PETSMART COMES TO CANADA
By Adnews Staff
Phoenix-based Petsmart will open eight stores in Southern Ontario this weekend. The 20,000 square-foot outlets are in Ancaster, Barrie, Kitchener, Leaside, Markham, Mississauga, Vaughan and Whitby. Petsmart will offer a large selection of premium and grocery-brand labels. It will also carry a variety of commercial specialty foods, vitamins, medications, grooming items and toys for dogs, cats, birds, fish, rabbits, reptiles and hamsters. The chain offers professional grooming shops, obedience classes and learning centres to teach customers about animals of the world and their environments. Ontario licensed veterinarian Mark Thompson will operate independent pet hospitals next to each Petsmart store. Print and TV advertising in Southern Ontario supports the opening of the stores. The print ads were created in-house by Petsmart's U.S. headquarters. The TV ads were created by the Evans Group of Seattle, while Cossette Communication-Marketing of Toronto did the media buy. Canadian public relations is being done by Edelman Public Relations of Toronto. In 1995, Petsmart bought Petstuff and closed the chain's four Toronto area outlets.