A new tenant is coming this fall to one of Wilmington’s oldest shopping centers.

Petsense, a pet food and supply store with at least 14 other stores in North Carolina, plans to open a new store in mid-November in 4,500 square feet of space at Long Leaf Mall, said Robin Muir, the company’s director of real estate.

Petsense chose the center as the site of a new store because “it’s a good location by a Harris Teeter” and met the company’s needs, Muir said.

The firm, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, was established in 2005 by PetSmart founder Jim Dougherty, according to the company’s website. The company finished construction on its 100th store in June.

In 2012, Petsense opened in Shallotte at 110 Shallotte Crossing Parkway.

News of the upcoming arrival of a Petsense in Wilmington follows recent announcements about the addition of two PetSmart stores to city retail centers.

A 6,000-square-foot PetSmart celebrated its grand opening in September at 5226 S. College Road in Myrtle Grove Shopping Center, leasing the space formerly occupied by a Blockbuster video store. Wilmington's original PetSmart is located at 4715 New Centre Drive.

A third PetSmart location in the Port City is planned for Military Cutoff Road's Mayfaire Community Center in a new 12,000-square-foot facility, with an expected mid-2015 opening.

Americans are expected to spend more than $58 billion on their pets in 2014, according to market research conducted by the American Pet Product Association, up from $55.72 billion in 2013. Last year, consumers spent more than $21 billion on pet food alone, according to the APPA.

Long Leaf Mall, which opened in 1973, is owned and managed by Zimmer Development Co. In July, an entertainment center called Bounce Parties & Games opened in the 12,400-square-foot unit vacated by Monkey Joe’s, a similar business.