Under the 2026 FDD, the operating format is a Pet Supplies Plus retail Store used for single-unit, multi-unit and approved conversion paths. The franchisee runs people, inventory, customer service, pricing and compliance, while PSP sets the authorized offer, supplier network, technology, merchandising, marketing and quality framework.
How does Pet Supplies Plus operate after opening?
The Store converts local pet-owner demand into retail product sales, live-animal transactions, grooming or bathing services, pickup orders and deliver-from-store orders. Unit employees execute the work through PSP’s approved assortment, PSP Distribution and other approved suppliers, the required POS System, customer-management tools and an updatable Operations Manual.
The Operations Manual separates Accounting, Animal Care, eCommerce, Information Technology, Inventory Management, Marketing, Operations, Ordering, Pet Services and Training into distinct Standard Operating Procedures. That structure links Store execution, customer fulfillment, required systems and audit evidence instead of leaving those functions to a general retail handbook.
Evidence: 2026 Pet Supplies Plus FDD, Items 8 and 11 and Exhibit C; Franchise Agreement §§5.1, 7.3 and 7.19.
What does the Store sell, and who buys it?
The canonical customer is a retail pet-owning member of the general public. The required offer combines recurring pet-food and supply purchases with live pets other than dogs or cats, seasonal merchandise, gift cards and authorized pet services.
Retail merchandise
Pet food, pet supplies, accessories, seasonal items, gift cards and required Proprietary Products. PSP selects the authorized assortment and may require new products, private-label goods or loyalty-program participation.
Live animals
Small animals, birds, reptiles and fish may be sold; dogs and cats are excluded. Every live pet, including fish, must come from a PSP-approved supplier and be handled under Animal Care standards.
Services and channels
Authorized Stores may provide full-service grooming, bathing, self-serve wash and quick salon services. Customers may shop in-store, use curbside pickup or request delivery; service availability varies by location.
PSP can require a Store to add delivery, in-store pickup or additional Approved Products and Services. The franchisee cannot independently add merchandise, operate a separate branded website, sell through wholesale or launch another distribution channel without written authorization. The official grooming service guide shows the consumer-facing service menu and location-dependent features.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 1 pp. 1–4, Item 8 pp. 20–22 and Item 16 p. 43; Franchise Agreement §§1.4, 7.3 and 7.4.
How does work move through a Pet Supplies Plus Store?
The operating cycle begins with a store visit, online order or service booking and ends with fulfillment, inventory replacement, customer-data capture and financial reporting. Product sales, grooming and delivery share the same Store control environment but use different employees and assets.
Demand enters the Store
- Actor
- Customer, PSP marketing programs and Store team.
- Action
- A customer visits, orders through the designated website, redeems a loyalty offer or books an available grooming service.
- System/asset
- Approved Location, PSP website, Local Marketing Spend and National Advertising Fund materials.
- Output
- Shopping visit, online order or service appointment.
Selection or intake occurs
- Actor
- Sales-floor employee, cashier or salon employee.
- Action
- The team assists product selection, conducts live-animal handling, receives the online order or confirms the grooming appointment and required service information.
- System/asset
- Approved assortment, Animal Care procedures, grooming scheduler and designated e-commerce platform.
- Output
- Selected basket, accepted order or confirmed service intake.
The promise is fulfilled
- Actor
- Store team, groomer or self-serve wash customer.
- Action
- Employees pick online merchandise, maintain displays and complete authorized salon work; the customer may use designated self-serve bathing equipment where offered.
- System/asset
- Inventory, merchandising standards, salon equipment, wash stations and Pet Services procedures.
- Output
- Prepared order, completed grooming service or retail basket ready for checkout.
Payment and handoff close the transaction
- Actor
- Cashier, curbside employee, Store driver or approved courier.
- Action
- The POS System records the sale; merchandise is handed over in-store, brought curbside or delivered within the prescribed service radius.
- System/asset
- POS terminal, payment-card reader, pickup staging area and delivery vehicle or courier service.
- Output
- Completed retail or service transaction recorded as Store sales.
