Pets Corner UK Ltd is a retail store chain that specialises in the sale of ethical pet care products and the provision of pet care services in the United Kingdom.
Stores offer a variety of premium natural pet foods, accessories, and treatments, primarily for dogs and cats, but also for small animals, reptiles, birds, wildlife, and tropical and coldwater fish.
First established as a family business in 1968, Pets Corner was opened by Mark and Sandra Richmond as a singular retail outlet in Haywards Heath.[1] Today, the company is managed by their son, Dean Richmond, and has an extensive network of over 150 stores, which is continuously expanding. Today's business is led by CEO Dean Richmond, CFO Steven Defaye and Property Director, Simon Forrest.[2]
The Pets Corner business forms part of a wider enterprise called Pet Family. Pet Family includes a portfolio of veterinary practices, dog grooming spas, dog crèches, an IT support business and multiple premium pet food brands.[3]
As an employer, Pets Corner takes an ethical and genuine approach to business with ambitions to have the best-trained staff in the industry. This includes training an average of 300 staff a month with their own curriculum that comprises over 900 different training documents,[4] including pet first aid training [5]
The Pets Corner business headquarters are located in Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom. This site houses key departments such as accounts, digital, training, HR and buyers, alongside a new store and Doodley Dogs day care centre [6]
Significant moments in the retailer’s expansion include opening franchises in several Wyevale Garden Centres in 2008, and acquiring the competitor retailer, PamPurred Pets, in 2016 adding 51 stores to its existing portfolio. This procurement made Pets Corner the second largest pet retailer in the UK by store numbers and EBITDA.[7]
History
Pets Corner began in 1968 when Mark and Sandra Richmond (parents of the present Managing Director Dean Richmond) bought a small shop in Haywards Heath, Sussex, for £2,000.[1] Both had worked in farming and, having owned many pets, they used their accumulated knowledge to open the first Pets Corner as a local hub for animal lovers.[8]
Business demand continued to grow, which eventually required the family establishment to relocate to bigger premises in the 1970s and enabled them to open up their second store in Hove in 1983 [9]
In 1989, at just 15 years old, Mark and Sandra’s son, Dean, joined the business as a sales advisor. Dean went on to manage the Hove and Haywards Heath shops for 10 years and worked with his parents to establish more shops every two to three years [1]
A crucial moment in the development of Pets Corner was the launch of their first garden centre concept store, which was unveiled in Brighton in 1992. It was during this period that several of the corporation's present-day sales strategies were formulated and shaped the basis for the next stage of their business growth [8]
In 1998, Dean acquired what was then a seven-store chain. [10]
Pets Corner went on to establish additional garden centre concessions in 1999, with the approval of Country Gardens' CEO, Nicholas Marshall.[10] Following Wyevale's acquisition of Country Gardens in 2000, Pets Corner's expansion of garden centre concessions was momentarily paused.[1] However, in 2008, when Nicholas Marshall assumed the role of CEO at Wyevale, Pets Corner's expansion into Wyevale Garden Centres rapidly resumed [11]
The Great Recession had a positive impact on Pets Corner as new retail sites and opportunities became available for rental in 2009. The economic crisis meant that these properties were possible to attain at cheaper rates, which gave the business the chance to continue expanding [1]
In its quest for growth, Pets Corner adopted a strategic approach that involved expanding its services to include veterinary care. This move aimed to enhance the overall customer experience, resulting in The Pet Practice Veterinary Surgery joining the Pets Corner family in 2015. The veterinary practice, which offers a range of services such as routine check-ups, vaccinations, and surgical procedures, is now located on-site at several Pets Corner shop locations [12]
2016 was a pivotal year for Pets Corner as it bought its retail rival, PamPurred Pets, adding 51 sites to the chain.[7] This was also the year that Dogwood, the UK’s first natural grooming spa, was started by Julie Finlay.[12] Dogwood joined forces with Pets Corner in 2017, opening their grooming spa within the Pets Corner Camberley store. Today, Dogwood grooming spas can be found in many Pets Corner stores across the country.[13]
Petfoodexpert.co.uk was launched by Pets Corner in 2017, as an online comparison platform for pet owners to assess the nutritional value of popular pet food items. The site additionally serves as a platform for manufacturers to share information about the quality of the ingredients in their products. It also includes information on digestibility and allergen levels, thereby promoting transparency within the pet food industry [14]
In February 2018, Pets Corner announced exceptional progress, with increasing sales and substantial growth, enabling the company to outperform its rivals. This significant milestone demonstrated the company's dedication to sustainable growth and its position as a market leader in the pet industry [15]
In 2020, due to business growth, Pets Corner moved to a 43,000 square foot distribution centre in Handcross, West Sussex, to support supply chain operations. [3][16]
Scampers, the award-winning pet store in Cambridgeshire, was acquired by Pets Corner in 2021 and has retained its original store front name [17]
In the media
Pets Corner has featured in a number of radio and television programmes, notably Channel 4’s Undercover Boss UK in 2014 [18] and BBC Radio 4’s The Bottom Line, Pets Mean Pounds.[19]
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↑ "Index", Management of Pregnant and Neonatal Dogs, Cats, and Exotic Pets, Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp.309–323, 18 July 2014, retrieved 21 April 2023
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