WAYNE, PA. — Pet Valu, Inc., a pet specialty retailer with stores in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and throughout Canada, announced Nov. 4 plans to “wind down” its operations, closing all 358 stores in the United States and its corporate office in Wayne due to “severe impact from COVID-19.”

As part of these sweeping closures, Pet Valu is cutting off its e-commerce platform and offering discounted prices at all its United States locations.

"The Pet Valu U.S. team is proud to have met the needs of our devoted pet lover customers in the U.S. for more than 25 years,” said Jamie Gould, recently appointed chief restructuring officer at Pet Valu. “However, the Company's stores have been significantly impacted by the protracted COVID-19-related restrictions. After a thorough review of all available alternatives, we made the difficult but necessary decision to commence this orderly wind down."

The company expects to begin this closing process in the United States in the coming days, continuing to take health and safety precautions to keep its customers and employees safe amid the pandemic.

"During the store closing process, we will continue to provide our customers with the same great in-store experience, offering them even better deals and value," Gould said. "We will work to assist our dedicated associates through the transition. We thank all of them for their commitment to our company and our customers, and especially for going above and beyond so we could help customers as an essential service during the pandemic."

The Canadian branch of the retail company, Pet Valu Canada based in Markham, Ontario, will continue operations through approximately 600 store locations throughout the country, as well as its e-commerce platform at petvalu.com/ca.

Gould joins Pet Valu during this transition with previous experience in restructuring retailers in the apparel, eyewear and office products markets. Additionally, William Transier, chief executive officer of Transier Advisors, has been appointed independent director of Pet Valu’s board.

The news in part reflects the difference between the two countries’ mitigation of the pandemic, with the United States continuing to be more affected by the pandemic than its northern neighbor.

According to the World Health Organization, as of Nov. 5 the United States had recorded 9,281,928 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, of which 231,034 cases have resulted in deaths, while Canada has recorded 244,935 confirmed cases and 10,279 resulting deaths.

Confirmed cases in Canada so far represent approximately 0.65% of the country’s total population, while confirmed cases in the United States represent approximately 2.8% of the population.

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