Inventory is replenished
- Actor
- Key Manager, inventory team, PSP Distribution and approved suppliers.
- Action
- Item movement is reviewed, orders are placed, deliveries are received and merchandise is priced and displayed under PSP specifications.
- System/asset
- POS item data, perpetual-inventory tools, ordering procedures, receiving equipment and approved planograms.
- Output
- Required inventory levels and assortment restored for the next sales cycle.
Data, quality and compliance are reviewed
- Actor
- Franchisee, Operating Principal, PSP and its designees.
- Action
- The Store reports customer data and financial results, retains records, responds to surveys and corrects findings from audits or unannounced operating inspections.
- System/asset
- POS System, designated CRM, PSP chart of accounts, monthly reports and Operations Manual.
- Output
- Reported sales, updated records and required corrective action.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 6, 8 and 11; Franchise Agreement §§1.4, 5.1–5.3, 7.4–7.9. Consumer fulfillment is also described on the official checkout and fulfillment page.
Can the owner delegate daily operations?
Yes, but the 2026 FDD does not describe passive ownership. A principal must give full-time attention to the Store or delegate day-to-day management to a trained Key Manager. The franchisee remains personally responsible, and every Store must always have at least one initially trained person on staff.
A multi-unit operator needs a trained Key Manager at every location. A replacement Key Manager must meet current standards and complete initial training within 30 days after hire, subject to PSP personnel availability. A multiple-owner entity must also name an Operating Principal for day-to-day communications with PSP.
Franchisee or Operating Principal
Owns legal compliance, working capital, final pricing, employment decisions, supplier payments, local execution, monthly and annual reporting, and correction of inspection findings.
Key Manager
Provides full-time day-to-day supervision, maintains inventory and service standards, directs employees and serves as the trained operating lead when the principal is not managing the Store.
Store team
Receives and merchandises inventory, assists customers, runs checkout, handles approved live animals, picks e-commerce orders, performs curbside handoff and may complete Store delivery.
Salon personnel
Perform authorized grooming or bathing services where offered, use the required scheduling process and follow Pet Services, safety and customer-intake standards.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 15 pp. 42–43; Franchise Agreement §§7.5, 7.13 and 7.14. The official franchise FAQ describes employee-training modules and district-team guidance.
Who controls each operating layer?
The franchisee controls the employer relationship and daily execution, while PSP controls the System definition and can change mandatory standards. Affiliates and approved third parties provide important operating inputs, but they do not replace the franchisee as the Store operator.
Franchisee decisions
- People
- Hire, pay, schedule, supervise, discipline and terminate Store employees.
- Pricing
- Make the final retail-price decision and maintain Store-specific prices.
- Delivery labor
- Use Store employees or, where available, an approved third-party courier.
- Daily execution
- Operate legally, pay vendors, maintain the facility and deliver customer service.
PSP controls
- Offer
- Authorize required products, services, private-label items and loyalty programs.
- Inputs
- Approve suppliers, set inventory specifications and designate required technology.
- Channels
- Control the brand website, e-commerce program and branded digital presence.
- Standards
- Set hours, merchandising, advertising, training, reporting and inspection requirements.
Affiliate and vendor dependencies
- PSP Distribution
- Supplies required pet food, pet supplies and other goods for resale.
- System Suppliers
- Provide approved live animals, fixtures, uniforms, equipment and specialized inputs.
- Technology providers
- Support POS, grooming scheduling, networks, subscriptions and data functions.
- Marketing and courier vendors
- Administer Local Marketing Spend or fulfill approved delivery orders.
PSP may amend the Operations Manual, change the approved assortment, revoke supplier approval, require hardware or software upgrades, inspect the Store without notice during business hours and access Store data electronically. The franchisee bears the responsibility for implementing those standards and for the consequences of local execution.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 8 and 11; Franchise Agreement §§5.1–5.3, 6.5–6.7 and 7.3–7.9. See the official operations-support overview for merchandising, POS hosting, training and buying support.
Which suppliers and systems are mandatory?
