Pet Valu is holding a going out of business sales as it winds down operations.
The 358-store chain with stores in the Northeast and Midwest has eight locations in Delaware. The company opened those locations in recent years.
The company is no longer taking online orders.
Blamed was the impact of COVID-19. In Delaware and Pennsylvania, pet supply stores were considered essential businesses and remained open, with reduced capacity. Sudden income losses affected sales of pet food, with nonprofits holding drive-up events for those in need.
In Delaware, the company faced stiff competition from locally owned Concord Pet Food and Supplies and big-box retailers Pet Smart and Petco.
The company expects that all of its stores and warehouses in the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S., as well as its corporate office in Wayne, PA, will close by the end of the wind-down process.
Pet Valu Canada will remain in operation. A release stated that its much larger Canadian operation is growing and profitable, with 600 stores and franchise locations.
All Pet Valu stores in the U.S. are currently open as the wind-down process gets underway.
Jamie Gould, Pet Valu, Inc.’s recently appointed Chief Restructuring Officer, said, “The Pet Valu U.S. team is proud to have met the needs of our devoted pet lover customers in the U.S. for more than 25 years. However, the company’s stores have been significantly impacted by the protracted COVID-19-related restrictions. After a thorough review of all available alternatives, we made the difficult but necessary decision to commence this orderly wind down.”
