With more than 140 million dogs and cats in 63 million American households nationwide, there just aren't enough people trained to properly pamper those companion animals. PETCO Animals Supplies, Inc.
Over the course of the next year, PETCO plans to hire and train 600 new groomers across the country. The Grooming Training Center in Lansing will play a significant role in that effort offering a 20-week course that includes pay and hands-on work. Grooming Training Centers are also located in Escondido, Vacaville and Glendale, Calif., as well as Oakdale, Minn., Warminster, Pa., Massapequa, N. Y., Waltham, Mass. and Mesa, Ariz. PETCO also plans to open training centers in Houston and Dallas, Texas and Seattle, Wash.
"They're in high demand," PETCO Director of Pet Services Stu Wolman said of the groomers-to-be. "If they like animals, and have some creativity, they have the potential to earn a good living. It's a career for people."
For the first four weeks of training, which takes place at the Center, students are paid a straight hourly wage. After that, they move into stores for hands-on training, where they can earn commission on the pets they groom in the store. As they move up through the training, and graduate to the store, that commission increases. And that can be a significant amount, considering PETCO's grooming sales increased more than 20% between September and January.
Once groomers complete the training, they will be placed in one of PETCO's 564 neighborhood stores. As that numbers increases, so, too, will the need for additional trained groomers; PETCO currently plans to add approximately 60 new stores per year. Along with clipping, trimming and shampooing their customers' companions, PETCO stores also contribute to adoption efforts locally by offering free grooming services to sheltered animals to help make them more adoptable.
Anyone interested in training to become a professional groomer can call PETCO, toll-free, at 888-583-6044 ext. 4075.
PETCO, based in San Diego, is a leading pet specialty retailer with more than 560 neighborhood stores in 41 states and the District of Columbia. PETCO is traded on NASDAQ under the PETC symbol.
SOURCE: PETCO Animals Supplies, Inc.
Contact: Shawn Underwood, Communications Rep., ext. 3571, or Stu Wolman,
Director of Pet Services, ext. 3061, both of PETCO, +1-858-453-7845
Website: http://www.petco.com/
