SIDNEY – Chow Hound Pet Supplies is expanding beyond Michigan for the first time, and Sidney will be home to one of its first three stores located outside of that state.
Chow Hound Pet Supplies has targeted Feb. 1 to open its new stores in Sidney, Bellefontaine and Findlay, Chief Marketing Officer Dan Dipiazzo said. If the stores are ready prior to February, they could have soft openings in late January.
“We think there’s a real opportunity,” Dipiazzo said of the company’s expansion. “We know that pet ownership is up. As a result of the pandemic, people are more focused on their pets so it’s a great opportunity for us to grow.”
The Sidney store will be at 2244 W. Michigan St., which is where Pet Valu previously was located. Chow Hound has hired the former management team and employees from the Pet Valu to work at its Sidney store, Dipiazzo said.
“We were glad that we were able to bring them on,” he said. “It should be a real seamless transition.”
The Sidney store will be the site of Chow Hound’s first grooming salon, which is expected to open in the spring and will be staffed by a professional groomer. The company plans to expand that service to its other stores in the future.
Chow Hound also offers a number of other services such as free curbside delivery and in-store pickup, delivery to locations within 10 miles of its stores, obedience training, wellness clinics and a self-service dog washing station. Some of the Michigan-based stores bake their own dog treats, which will be shipped to the Ohio stores.
And pets are welcome inside the Chow Hound stores.
“Part of coming to our stores, we think, is more than just picking up dog food or cat litter,” Dipiazzo said.
Chow Hound, which has 12 stores in Michigan, plans to expand the number of products available in Sidney and bring in some new brands as well. That will include an expanded cat section with cat furniture, toys and treats plus small animals for sale such as fish, reptiles, guinea pigs and rabbits.
The company also partners with shelters and rescue organizations to offer pet adoptions.
The expansion into Sidney and two other Ohio cities is just the start for Chow Hound’s expansion plans in the Midwest, Dipiazzo said.
“Our company is just looking for opportunities to grow,” he said. “We know that there are pet lovers everywhere who are looking for a good place where they can get all the food and supplies that they need.”
For more information about Chow Hound, visit https://chowhoundpet.com/.
