Care-A-Lot Pet Supply

What Care-A-Lot Pet Supply does

Care-A-Lot Pet Supply is a privately held, family-owned specialty pet supply retailer founded in 1988 (per firmographics; a 1989 founding date also appears in the company timeline; the company's own marketing references "over 37 years" of operation) and headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The company operates an omnichannel retail business across four physical store locations in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News) plus a 24/7 e-commerce storefront at carealotpets.com that ships nationwide. Its customer base is consumer (B2C) pet owners across six species categories: dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and small animals, with dog and cat owners representing the primary segments by breadth of catalog investment.

The company's core offering is a broad catalog of pet food (dry, wet, grain-free, all-natural formulations across multiple protein sources), treats, toys, health products (supplements, flea and tick control, dental care), grooming supplies, beds, crates, collars and leads, and species-specific supplies such as bird cages, aquariums, reptile habitats, and small-animal cages. Care-A-Lot carries more than 300 third-party brands, alongside its own Care-A-Lot private-label line, and runs a parallel service brand, Care-A-Lot Pet Resorts, providing grooming, boarding, doggie daycare, and self-serve pet baths. The technology stack is described as a standard e-commerce platform with integrated inventory management, order processing, customer accounts, subscription scheduling, local delivery scheduling, and curbside coordination, with no proprietary AI or API infrastructure disclosed.

Revenue mechanics combine one-time retail transactions across online, in-store, phone (1-800-343-7680), and curbside channels, a recurring Auto-Ship subscription program offering 5% ongoing and 25% first-order discounts, local delivery ($5 fee under $49, free at $49+), and gift cards usable across all purchase channels. Free shipping on the e-commerce site is offered at a $49 order threshold. Customer acquisition relies on the brand's long-standing local reputation, organic web traffic, email and SMS opt-ins, and monthly in-store sales flyer promotions rather than paid digital advertising at scale. The company is unencumbered by external equity, has no disclosed funding rounds, and remains family-operated with 51-100 employees.

Name

Care-A-Lot Pet Supply

Legal name

Care-A-Lot Pet Supply

Website

https://carealotpets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Care-A-Lot Pet Supply is a family-owned, privately held pet supply retailer founded in 1988 and based in Virginia Beach, operating four retail stores in the Hampton Roads area of Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina alongside a nationwide e-commerce storefront, an Auto-Ship subscription program, and a related pet resort offering grooming, boarding, and daycare.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Supply Retail

NAICS

Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

akta.pro primary industry

General Pet Supplies Retail (Multi-category) (CRALAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pet Supplies Omnichannel (CRAFAEAJ), Pet Supplies Retail (CRALAIAI)

Keywords

• Pet supply retail
• Pet food and treats
• Pet grooming supplies
• Pet boarding services
• Pet care products

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Sales: Online retail sales through www.carealotpets.com, available 24/7. Orders can be shipped nationally with free shipping on qualifying orders of $49 or more, or picked up in-store or via curbside.
2. In-Store Retail Sales: Physical retail store sales at four store locations in the Hampton Roads area. Gift cards available for purchase in-store.
3. Auto-Ship Subscription: Recurring delivery subscription service offering automatic delivery of pet food and supplies. Provides 5% ongoing discount on Auto-Ship items, plus 25% off first Auto-Ship order with promo code AUTOSHIP25. Excludes certain brands (Acana, Orijen, Fromm, Royal Canin, ShoreWay).
4. Local Delivery: Local delivery service to select locations in Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina. Free delivery for orders $49+, $5 delivery fee for orders under $49. Available Monday-Friday, typically 1-3 day delivery.
5. Curbside Pick-up: Contactless order pickup at store locations. Orders placed before 2 PM Monday-Friday typically ready same day.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Care-A-Lot Pet Supply is a family-owned omnichannel pet supply retailer selling food, treats, toys, health products, grooming supplies, beds, crates, collars, and accessories for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and small animals across more than 300 brands. The company operates four physical stores in the Hampton Roads area of Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina alongside a national e-commerce site offering shipping, local delivery, curbside pickup, and an Auto-Ship subscription program. A related entity, Care-A-Lot Pet Resorts, offers in-person grooming, boarding, dog daycare, and self-serve pet bath services.

