San Diego-Based Petco to Cut 180 Jobs

SAN DIEGO, CA – San Diego-based retailer Petco is cutting 180 positions, the company confirmed Wednesday.

Petco, which is headquartered in Rancho Bernardo, did not specify whether the cuts would take place at company headquarters or at the store level. The firm employs 27,000 workers nationwide.

“Our goal to best serve the needs of pet parents and be the best retailer in the pet industry remains unchanged,” Petco said in a press release provided by company spokesperson Lisa Stark.

Petco’s news of the job cuts comes just after the company announced Tuesday that it plans to begin 2017 by celebrating the grand re-opening of 14 remodeled stores in Los Angeles. Last year, Petco opened 71 new stores and one new Unleashed by Petco store, remodeled 41 stores and expanded five other locations.

“The changes announced this week are focused on creating a better optimized workforce and result in the elimination of 180 open and existing positions across the company,” the company’s statement reads. “By consolidating certain functions and activities, we are simplifying and prioritizing key areas of our business in order to continue investing in growth opportunities that lie ahead for Petco.''

Petco said employees impacted by the layoffs will receive severance packages and transition support.

City News Service contributed to this report. Image by Mike Mozart via flickr.com, under Creative Commons