Does anyone know if pet stores are shopped? I don't want to know the MSC... Thanks!

Pet Supermarket is shopped.

(heart)

Yes. Both Hollywood Feed and Pet Supermarket are shopped. Not sure about the big boys though.

I *so* wish I could get the PetSmart shops I used to do in the mid to late 90's... I don't think it had any actual pay, but I did get a free grooming ~ the full-scale, "the works" grooming ~ and I think $5 to make a small purchase. And people who have paid for "the works" grooming knows it's spendy. I got to go every month, I think... or at least every other.

It was absolutely awesome, and I did this for over a year (possibly closer to two) before other work made me too busy to fit in going any more. I had a full-time job, a part-time one, and then mystery shopping now & then. Then I got another, more-steady, better-paying part time job... and since I didn't have my own car and had to get rides to my mystery shops as another down-side, I gave it up. I did the PetSmart and a few other places, all for one company. Oh! And one restaurant for one other company ~ I almost forgot. I had to hand-write the reports and fax them (and the receipts) in. I believe they also had me mail in the hard copies (I think I kept copies for myself, wonder if I still have them?).

They always did a good job with my elderly Sheltie. At first, they didn't do a perfect job trimming her fluffy feet, but I described in detail what they did and what they should have done. And that I knew this because I had been trained to groom Shelties for the show ring. Soon, they were doing it the way I said they should. I even sent photos of the foot-trimming thing once.

Anyway, the closest thing I've seen in my area is that a couple different farm store chains are shopped, by different MSCs. Both have decent pet sections ~ food, supplies, etc. I love both of them, and will take them whenever I can. They both pay about the same, although it's divided differently... i.e., one is $5 pay with $15 reimbursement, and the other is $15 pay and $5 reimbursement. It makes no difference to me, because the item I get reimbursed I'd absolutely and regularly be buying anyway. Neither report is that bad, but one is a little more detailed than the other.

Secret Shopper used to have a vet/pet hospital chain that was shopped. It paid $100 or $125 with a $25 fee for an exam and some extras. Of course $150 doesn't go far on vet bills, but I used to love to take my pup and have some of his bills covered and it was an easy report. I haven't seen it in a couple of years.

I have a sweet little Shiba Inu (he's actually my son's) named Kaiche. He's almost five but he's bouncy and energetic like a puppy and he's not very well-behaved. I took him to Petsmart to get his nails trimmed. He wouldn't hold still and they muzzled him. He hated it. But they got his nails clipped! And it was just $5.

Oh yeah ~ the vet shop! I did one of those, too. Then before my rotation was up so I could take another dog, they disappeared. Before I did that shop, I let my regular vet know I'd be visiting another vet "for work" (she knows what I do) so if I needed records she wouldn't think I was leaving her. But I didn't tell her which vet.

Turned out my Smooth Collie had an actual problem! I liked the vet there so much, and we signed up for their coverage plan, that she followed up with my Smoothie until he sadly passed a few months later. We were still trying to figure out what was going on with problem 'A' when problem 'B' arose... and an already-advanced cancer was found.

I also took another of my dogs there because their plan, at that time and in that situation, saved me a little money and let me pay over time. For other things, they're actually more expensive, though. I also liked their late evening and Sunday hours.

I think it would be a blast to shop Petco or Petsmart. I have not seen shops for a vet in my area. I have a Bouvier and he can be a stinker. I just caught him with his head in my purse looking for treats. I took our last Bouvier to Petco for grooming and she came out looking like a Schnauzer - not good!

I've seen jobs for vets and animal clinics listed in PA on one job board, but I only travel that way from NC one or twice a year to visit my parents. I've also seen some Amish furniture store shops and a few other interesting ones that were definitely regional.

I shopped a pet feed on Thursday.
What's awesome is it requires 1-2 cases of cat/dog food and a certain amount of individual cans to make sure they are being counted.
I time it write so I can bulk up on my cat food and not need to shop again for 2 months. There are 3-4 shops that are fairly close to me to keep in rotation. It has a hefty reimbursement and a shop fee.

Saves me a lot on food

The closest thing to a pet store shop I see around here is a bird store.

Those vet shops have been gone for a while. Pets Plus was shopped in my area until mid-2013, then stopped. I did a couple of PetSmarts early last year, but it was for a specific brand of food - not the actual store.