Company Description
Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: WOOF) is a pet-focused health and wellness company that operates in the retail trade sector. According to company disclosures, Petco is a "category-defining health and wellness company" focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and its own Petco partners. The business centers on pet wellness products, services and solutions that deepen the bond between pets and pet parents.
Petco traces its roots back to its founding in 1965. Over more than six decades, it has developed a network of more than 1,500 pet care centers across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico. These locations offer merchandise and companion animals, as well as grooming, training and a growing network of on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics. In addition to its physical pet care centers, Petco describes its operations as a complete pet health and wellness ecosystem that is accessible both in-store and digitally through its website and mobile app.
The company emphasizes a broad pet care offering that includes pet wellness products and services. Its pet care centers provide merchandise and services that support everyday pet needs and longer-term health, while its digital channels extend access to these offerings. Petco has also highlighted membership offerings, expertise and support from team members who are themselves pet parents, reflecting the company’s focus on the pet–pet parent relationship.
Petco’s disclosures describe its role in creating communities that deepen the pet–pet parent bond. The company notes that it nurtures this bond in its store aisles and through its service offerings, including grooming, training and veterinary care. Its health and wellness positioning is reflected in the presence of on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics within its network of pet care centers.
Beyond its commercial operations, Petco highlights its work with Petco Love, an independent nonprofit organization founded in 1999. Together, Petco and Petco Love work with thousands of local animal welfare groups across the United States. Through in-store adoption events, they report having helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals. This adoption and welfare activity is presented by the company as part of its broader impact on pets and pet parents.
Petco also describes itself as a trusted partner to pet parents, offering a selection of products and services intended to help keep pets happy and healthy. In one partnership announcement, the company notes that it offers a curated assortment of high-quality pet products, including branded collections and items made with recycled materials, through third-party delivery platforms in the contiguous United States. This reflects an extension of its retail presence into on-demand and scheduled delivery channels.
From a financial reporting perspective, Petco generates net sales from products and from services and other revenue, as shown in its quarterly and annual financial statements. The company regularly reports on net sales, gross profit, operating income, net income or loss, and Adjusted EBITDA, and provides outlooks for net sales and Adjusted EBITDA for upcoming quarters and fiscal years. These metrics and outlooks are communicated through earnings releases and associated SEC filings.
Petco’s management has described a multi-phased transformation and an effort to strengthen retail fundamentals across its operating model. In its earnings communications, the company has discussed priorities such as rebuilding the base of its economic model, pursuing an operational reset of the business and targeting sustainable, profitable growth. It has also referenced cost action plans, associated cost savings and expectations for adjusted EBITDA performance, while noting that these are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties.
In addition to its core retail and service activities, Petco has undertaken capital structure actions. For example, the company announced a debt refinancing transaction intended to extend maturities of its term loan, along with voluntary prepayments under its board authorization. These actions are described as subject to market and other conditions, and are accompanied by reaffirmed guidance for net sales and Adjusted EBITDA for specified periods.
Petco’s governance structure includes multiple classes of common stock, as reflected in its consolidated balance sheets and proxy-related disclosures. The company holds annual meetings of stockholders at which directors are elected, executive compensation is subject to advisory votes and the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm is ratified. Voting results for these matters are reported in Form 8-K filings.
Business model and operations
Petco’s business model, as described in its public communications, combines physical pet care centers, digital platforms and service offerings. Revenue is reported in two primary categories: products, and services and other. Products include merchandise sold through its pet care centers and digital channels, while services and other revenue reflects offerings such as grooming, training and veterinary-related services. The company’s financial statements show both categories contributing to total net sales.
The company positions its network of more than 1,500 pet care centers as the core of its physical presence. These locations provide access to merchandise and services, including companion animals, and are supported by on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics in a growing portion of the network. Petco’s digital presence, including its website and mobile app, extends the reach of these offerings and supports what the company calls a complete pet health and wellness ecosystem.
Petco’s communications also emphasize its workforce of nearly 30,000 team members, whose execution is cited in earnings releases as a factor in the company’s performance. Management commentary links this execution to progress on transformation initiatives and to the resilience of the category in which Petco operates.
Industry context
Within the retail trade sector, Petco is classified in the industry grouping associated with stores that sell products such as beer, wine and liquor. However, the company’s own descriptions consistently characterize it as a pet specialty and pet health and wellness business. Its operations focus on pet care centers, pet wellness products and services, and the pet–pet parent relationship rather than on beverage retailing.
Capital markets and reporting
Petco’s Class A common stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol WOOF. The company files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Earnings releases for quarterly and annual periods are often furnished as exhibits to Form 8-K under Item 2.02 (Results of Operations and Financial Condition), and the company also uses Form 8-K to announce participation in investor conferences and to report the results of stockholder votes at its annual meetings.
In its earnings materials, Petco provides GAAP financial measures alongside non-GAAP measures such as Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow. The company includes definitions and reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, and notes that non-GAAP information is supplemental to GAAP results. Forward-looking estimates of Adjusted EBITDA are described as being made in a manner consistent with definitions and assumptions outlined in the company’s SEC filings.
Community and animal welfare
Petco highlights its partnership with Petco Love, described as a life-changing independent nonprofit organization (formerly the Petco Foundation). Together, they work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the United States. Through in-store adoption events, they report having helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals. This activity is presented as part of Petco’s broader mission to improve the lives of pets and pet parents.
Status
Available news and SEC filings show Petco actively reporting quarterly and annual financial results, issuing guidance, participating in investor conferences and undertaking financing transactions. There is no indication in the provided materials of delisting, deregistration, bankruptcy or cessation of operations. All status-related information should be confirmed against the latest SEC filings and exchange data for the most current view.