PETCO Animal Supplies Inc., a national discount pet store chain with three stores in Hawaii, plans to open as many as six new locations in the islands in the coming years.

The San Diego-based retailer is scheduled to open Aug. 30 in Kahului and has agreed to build a location adjacent to Walgreens in Kaneohe next year and take over the site on Beretania Street currently occupied by Safeway Inc. The grocery chain is moving next year to a nearby location formerly occupied by Schuman Carriage Motors Inc.’s automobile dealership.

"It’s an untapped market that doesn’t have consistent service," said Jerry Coble, general manager of the Petco Pearl City Gateway store.

"There aren’t a lot of places to go and get pet supplies."

As part of broadening its presence in Hawaii, PETCO is looking for additional sites on Kauai, as well as in Hilo on the Big Island, though "nothing’s set in stone," Coble said.

The company also is evaluating a site in Aina Haina Shopping Center, according to local real estate brokers.

"Petco is a neighborhood store, and we place new stores in growing neighborhoods where other retailers are located to make sure our customers have a convenient shopping experience," said Brooke Simon, a PETCO spokeswoman.

The company opened its first Hawaii store at Kona Commons on the Big Island in 2008 and added Oahu outlets at Kapolei Commons and Pearl City Gateway in 2009.

Besides selling animals and pet supplies, the stores offer dog training, grooming and animal photography.

They also sell pet insurance, facilitate adoptions of dogs and cats, and do DNA testing for mixed-breed pets.

PETCO is planning to offer low-cost vaccinations in the near future, according to Jamie Sawrey, companion animal department manager at the Pearl City store.

The existing Hawaii locations are roughly 15,000 square feet each.

PETCO, established in 1965, has about 1,060 stores nationwide. The national retailer has been opening around 40 to 60 stores a year throughout the nation. The company typically hires between 20 and 25 full- and part-time workers for each outlet.