PetSmart, the nation’s largest chain pet store, will have to fetch a new CEO.

J.K. Symancyk, who has been at the helm of PetSmart since 2018 and led the chain through the pandemic and its aftermath, is departing to join Signet Jewelers. In Symancyk’s place, Alan Schnaid will serve as interim president and chief executive officer until a successor is in place. In the meantime, PetSmart has initiated a CEO search.

PetSmart is No. 124 in the 2024 Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000 Database. The database ranks North American web merchants by their annual online sales. There, Digital Commerce 360 categorizes PetSmart as a Specialty retailer. Digital Commerce 360 projects PetSmart’s 2024 online sales will reach $853.29 million.

PetSmart web sales by year

PetSmart’s CEO search

Alan Schnaid, interim CEO at PetSmart | Image credit: PetSmart

“On behalf of the Board and all of the pet-passionate associates at PetSmart, I want to thank J.K. for his meaningful contributions to the Company,” said Raymond Svider, chairman of PetSmart’s board of directors, in an announcement on Sept. 30. “J.K. led the company through significant growth.”

In the most recent quarter, PetSmart’s earnings total grew 8% year over year to $1.50 billion, topping analysts’ estimate of $1.49 billion.

Prior to PetSmart, Symancyk served as CEO of Academy Sports + Outdoors and in a leadership role at Michigan-based retailer Meijer. Symancyk won’t have much downtime to enjoy because he has been tapped to succeed Virginia Drosos, who is retiring as chief executive officer of Signet Jewelers in early November. He will also join Signet’s board at that time.

In detailing the transition, Svider lauded Schnaid as a steady hand leading the company as it searches for a new CEO.

“Alan has been instrumental in building our strategy and we’re confident in his ability to continue to carry it out as we search for a new CEO,” Svider said.

What the CEO transition means for PetSmart

Retail experts point to this moment as a time for PetSmart to double down on what it does best and reinvent itself where it needs work, which includes its online footprint.

“It’s all speculation at this point, but I would bet the new CEO will bring with them a concentrated focus on growing the online portion of the business,” said Greg Zakowicz, senior ecommerce expert at ecommerce platform Omnisend. “With online sales expected to increase in the sector and Amazon and Walmart leading the online pet care market, PetSmart has an opportunity to expand its online market share, and I think this will be their immediate North Star.”

Ryan McDonald, an ecommerce expert and chief operating officer at Resell Calendar, an online resell platform, says this leadership change marks an important moment for the 38-year-old, Phoenix-based company.

“This leadership transition marks a turning point for PetSmart,” he stated. “The pet industry is experiencing significant growth, especially in the ecommerce sector.”

He added that he believes PetSmart needs to do more online.

“It still faces competition from pure-play ecommerce companies as well as traditional stores expanding their pet products,” McDonald explained.

Moreover, he noted that PetSmart’s future seems bright because the pet industry has shown resilience even in economic downturns.

“To maintain its leadership position, the company needs to keep innovating and adjusting to shifting customer preferences,” he said.

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