Pet Supplies Plus is the latest entry in downtown Federal Way’s business scene, bringing pet food and toys to Federal Way and a new tenant to The Commons mall.
Along with aisles of food and litter, toys and treats, and other pet essentials, the roughly 6,500-square-foot store includes a self-serve dog wash and full-service grooming salon. The store will also offer same-day online delivery, buy-online-pickup-in-store and e-commerce fulfillment.
Outside, there’s even a relief area for dogs who need to “go.”
The store officially opened July 1, but Pet Supplies Plus’ grand opening and ribbon cutting is next weekend, from July 14-16. From noon to 2 p.m. on July 15, visitors can enter in a gift card giveaway, pet animals from the Motley Zoo Animal Rescue and more. The self-serve pet wash will be free all weekend.
Starting July 6, the store will bring in pets like birds, ferrets, hamsters, fishes and snakes, owner Bob Fischer said, as well as live crickets, various worms and bugs, and frozen mice for food. (State law now prohibits most sales of dogs and cats at pet stores, with the goal of reducing the harmful effects of puppy mills.)
This local Pet Supplies Plus franchise employs a total of 15 associates, Fischer said.
This is Bob Fischer’s third Pet Supplies Plus store. He and his son Brandon, who is the chief operations officer of their pet supply operation, also opened locations at the Factoria Square Mall in Bellevue and in West Seattle last year.
“We’re locally owned and operated,” Fischer said. “We own the inventory, the lease, the rent … and you know, we’re new to this market.”
After building his career in the supply chain software industry, Fischer sold his former company several years ago — and in 2020, took a friend’s advice and got into business building and owning pet stores.
It’s been a good time for business as the COVID-19 pandemic compelled more people to adopt and take care of pets, he said, and the Federal Way outlet is poised to be “a great store” and draw a lot of traffic.
Pet Supplies Plus won’t want for competition; Retail Petco and PetSmart branches are located just a few blocks north on Pacific Highway, and a Mud Bay store is located just across South 320th Street.
But Fischer is confident they’ll be successful. The location is right, he said, and they plan to build a strong local presence in town and lasting relationships with customers. Federal Way residents should expect to see Pet Supplies Plus around town and involved in community events, he said.
“Our pillars are … happy employees, happy customers, and being involved with the community,” Fischer said. “We’re going to help you in any way we can. And we’re sincere about that. … We’re excited to be part of Federal Way. We’re gonna work hard.”
The site of Pet Supplies used to be the auto center of the former Sears store, which closed in 2018. Amazon Fresh opened in 2022, occupying much of the Sears footprint.
Pet Supplies Plus:
Hours:
• Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday through Saturday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Located:
1701 S Commons (around the corner from Amazon Fresh)
Phone:
Alex Bruell / The Mirror One-and-a-half-year-old Husky mix “Indiana Bones” gets a bath at Pet Supplies Plus on Tuesday, July 4. His owner, Meredith Silverman, was coming back from a camping trip at Dash Point State Park that morning with her family from Issaquah, and stopped in to give her pup a scrub.
