Pets at Home is investing more than £3m to open four new locations across the UK this month as it continues expanding its veterinary and petcare retail network.
The retailer will add more than 20,000 sq ft of new space through openings in Giltbrook (Nottingham), Stocksbridge (Sheffield), Kew (London) and Glossop (Derbyshire), strengthening its regional veterinary capacity and in-store services.
The rollout begins this week with two new petcare centres, launching today.
The Kew site will span 9,911 sq ft and focus on retail services, including a pet village, aquatics centre and specialist petcare advice. Meanwhile, the Glossop location will open as a relocated and expanded 7,663 sq ft petcare centre offering veterinary services, 24-hour emergency support, an aquatics centre and an adoption centre.
Later in the month, two new Vets for Pets practices will open in Stocksbridge and Giltbrook.
The Stocksbridge practice will occupy 1,410 sq ft, while the Giltbrook site will span 1,913 sq ft, expanding local access to both routine and specialist veterinary care.
Strengthening the petcare ecosystem
Pets at Home said the investment forms part of its ongoing strategy to expand and modernise its national network of petcare centres.
The retailer currently operates around 460 stores and works with more than 450 Vets for Pets practices across the UK, with more than half of the locally owned veterinary businesses located within Pets at Home sites.
Anja Madsen, chief operating officer at Pets at Home, said the new openings reflect the retailer’s focus on enhancing in-store experiences while expanding veterinary services.
“Continued investment in our physical estate is central to our retail strategy and to strengthening our wider petcare ecosystem,” she said.
“By modernising our stores and expanding into new locations, we are enhancing the in-person experience that so many of our customers value, from tailored advice to convenient, integrated services.”
She added that the company aims to create a more contemporary retail environment that supports customers throughout the lifecycle of their pets.
Veterinary services driving growth
Richard Dening-Smitherman, managing director of Vets for Pets, said the openings highlight the benefits of the brand’s joint venture model.
“Our unique joint venture model continues to set Vets for Pets apart, giving partners the freedom to run their own practice while benefiting from the scale, investment and infrastructure of the UK’s leading petcare business,” he said.
By locating veterinary practices within Pets at Home stores, the company said it can offer a fully integrated petcare experience including preventative healthcare, specialist clinical services and retail products.
Investment follows retail turnaround push
The expansion comes as Pets at Home works to stabilise its retail division following weaker results earlier in the financial year.
From late March to 9 October, the retailer reported statutory revenue of £778.3m, down 1.3 per cent, while statutory profit before tax fell 29 per cent to £36.2m.
Underlying profit before tax dropped 33.5 per cent, driven largely by a sharp decline in profitability within the retail business.
Interim executive chair Ian Burke said retail performance had “fallen well below expectations” and confirmed the launch of a turnaround plan focused on four priorities: product, price, execution and cost.
While the retail division struggled, the veterinary arm continued to perform strongly, with consumer revenue rising 6.7 per cent and underlying profit before tax increasing 8.3 per cent to £44.9m.
Pets at Home said the latest investment in new stores and veterinary practices reflects growing demand for accessible veterinary care, preventative health services and specialist petcare advice among UK pet owners.
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