The Store is supplier- and system-dependent. PSP may be one of several approved sources or the sole source for an item; all live pets must come from approved suppliers, and certain food and supply inventory must come through PSP Distribution Operations SPV, LLC.
The franchisee must keep inventory at cost within the FDD-disclosed range of $150,000 to $260,000, depending on Store size, and PSP can prescribe the mix. A proposed unapproved supplier or product can be submitted for evaluation, but PSP may test it, charge evaluation costs, deny approval or later revoke approval. The franchisee must stop purchasing from a revoked supplier after notice.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 8 pp. 20–23 and Item 11 pp. 32–33; Franchise Agreement §§5.2, 7.3, 7.7 and 7.9.
What does the Territory protect?
The Territory protects the physical placement of another Pet Supplies Plus Store under the same Marks and System. It is not an exclusive customer, marketing or online-sales territory, and it does not prevent PSP, affiliates or other channels from reaching customers inside the area.
After PSP approves the location, the Franchise Agreement Data Sheet defines a protected Territory. The FDD says it generally reflects about 60,000 people, or closer to 30,000 in less dense markets, but PSP guarantees no minimum size. Customers may buy from any Store regardless of residence. The franchisee cannot relocate without written approval.
Pickup-at-store and deliver-from-store are Existing Channels tied to Stores, but PSP reserves other Internet, wholesale, mail-order and alternative-distribution rights. The franchise grant does not give the franchisee an independent e-commerce channel or a right to proceeds from future alternate channels unless PSP establishes one.
A Multi-Unit Agreement uses a Development Area and mandatory Development Schedule. PSP agrees not to establish another PSP Store in that Development Area during the agreement term, but each location still requires its own Franchise Agreement, Approved Location and trained Key Manager. The official market page shows current development interest; contractual rights come from the signed agreements.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 12 pp. 33–35; Franchise Agreement §§1.2–1.5 and Multi-Unit Agreement development provisions.
How do the three operating paths differ?
The customer-facing Store model is substantially the same, but the ownership and transition obligations differ. Multi-unit operators add location-level management and development scheduling; conversion operators replace an existing independent store’s systems, assortment and identity with the PSP System.
| Operating path | Material difference | Ongoing operating rule |
|---|---|---|
| Single Store | One Approved Location and one protected Territory under the Franchise Agreement. | Principal manages full time or delegates to one trained Key Manager. |
| Multi-Unit Program | Usually two or three Stores in a Development Area under a Development Schedule. | Each Store receives its own Franchise Agreement and trained Key Manager. |
| Conversion Addendum | An approved independent pet store converts its premises, assortment, signage and technology. | After reopening, required products, suppliers, POS System and operating standards match the PSP System. |
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Item 1 pp. 1–2 and Item 15 pp. 42–43; Multi-Unit Agreement; Conversion Addendum §§2–7.
What does the outlet mix show?
The year-end network was majority franchised, with a sizable company-owned or affiliate-owned population. Total outlet count declined modestly in 2025 after increases in 2023 and 2024.
Item 20 also shows total outlets declined by six during 2025: franchised outlets declined by four and company/affiliate-owned outlets declined by two.
Source: 2026 Pet Supplies Plus FDD, Item 20, Table 1, p. 59. Calculation: 498 + 231 = 729; percentages are each population divided by 729 and reconcile to 100.0% after rounding.
Which operating facts should a buyer verify?
The FDD defines the System-level rules, but several unit-level details depend on the Data Sheet, Operations Manual, approved supplier list, local service package and current technology configuration.
Operating-model synthesis: Pet Supplies Plus earns Store-level sales by combining replenishment-driven pet retail with authorized pet services and Store-based omnichannel fulfillment. The franchisee’s central job is to keep trained people, required inventory and service execution aligned. The strongest dependency is PSP’s control over assortment, suppliers, POS data and operating standards. The key distinction is that a protected Territory blocks another same-brand physical Store, not competing channels. The largest unit-specific unknown is the exact required service, supplier and technology package for the proposed location.