Product overview

Care-A-Lot Pet Supply is a family-owned pet supply retailer operating primarily as an e-commerce platform with physical store locations in Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of pet supplies organized by animal type: dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and small animals. Core product categories include pet food (dry, wet, grain-free, all-natural formulations across multiple protein sources), treats, toys, health products (supplements, flea/tick control, dental care), grooming supplies, beds and bedding, crates and containment, collars and leashes, and specialized supplies for each animal category. The company provides additional services including an Auto-Ship subscription delivery program with discounts, local delivery, and curbside pickup options. Care-A-Lot Pet Resorts, a related entity, offers in-person services including grooming, boarding, doggie daycare, and self-serve pet baths. The company carries hundreds of third-party brands alongside its own private-label products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Food Dry, wet, grain-free, all-natural, and specialized pet foods for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and small animals across protein sources including chicken, beef, fish, lamb, turkey, pork, duck, and venison.
• Pet Treats Assorted treats including biscuits, bones, dental care, grain-free, jerky, organic, training treats, frozen, and yogurt treats for dogs and cats.
• Pet Toys Toys for dogs and cats including balls, chew toys, dental toys, disks, interactive toys, plush toys, rope toys, rubber/latex toys, treat dispensing toys, catnip toys, mousers, and scratchers.
• Pet Health Products Health supplies including allergy relief, arthritis and pain management, calming products, dental care, dewormers, ear care, eye care, flea and tick control, vitamins, supplements, hip and joint support, and skin and coat care.
• Pet Beds and Bedding Beds, orthopedic beds, pillows, pads, mats, heated beds, cool beds, cuddlers, bolsters, blankets, and throws for dogs and cats.

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Petco: National specialty pet retailer with stores, e-commerce, and services (grooming, training, veterinary). Directly comparable to Care-A-Lot's combined retail-plus-Pet Resorts model, but operating at national scale with owned private-label brands.
• PetSmart: National specialty pet retail chain combining physical stores with e-commerce and services (grooming, boarding, training). Competes with Care-A-Lot on retail assortment and with Care-A-Lot Pet Resorts on grooming/boarding services, but at significantly larger scale.
• Amazon (Pet Supplies): Mass-market e-commerce platform with a deep pet supplies category and Subscribe & Save subscription program. Competes with Care-A-Lot on price, assortment, and shipping for online pet purchases.

Direct peers

• Pet Supplies Plus: Franchise-based specialty pet retail chain with neighborhood store formats and an emphasis on convenience and local service. Closely comparable to Care-A-Lot's multi-store regional strategy and broad multi-category assortment.
• Hollywood Feed: Regional multi-store pet supply retailer operating across the Southeast and Midwest U.S. with curated assortment, in-store events, and strong local brand positioning — closely analogous to Care-A-Lot's regional multi-store specialty retail model.
• Chewy: Largest pure-play online pet supplies retailer in the U.S. Direct competitor on the e-commerce side of Care-A-Lot's business, offering the same core categories (food, treats, toys, health) with nationwide shipping and the Autoship subscription program that directly competes with Care-A-Lot's Auto-Ship.
• Petland: Franchise-based specialty pet retail chain offering pet supplies, grooming, and training across multiple U.S. locations. Comparable to Care-A-Lot's combination of multi-store retail plus service offerings.
• Mud Bay: Pacific Northwest-based regional pet supply retailer operating multiple neighborhood stores with curated natural/holistic product focus and strong in-store expertise — directly comparable regional multi-store pet specialty format.
• Kriser's Natural Pet: Multi-store natural pet supply retailer with grooming and self-wash services attached to retail locations — directly comparable to Care-A-Lot's combined Pet Supply + Pet Resorts model.

Emerging players

• Wag.com (Chewy-owned): Online pet supplies storefront operated by Chewy — directly comparable to Care-A-Lot's e-commerce channel as a pure-play digital competitor for customers shopping online for pet supplies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CareALot_Pets
• Facebookfacebook.com/CareALotPetSupply
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carealotpetsupply

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Care-A-Lot Pet Supply