As coronavirus reshapes life and business, the pet industry shines

As coronavirus reshapes life and business, the pet industry shines

In an overhead shot, an orange kitten rests with his paws on the keyboard as a man’s hands with denim sleeves rolled up types on the laptop around him. A smartphone and a small succulent are on the counter to the right of the laptop.

Here’s why the pet supply industry in general, and EarthWise Pet in particular, is in good shape

If there’s been a silver lining at all during this pandemic, it’s been Suki. And Stella. And Bean and Hauk Mao. Not to mention Uncle Bob, BakPak, Tigey & Smush, Ez and of course Moxie. These are some of the very real furry friends of some of us on the EarthWise team, and we’ve all been spending a LOT more time with them. We’ve loved every minute of it.

Like every business, not just nationwide but around the globe, we’ve been affected. But luckily for EarthWise, pet supply stores were deemed essential early on in most parts of the U.S. That allowed us to continue serving our guests, even though we had to temporarily shut down our grooming and self-wash services. 

Being open allowed us to continue with delivery, which we’ve since made no-contact, as well as pivoting to offer curbside pickup at most of our EarthWise franchises. Most stores are now able to offer grooming services, in a way that’s safely following the social distancing guidelines in their area, as the nation cautiously re-opens.

Will pet spending continue to boom?

While we couldn’t have predicted the pandemic, we’re not surprised by the explosion of interest in pets. The pet industry was already on course to reach $75 billion a year by 2022, and that was before Americans raced to adopt pets to help provide companionship during this season of social distancing. Americans have also been investing more to keep their fur babies healthy and happy — seeking trusted sources for nutrition, supplies, and advice.

Since 1977, when we opened our first family-owned store in Southern California, EarthWise has striven to be that source. Our food and supplies are eco-friendly and all-natural. We don’t believe in the outdated pet store model, and that’s why we don’t sell pets. Ever. We train our teams on all the ins and outs of our carefully sourced pet food and pet product lines, so customers can seek out our expertise. That’s something they won’t find at an online pet retailer.

We also partner with our communities, particularly when it comes to animal rescue and adoption events. We know what our people want — that’s because we ARE our people. We all believe in doing what’s best for our pets to help them live longer, healthier, happier lives.

A German shepherd in a surgical mask and white lab coat poses sitting next to a stack of toilet paper against a dark background.
There are a lot of questions about which way the world will go next. At EarthWise Pet franchise, we’re ready to pivot, no matter what.

What happens to Giblet when I go back to the office?

We can’t make your boss change the policy and start allowing pets. We can, however, tell you that they are perfectly welcome at EarthWise. And if you open your own EarthWise franchise, you’ll be able to bring Giblet to work. Every. Single. Day.

We’re passionate about pets and the people who love them. We want more people like us to join our growing franchise.

Learn more

To learn more about the franchise opportunities with EarthWise Pet Supply, please explore our franchise website. Fill out the form below to get a Free Franchise Information Report and to start a conversation with one of our recruiters.