GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer Inc. is expanding the pet departments in its stores, offering a wider assortment of everything from food and treats to Halloween costumes for pets.

Meijer notes that an estimated 29 million people plan to dress their pets up for Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. To meet that need, Meijer’s pet department this year has been offering 28 costumes and accessories for dogs and nine hats and collars for cats. The retailer for the first time this year offered a collection of XL costumes — a hot dog, taco, triceratops and spider — for large dog breeds.

“Halloween is a time for the entire family — even our favorite four-legged friends — to dress up for a fun night of trick-or-treating, and we wanted to make sure our assortment rose to the challenge,” said Meijer director of pets merchandising Shana Ward. “Pets are integral members of our customers’ families, and we are working diligently to ensure our pet departments remain top of mind for those fun celebrations but also for their total pet care needs.”

Meijer has made a significant investment in its pet departments in recent years. In fact, the pet departments inside each of Meijer’s 246 supercenters recently added another aisle to make room for an expanded assortment of food. The retailer carries dozens of types of pet food, including national brands like Blue Buffalo, Nutro, Nature’s Recipe, Fresh Pet and Rachael Ray Nutrish, and private label True Goodness by Meijer.

At 40 Meijer supercenters, the pet departments have been relocated to the back corner of the store to allow for a specialty store feel with spacious displays for products like Halloween-themed pet toys. This represents a 30% increase in space compared to other stores, according to the company.

A handful of Meijer supercenters also have VetIQ Petcare clinics that offer such basic veterinary walk-in services as routine shots and treatments for minor illnesses. These clinics are located at the front of the supercenter and have a separate exterior entrance to keep the pets outside of the store.