After just two years in business, Unleashed by Petco is closing up shop, citing the poor visibility of the Abrams location as the chief reason for the store’s closure.
“No one knows we’re here,” says Bruce Thomson, the store’s dog trainer, who was notified Thursday that the store will close for good this Saturday. “Even those that do [know we’re here] can’t find us.”
Thomson said there were no plans to relocate the business in East Dallas, and that the store’s employees would not be moved to other Unleashed locations (the nearest is at NorthPark Center).
“If there’s a job somewhere [at anther Petco] that we can fill, we still have to fill out an application to get it. There’s no special treatment,” Thomson says. “I’ve already contacted a [job] recruiter.”
He’s hoping to find work as a dog trainer somewhere else, having trained 150 dogs in his two years at Unleashed. While the store closes Saturday, the staff will stay on another two weeks to pack up the myriad dog toys, treats and trinkets to be shipped off to Unleashed locations.
Thomson said the location never really took off due to poor foot traffic, and had always lagged in sales. “We were always well behind the [other] Dallas stores,” he says.
Unleashed is one of three stores closing its doors for good at the Lakewood Shopping Center this week. Dixie House will close Friday, along with Papa John’s, which has plans to re-located in East Dallas.
We don’t yet know what will occupy the Abrams site once its vacated, but we’ll post a story when we find out.
