), largely because they’re easier to care for (35%), less of a financial strain (32%), and are, overall, less of a responsibility (28%).
Among Gen Z and Millennials, 54% said they would leave their pet an inheritance if they could.
- Harris Poll
That’s why Petco has leaned heavily into creating spaces that bring pet parents and their furry, scaly, and feathered friends together. In a category typically rooted in routine purchases, the 60-year-old retailer is driving growth through “retailtainment.” By transforming its stores from points of transaction into interactive community hubs, it’s showing how Petco can help every shopper foster that human-animal bond.
A big reason for this increased investment is that Petco’s emerging cohort—Gen Z and even Gen Alpha—now prefer to visit stores so they can touch, feel, enjoy, and belong. NielsenIQ found that a third of Gen Z now shops exclusively in stores, and 73% of Gen Alpha now prefer to shop in stores.
“Both insights and customer feedback show today’s pet parents, including Gen Z and Millennials, crave genuine connection and joyful, hands-on experiences, especially those they can share with their pets,” said Alison Hiatt, Petco’s SVP of Brand and Creative, in an interview with Future Commerce. “We’re bringing the fun back into every aspect of our brand, and physical Petco stores play a key role by offering an experience that cannot be replicated online.”
The work so far is paying off. Petco exceeded its profitability outlook for Q2 2026 and attributed the retailtainment component of its “Reach for the Sky” growth strategy to its success.
The Strategy in Motion: ‘Where the Pets Go’ Becomes a Cultural Mandate
“Reach for the Sky” is Petco’s strategy for sharpening its competitive position, focusing on exclusive brand collaborations and expansion into fresh and frozen food categories. But retailtainment adds context, even meaning, to an assortment plan. And tying cultural trends and events to these community-driven experiences makes a trip to a store feel far more elevated and enjoyable.
For example, Petco hosted the “Piggy Cup” guinea-pic soccer tournament alongside the World Cup and “Super Spiders” events on July 25, coinciding with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. And “Feed the Sharks,” an event designed to give young visitors the chance to feed aquarium pets, was timed with Shark Week.
“Our Petco stores offer local pet parents special opportunities to connect with their pets as well as fellow pet parents, building IRL community and bonds that we simply can’t achieve through digital touchpoints.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
These kitschy, themed events show that the retailer is doubling down on a concept most retailers apply half-heartedly, and the catalyst was its 60th birthday. All year long, the retailer has been hosting culturally relevant free events that “honor our deep roots and heritage of enriching pet lives,” Hiatt said. “This brand milestone is more than a celebration of our legacy; it is the perfect moment to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to helping pets live their best lives, and highlight the fun, real side of pet parenthood.”
As part of its 60th birthday, Petco also reintroduced its iconic "Where the Pets Go" tagline. Hiatt noted: “Every single one of our retailtainment activations has been carefully crafted to bring that tagline to life as only Petco can.”
But the brand promise goes beyond brick-and-mortar. Whether a pet parent is venturing through store aisles, browsing the eCommerce site, or scrolling social media, Hiatt noted that the team’s underlying objective remains the same: “to make it easier and a lot more fun for families to immerse themselves in the world of pet parenthood.”
For example, the retailer launched an online soccer shop this summer to help pets join the World Cup fun with their humans. Beyond these fun, novelty-driven moments, Petco provides pet parents with a full suite of content and resources so they can be the best possible caretakers. Striking this balance between seamless product discovery and trusted pet care guidance is what helps Petco maintain its position as a source of truth and support as consumers go through their pet parenthood journey.
Vision: Turning Culture into a Branded Moment
Hiatt and her team work hand in hand with other key Petco teams, including merchandising, pet services, and live animal care experts, to activate against real-time trends and white space opportunities. The Piggy Cup was the clearest example of how Petco tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, but even hands-on experiences like puppy playdates and milestone photo-ops represent a deep cultural and emotional understanding of what pet parents want.
“Together, we identify culturally relevant milestones and translate them into hands-on experiences for our customers.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
And once consumers are drawn in and bought into the Petco experience, there is a clear pipeline for retention and loyalty. Petco’s expanded product offerings show reliability, while the revamped Petco Perks membership program shows a commitment to service and value.
Feedback from retailtainment events has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Hiatt said. That’s why Petco has built a repeatable cultural-relevance engine that will bring more events to the calendar to drive education, authentic connection, and yes, conversion.
With cat ownership now exceeding 53 million U.S. households, Petco has officially rebranded September as “Catember” to celebrate all things feline. Catember deals and events, including a store-wide hide-and-seek challenge and cat-food tasting events, will run through October 4, which will then transition to “Petcoween,” when Halloween costume contests, trick-or-treating, and other spooky soirees will be on the docket.
“Our upcoming ‘Petcoween activations are great examples of how we blend customer insights, cultural trends, and more to strengthen the bond we have with Petco shoppers, which, in turn, helps them strengthen the bond they have with their own pets,” Hiatt said. “We will continue hosting these high-energy, engaging moments throughout the holidays, giving families even more reasons to celebrate, explore, and create lasting memories with their pets.”
Bringing these events to life is a collaborative effort “driven by expert guidance and powered by the passion our store teams have for supporting pets and their families,” Hiatt said. “Their commitment to fostering community around a shared love of pets enables us to scale programs like this with confidence, providing unique moments of discovery and connection every step of the way.”
From Lassie to Marley, “man’s best friend” has been a steady companion in pop culture. But as younger cohorts navigate the rising cost of living, a volatile job market, and the relentless squeeze of the “sandwich generation,” pets are more than a narrative device—or even sidekicks. Now, they’re our children.
