The UK’s largest pet supplies retailer, Pets at Home sells pets and pet products in over 370 stores across the UK supported by a team of 6,000 employees. Pets at Home trades on the London Stock Exchange and is part of the UK Index Small Cap index.

 

Anthony Preston opened the first store in Chester in 1991. In December 1999 Pets at Home acquired PetSmart and with it 140 stores. In April 2004 Bridgepoint Capital purchased Pets at Home for £230 million.

 

In 2007 Pets at Home celebrated the opening of its 200^th store in Barnstaple. In this year the company also began its global expansion with the opening of two stores in Melbourne, Australia. On 27 January 2010 US investment company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts purchased Pets at Home for approximately £955.

 

In March 2014 the Pets at Home IPO saw the company valued at £1.23 billion. The Pets at Home IPO and floatation raised £280 million which enabled the repayment of debts and transaction costs. KKR maintained 46.2% ownership of the company and took £210m gross from the Pets at Home IPO. While the shares fell 30% after the IPO, they subsequently almost doubled.

 

Not only does Pets at Home offer pets and a wide range of pet products for sale they offer customers access to over 405 veterinary surgeons who work in their stores. The joint partnership gives small businesses the opportunity to pay a percentage of their turnover in exchange for back office services. They also run a graduate training scheme designed to train future partners.

 

In addition to the in-house offering Pets at Home owns Vets4Pets. The company enters into a joint venture partnership with veterinary professionals who open small animal (dogs, cats, rabbits etc) clinics. Offices in Guernsey and Nottingham provide full administrative support to each practice.