The pet store chain Pet Valu has announced it is liquidating its U.S. operations and shutting down its 358 stores across the country, including two here in Loudoun County. Both the Pet Valu in Ashburn and the Pet Valu in Purcellville are expected to close by the end of the year.
The Burn spoke with an employee at one of the Loudoun locations who said sales on merchandise are starting immediately and the stores will remain open as Pet Valu empties its regional warehouses. Once inventory starts to run out, the stores will begin to close. This is roughly expected by the end of 2020.
The Pet Valu in Ashburn is in the Goose Creek Village shopping center, at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Sycolin Road. The store in Purcellville is in the Purcellville Gateway center.
The move is a bit surprising as retail studies have shown that spending at pet stores has actually increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to USA Today, more than a third of pet owners say they have increased their pet-related spending since the start of the pandemic.
(Image at top: Google Maps)