Petco, Design Firm Discuss Reddy Flagship Store

Petco Health and Wellness Co. has been no stranger to alternative and experiential in-store experience concepts as of late, including Lowe's + Petco shops, a store-within-a-store pilot program introduced in 2022 that unites products, services and expertise — for both the home and pets — under one roof at select Lowe's locations.Before introducing that concept, however, the retailer opened its first-ever Reddy flagship store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood in late 2021. The Reddy concept store, which is dedicated to its premium lifestyle private label for dogs of the same name, serves as an urban boutique offering curated Reddy merchandise and an elevated shopping experience for pets and pet parents.Path to Purchase IQ recently discussed the Reddy store, the creative and design process and what’s on the horizon with both a spokesperson from Petco and Daniel Montano, partner and design principal at architecture and design firm Little, the retailer’s partner in creating the physical endeavor.P2PIQ: What role did Little play in creating the Reddy flagship store? Did Little also have a hand in the creation of the brand, or just the in-store concept?Montano: Little’s role was focused on creating the flagship store design concept and graphic communication elements. To do so, we worked with the Petco team at the onset of the project to determine key experiential ideas to activate within the space, and later partnered with Petco’s advertising agency, Droga5, to integrate marketing and store activation ideas. The process was a true collaboration between the three groups.P2PIQ: What was the inspiration for adding a dedicated in-store experience for Reddy at this time? Did Little and Petco notice untapped potential in the market?Petco: Owned brand innovation and growth continues to be an integral part of Petco’s overall strategy, and Reddy is at the forefront. Petco has more than 55 years’ worth of expertise designing pet products and we’re applying that credibility to this Reddy boutique.In creating Reddy SoHo, we wanted to build a destination and community for pet parents in the heart of New York to give them everything they need to live life to the fullest with their pets. The brand is designed with clever, functional materials that help keep pets and pet parents equipped for adventures together. Reddy addresses a white space in the market across both national and private brands, by delivering clever, effortless solutions for pet parents, with an aesthetic that fits seamlessly into the urban millennial lifestyle. We know that Reddy shoppers care about sustainability, an on-the-go lifestyle and outdoor activities, so we’ve created a brand that perfectly caters to this audience. P2PIQ: Are there any particularly fun/interesting technology components integrated into the store experience that would appeal to today's hybrid shopper that moves fluidly between online and in-store?Petco: In addition to a robust, curated selection of Reddy merchandise across apparel, accessories and supplies, the store provides local and visiting dogs and their parents an exclusive interactive experience, which includes a lounge area with free Wi-Fi, phone charging stations at a customization table, a fitting station, “[Instagram]-ready walls,” a "Bark Board" for community updates and a pet polaroid wall showcasing furry shop-goers in their element.Montano: There are multiple store elements that integrate physical and digital. The dog fitting station is an ideal spot for a selfie, creating a perfect Instagram moment with Reddy’s branded camo pattern and hashtag backdrop.P2PIQ: I see sustainability is a key characteristic to the Reddy brand, how does that come into play at the physical store?Petco: Reddy products are made of durable, sustainable materials, with 90% of the portfolio created with recycled content such as plastic bottles. The store was also built using sustainable materials like reclaimed wood and salvaged brick, inspired by industrial design and complemented by Reddy’s bold color palette and marquee patterns like camo, leather and steel.Montano: The lighting systems also contain high efficiency LED systems. Petco decided to remodel an existing historical site in lieu of a new construction space, thus reducing the impact of opening the store.P2PIQ: What has the reaction to the flagship program been from consumers?Petco: Customer feedback has been resoundingly positive, with pet parents raving about the boutique’s pet-centric experiences, cool store design and innovative, stylish products. Our Reddy SoHo partners have been fostering close relationships with the pet parents and pets of the SoHo community since the boutique opened in October.P2PIQ: What's on the horizon for the store? Any upcoming launches or exciting developments you're able to share?Petco: In the coming months, we look forward to offering a calendar of events at the store for the local community. We offer customization services like personalized pet tags and on-site product monogramming, which we continue to enhance for our customers. We’re also excited to offer products exclusive to Reddy SoHo and even launch new product innovations this year so pets can be ready to take on any adventure, regardless of weather, throughout the seasons.P2PIQ: It seems updating and innovating the in-store experience, both on- and off-site, has been an area of focus for the company (e.g. the recent Lowe's collab, the Rover partnership, etc.), why is that important to Petco right now?Petco: We’re constantly innovating to reach even more pet parents and help them care for the overall health and wellness of their beloved pets. Whether we’re launching novel customer experience offerings or strategic partnerships, we always look to provide customers with seamless omnichannel solutions.

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

You May Also Like

Petco Opens Two-Story Flagship in New York

Lowe’s + Petco Shop-in-Shop Footprint Expanding Nationwide