Those living near Los Alamos, Texas, are particularly in luck, as that Lowe’s location will be the first store in the nation to offer a one stop shop for both humans and pets, literally—furry friends have long been allowed inside Lowe’s stores. By the end of March 2022, we’ll see 14 more stores in Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina that feature a special, newly added pet section. Humans, with their pups in tow, can pick up pet essentials at these retail locations, ultimately cutting back on the need to make multiple shopping trips.

More Pets Than Ever

What sparked this retail development? A recent survey that Lowe’s administered revealed that now more than ever, humans are finding extreme comfort in their furry friends. This is no surprise, given that over the past two years, millions of Americans have been welcoming pets into their homes. In fact, families have introduced an estimated 11 million pets into their lives since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. So if you’ve felt like literally everyone and their mother has been posting about their new dog or kitten on Instagram lately, you’re certainly not making things up! “For many of our customers, their pets and their homes top the list of things that matter most, especially after two years spent mostly together within the same four walls,” Bill Boltz, Lowe’s executive vice president of merchandising, said in a press release. “This partnership enhances the total home solution we offer them by bringing home improvement and pet care products, services and expertise together under one roof.”

Pet Products and Services

In addition to offering Petco favorite brands such as WholeHearted, EveryYay, Youly, Leaps & Bounds and So Phresh, the Lowe’s stores with Petco products also plan to offer pet services so that shoppers can cross all of Fido’s must-dos off their list. With this development, pets will be able to acquire necessary vaccinations, receive prescriptions, and even get groomed. “Bringing Petco’s pet care expertise, high-quality products, and veterinary and grooming services to Lowe’s helps make it easier than ever to create healthy, happy homes for pet parents and the pets they love,” Nick Konat, Petco’s chief merchandising officer, also noted in a press release. If you’re lucky enough to live near one of the Lowe’s + Petco locations, the retailer is encouraging you to get social and show off your dog’s smiling face (along with your own) while you’re out running errands together. Simply use the hashtag #DogsOfLowes and tag @LowesHomeImprovement to share the highlights of your shopping experience.

In case you haven’t heard the news, Pinterest shared in its 2022 predictions that dedicated pet rooms will be majorly en vogue this year. Searches pertaining to luxury dog and cat rooms, for one, have drastically increased. Those leading the trend are Millennial, Gen X, and Boomer pet parents who are ultra eager to show some furry friends a bit of extra love.