Many Millennials and Gen Zers are now completely foregoing procreation in favor of pet parenthood. In a survey of 2,070 U.S. adults, including 1,625 pet owners, Harris Poll found that more consumers picked having a pet (40%) over a child (21%), largely because they’re easier to care for (35%), less of a financial strain (32%), and are, overall, less of a responsibility (28%).
Among Gen Z and Millennials, 54% said they would leave their pet an inheritance if they could.
- Harris Poll
That’s why Petco has leaned heavily into creating spaces that bring pet parents and their furry, scaly, and feathered friends together. In a category typically rooted in routine purchases, the 60-year-old retailer is driving growth through “retailtainment.” By transforming its stores from points of transaction into interactive community hubs, it’s showing how Petco can help every shopper foster that human-animal bond.
A big reason for this increased investment is that Petco’s emerging cohort—Gen Z and even Gen Alpha—now prefer to visit stores so they can touch, feel, enjoy, and belong. NielsenIQ found that a third of Gen Z now shops exclusively in stores, and 73% of Gen Alpha now prefer to shop in stores.
“Both insights and customer feedback show today’s pet parents, including Gen Z and Millennials, crave genuine connection and joyful, hands-on experiences, especially those they can share with their pets,” said Alison Hiatt, Petco’s SVP of Brand and Creative, in an interview with Future Commerce. “We’re bringing the fun back into every aspect of our brand, and physical Petco stores play a key role by offering an experience that cannot be replicated online.”
The work so far is paying off. Petco exceeded its profitability outlook for Q2 2026 and attributed the retailtainment component of its “Reach for the Sky” growth strategy to its success.
The Strategy in Motion: ‘Where the Pets Go’ Becomes a Cultural Mandate
“Reach for the Sky” is Petco’s strategy for sharpening its competitive position, focusing on exclusive brand collaborations and expansion into fresh and frozen food categories. But retailtainment adds context, even meaning, to an assortment plan. And tying cultural trends and events to these community-driven experiences makes a trip to a store feel far more elevated and enjoyable.
For example, Petco hosted the “Piggy Cup” guinea-pic soccer tournament alongside the World Cup and “Super Spiders” events on July 25, coinciding with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. And “Feed the Sharks,” an event designed to give young visitors the chance to feed aquarium pets, was timed with Shark Week.
“Our Petco stores offer local pet parents special opportunities to connect with their pets as well as fellow pet parents, building IRL community and bonds that we simply can’t achieve through digital touchpoints.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
These kitschy, themed events show that the retailer is doubling down on a concept most retailers apply half-heartedly, and the catalyst was its 60th birthday. All year long, the retailer has been hosting culturally relevant free events that “honor our deep roots and heritage of enriching pet lives,” Hiatt said. “This brand milestone is more than a celebration of our legacy; it is the perfect moment to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to helping pets live their best lives, and highlight the fun, real side of pet parenthood.”
As part of its 60th birthday, Petco also reintroduced its iconic "Where the Pets Go" tagline. Hiatt noted: “Every single one of our retailtainment activations has been carefully crafted to bring that tagline to life as only Petco can.”
But the brand promise goes beyond brick-and-mortar. Whether a pet parent is venturing through store aisles, browsing the eCommerce site, or scrolling social media, Hiatt noted that the team’s underlying objective remains the same: “to make it easier and a lot more fun for families to immerse themselves in the world of pet parenthood.”
For example, the retailer launched an online soccer shop this summer to help pets join the World Cup fun with their humans. Beyond these fun, novelty-driven moments, Petco provides pet parents with a full suite of content and resources so they can be the best possible caretakers. Striking this balance between seamless product discovery and trusted pet care guidance is what helps Petco maintain its position as a source of truth and support as consumers go through their pet parenthood journey.
Vision: Turning Culture into a Branded Moment
Hiatt and her team work hand in hand with other key Petco teams, including merchandising, pet services, and live animal care experts, to activate against real-time trends and white space opportunities. The Piggy Cup was the clearest example of how Petco tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, but even hands-on experiences like puppy playdates and milestone photo-ops represent a deep cultural and emotional understanding of what pet parents want.
“Together, we identify culturally relevant milestones and translate them into hands-on experiences for our customers.”
- Alison Hiatt, SVP of Brand and Creative, Petco
And once consumers are drawn in and bought into the Petco experience, there is a clear pipeline for retention and loyalty. Petco’s expanded product offerings show reliability, while the revamped Petco Perks membership program shows a commitment to service and value.
Feedback from retailtainment events has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Hiatt said. That’s why Petco has built a repeatable cultural-relevance engine that will bring more events to the calendar to drive education, authentic connection, and yes, conversion.
With cat ownership now exceeding 53 million U.S. households, Petco has officially rebranded September as “Catember” to celebrate all things feline. Catember deals and events, including a store-wide hide-and-seek challenge and cat-food tasting events, will run through October 4, which will then transition to “Petcoween,” when Halloween costume contests, trick-or-treating, and other spooky soirees will be on the docket.
“Our upcoming ‘Petcoween activations are great examples of how we blend customer insights, cultural trends, and more to strengthen the bond we have with Petco shoppers, which, in turn, helps them strengthen the bond they have with their own pets,” Hiatt said. “We will continue hosting these high-energy, engaging moments throughout the holidays, giving families even more reasons to celebrate, explore, and create lasting memories with their pets.”
Bringing these events to life is a collaborative effort “driven by expert guidance and powered by the passion our store teams have for supporting pets and their families,” Hiatt said. “Their commitment to fostering community around a shared love of pets enables us to scale programs like this with confidence, providing unique moments of discovery and connection every step of the way.”
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