Clients and Coworkers Can Be Amazing, But It's Not Enough - Department Leader Petco Employee Review

2.0
10 July 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Coworkers are generally wonderful; you can find someone you get along with in any location -Clients can be amazing. I had so many make a lifelong impact on me, long after I left -You have the potential to learn and grow your change management and adaptability skills, as long as you're open to it

Cons

-SLT very clearly does not care about their frontline employees; when I left, I had been there 10 years and was in management (not in the location listed here) I was on state assistance at that time because I could not afford the essentials due to the cost-of-living in my area. I was constantly told that pay increases are "not in the budget". I always met or exceeded expectations on annual reviews and never saw higher than a $0.30/hr pay raise -If you were the opening manager and the closing manager called out, and you could not find coverage, you were working a double. This could mean 7 AM until 10 PM with no real lunch break. One time this happened, I missed my first anniversary dinner with my husband and spent half an hour in the back room trying to compose myself to do my job -Questionable hiring and career growth practices; I was overlooked for a promotion, and instead the role went to a re-hire who had previously been fired for stealing. Both the hiring decision-maker and the rehire were later terminated for separate reasons. -Work-life balance is unmanageable; I once spent all night at an emergency veterinary appointment. It was during covid, so I could not enter the veterinarian's office. I slept in my car, and then had to return to the store the next morning to work my scheduled shift.

Explore other reviews about Petco

5.0
2 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good environment, good management and able to learn and improve

Cons

none so far that ive been working here

1.0
18 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

DM is a good person who genuinely wants to support the stores, but unfortunately he’s also caught in the middle of all this chaos.

Cons

Literally EVERYTHING! • Extremely limited payroll stores are frequently staffed with only two employees for an entire day, which is not sustainable. • Leadership appears disconnected from store level operations, with little clear direction. Initiatives often feel reactive, as if decisions are being tested without a consistent long term strategy. • Expansion into non pet related products raises concerns about the company’s financial health and overall focus. • Workload is overwhelming, with planogram changes happening frequently sometimes multiple times within the same week. • IT systems are unreliable, and when issues arise, store teams are expected to find workarounds rather than receiving timely support. • Animal care no longer seems to be a top priority at the corporate level. Current setups (e.g., “Desk Pets”) appear inconsistent with the company’s own care standards and guidelines.

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