Retailer Pet Evolution officially launches franchising with 2 new stores in Minnesota – The Business Journals

Locally-owned retailer Pet Evolution is well on its way to making its national franchise goals a reality.
Scot Ziessman opened Pet Evolution’s first franchise store in St. Cloud in June and its second in Blaine at the end of September, which joined the two corporate-run locations in Woodbury and Arden Hills. He’s planning two others in Eagan and Lakeville.
A self-described “serial franchisee” who owns four Massage Envy spas, Ziessman serves as Pet Evolution’s regional developer for Wisconsin and Illinois, where he projects around 14 stores and 35 to 45 stores, respectively. But all of the franchise licenses for those states are still available.
In Minnesota, 11 franchise licenses have been awarded and 12 others are still up for grabs.
Stores owned by other local franchisees are expected to open in St. Paul, Eden Prairie and Chanhassen in late 2022 or early 2023. Additional stores from those franchisees are planned in Apple Valley, Maple Grove and Rochester.
Nationwide, a dozen regions have been awarded so far and it’s likely that two or three more will be awarded before the end of the year, according to Pet Evolution’s president of franchising, Peter Carlson.
Carlson’s five-year goal is between 150 and 200 Pet Evolution stores across the U.S. He anticipates 16 stores to be open by next April. Other states or territories where new locations are in progress include California, Michigan, Texas, Washington and Washington, D.C.
Pet Evolution uses brokerage Locate to identify potential sites for stores. The company – and its franchisees – typically look for spaces measuring about 3,200 square feet, close to high-end grocery stores like Whole Foods, or other businesses that can help draw in new customers such as Starbucks, but far from competitors.
Carlson still sees ample opportunity in the pet care market. He cites a Morgan Stanley report that the U.S. pet industry will nearly triple from $118 billion in 2019 to $275 billion in 2030.
“Currently, there’s over 90 million dogs in this country alone, and that population of dogs actually surpasses the total number of children [ages] 0 to 18,” Carlson said.
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