Suncrest Towne Centre offers 20% discount now
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed another national retailer with a presence in Morgantown.
Pet Valu Inc., which has a retail location at Suncrest Towne Centre, will be closing its store either late next month or in early January, as part of a corporate-wide plan to close all of its 350-plus stores in the U.S., including its other West Virginia store in Charles Town. Online shopping is no longer available and stores are offering 20% discounts off original prices.
“The company’s stores have been significantly impacted by the protracted COVID-19-related restrictions,” Pet Valu Chief Restructuring Officer Jamie Gould said in a release. “After a thorough review of all available alternatives, we made the difficult but necessary decision to commence this orderly wind down.”
The closure includes Pet Valu’s corporate headquarters in Wayne, Pa.
Despite the pandemic, the domestic pet industry remains healthy, according to U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2020-2021: The COVID-19 Impact compiled by packagedfacts.com, a Rockville, Md. research firm.
Packaged Facts said despite the coronavirus, retail sales of pet food and non-food pet supplies are expected to grow this year with people spending more time at home and buying pet supplies online.
“In the wake of COVID-19 market and social impacts, moreover, several pet ownership, retail product and pet care service segments present new market conditions for sales growth,” Packaged Facts said. “Many of these new opportunities follow from the coronavirus pandemic-triggered surge in pet adoption and acquisition.”
Pet Valu and Pet Supermarket were merged in 2016 by Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm in Atlanta.
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