Pets at Home has partnered with commerce platform Rithum to launch a new dropship programme, as the retailer looks to speed up product launches, broaden online choice and strengthen its omnichannel offer.

The partnership is designed to help Pets at Home expand its online assortment more quickly and test new products and categories with greater speed. The retailer said the programme will support faster innovation, smarter category development and a more agile route to market for new lines.

Sean Dorgan, director of multi-channel at Pets at Home, said the move marked “the next phase” of the group’s digital transformation. He said the business wanted to identify unmet customer needs more quickly, test ideas at pace and build out ranges in areas where it could offer pet owners a stronger proposition.

The deal gives Pets at Home another lever as it continues to reshape the business around a more connected petcare platform.

In its latest annual results, the retailer said it had spent the past two years overhauling its digital infrastructure, strengthening data capabilities and simplifying fulfilment as part of a broader transformation plan.

Rithum will provide the technology behind the new dropship model, with Pets at Home using its automation and supplier-enablement tools to add products without taking on the same level of inventory risk as a traditional stocked model.

The supplier said the focus would also be on improving the speed and quality of product data as the retailer builds a more scalable digital operation.