Petco in Hilo officially opened its doors to customers Monday morning during a soft opening attended by about 50 people.
The retailer offers pet supplies, pet food, adoptions, grooming, dog training and aquarium fish. It’s located in the Prince Kuhio Plaza in a 15,000-square-foot space that previously housed Sports Authority. It’s sharing the space with T.J. Maxx, which opened last month.
“We didn’t know what to expect, but so far (the turnout is) far more than we thought,” said store leader John Fernandez on Monday morning about 30 minutes after opening. “Our vision is healthier animals, happier people and a better world. So that’s our whole goal … to make sure we can help educate the customer — the pet parent — about the nutrition of their animals.”
Fernandez said the store employs about 30 people who all are residents of the island. A Petco manager on Oahu previously said the Hilo location is expected to be one of the top performers in the state. There are 11 Petco stores in Hawaii, with one in Kailua-Kona.
Shear Magic Pet Salon also relocated its grooming services to a portion of space inside the new Hilo Petco. It declined to share specifics about the new arrangement but said it is continuing to offer dog boarding and dog day care at its former location on Kanoelehua Avenue.
“It’s a huge win-win situation for all parties involved, as far as I’m concerned,” said Shear Magic owner Karen Furtado about the new partnership. “We’re one of the first in the country to present the model like this. It’s going very smoothly, and the staff at Petco are amazing. So they have made it very easy to incorporate our business.”
There is room for a third tenant in the former Sports Authority space, but mall manager Daniel Kea said Monday no plans for another tenant have been made yet. He said the mall “is thrilled” to house Petco.
“As a dog lover myself, it’ll be nice not to have to mail order dog toys here,” Kea said.
Customers streamed through the freshly stocked aisles Monday morning, several with four-legged friends in tow — Petco allows leashed dogs inside.
Shoppers Kiani Cook and Kameron Toriano, along with 3-year-old son Colton, said they decided to check out Petco’s selection of aquarium fish supplies. Cook said they own a 100-gallon aquarium and previously had to shop at smaller pet stores in Hilo or drive to Kailua-Kona.
“I saw on Facebook they were opening, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, no way,’” Cook said. “There’s so much more to choose from here. It’s just a really nice variety and quality compared to other stores.”
A May 5 grand opening is planned for the Hilo store. Its regular hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.