Albertsons has become the latest supermarket chain to offer DogSpot connected doghouses for pet-owning customers, installing the “sidewalk sanctuaries for dogs-on-the-go” at two of its Idaho stores.
DogSpot houses are app-connected and available on both iPhone and Android, offering customers quick and seamless access, according to the Brooklyn-based startup. Customers may reserve a house up to 15 minutes before use through the app if they're anticipating a trip to the store or use an available house immediately upon arrival. The houses lock to allow only the customer's specific app account access to the house while their dog is inside, to ensure the dog’s safety while the customer shops. They’re also temperature controlled with fresh air ventilation to keep an optimal temperature inside for the dog and equipped with UVC lights that sanitize the house automatically between each new session. Customers can monitor their dog through the DogSpot app's puppy-cam feature while they shop.
“At Albertsons, we are always looking for ways to better serve our customers,” said John Colgrove, Albertsons intermountain division president. “Having DogSpot houses available at our two Albertsons stores will offer our customers who are running errands with their pets a safe and comfortable option for them while they do their shopping.”
Albertsons is the first grocery store in Idaho to offer this service to shoppers, which launched Aug. 30. Customers can currently download the app and sign up for free; the service itself costs 30 cents per minute.
Earlier this year, Kroger chain QFC became the first grocery retailer in the Pacific Northwest to install DogSpot houses at eight of its stores. Stop & Shop, the Ahold Delhaize USA grocery chain, has been testing a DogSpot house at a store in Port Washington, N.Y.
According to DogSpot Co-founder and CEO Chelsea Brownridge, “People who have dogs get it — you don't get a dog to leave them cooped up inside all day. The best part of their day is going out on walks around town, heading to the dog park, and spending time with you. We’re making it possible to say, ‘Wanna go for a walk?!’ more often and more safely than before.”
