Good Bye State Line Tack: Petsmart will Exit the Horse Business

A press release came today announcing that Petsmart will exit its equine products business, closing all 180 horse-supply departments nationwide. The company says the equine business was much different than their core business, and exiting the horse business will be good for shareholders and the company--it will allow it to focus on its core business.

It will outsource its call center and catalog operations while it considers "strategic alternatives." The 245 employees who work in the equine departments will be offered jobs in other departments. If no job is available, they'll be offered appropriate severance.

From my opinion, Petsmart never did a great job with their tack departments. They chose odd inventory and rarely offered enough expertise to help customers. I think this is probably a good move--and it will give the small mom and pop tack stores a chance to thrive in their neighborhoods.