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By Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Business Writer

Lowe’s is teaming up with Petco to offer pet departments within its stores, betting that customers want cans of dog food along with their cans of paint.

The first Lowe’s with a Petco is expected to open in February in Alamo Ranch, Texas. Fourteen additional Lowe’s locations in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina will get Petco centers by the end of March, the company said.

The Petco mini stores will offer food as well as pet services, including vaccination clinics. Mobile grooming services will also be offered.

The is the first store-within-a-store pairing for both Lowe’s and San Diego-based Petco. Petco operates more than 1,500 stores in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico. Lowe’s has 2,200 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Mooresville, North Carolina-based Lowe’s noted that more than 11 million new pets entered U.S. homes since the start of the COVID pandemic. The company said it makes sense to serve both.

“For many of our customers, their pets and their homes top the list of things that matter most, especially after two years spent mostly together within the same four walls,” said Bill Boltz, Lowe’s executive vice president of merchandising.

The move could set Lowe’s apart from rival Home Depot, which doesn’t sell pet food, and help it compete with stores like Menards and Tractor Supply, which also sell pet food and home improvement products.

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