Pets Corner
| Private limited company | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Haywards Heath, United Kingdom (1968) |
| Founder | Mark and Sandra Richmond |
| Headquarters | Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people |
Dean Richmond Steven Charman Iain Dougal |
| Products | Pet supplies |
Number of employees | approx. 600 |
| Website |
petscorner |
Pets Corner UK Ltd is a United Kingdom based pet retail store chain. Its main area of expertise is selling specialist pet foods, accessories and treatments predominantly for dogs and cats, but also for small animals, reptiles, birds, wildlife and tropical and cold water fish.
Pets Corner is a family run business that aims to operate differently to other retailers - its main ethos is focused on being more socially responsible. The company has some unique differences to others in the industry including classroom trained staff, high quality products designed in-house, a complete range of specialist pet foods - many of which have been developed closely with suppliers - and an ethical approach to the selling and promotion of pets. Pets Corner does not sell birds.
The company's headquarters is in Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom. It has 112 stores across the UK. In April 2016 the company acquired competitor retailer PamPurredPets adding an additional 51 stores to its existing portfolio, making it the second largest pet retailer in the UK by store numbers and EBITDA.
History
Pets Corner began back in 1968 when Mark and Sandra Richmond, (parents of the present Managing Director Dean), bought a small shop in Haywards Heath, Sussex. Both had worked in farming, had owned many pets and brought considerable experience to their new venture.
The shop grew very quickly and was relocated to South Road where it traded until 2011, before it was moved to its current, much bigger store on Wivelsfield Road. In 1983 a second store was opened in George Street, Hove and this too enjoyed rapid growth. From its inception, Pets Corner prided itself on selling the best quality products on the market whilst also providing expert nutritional advice to customers on differing food types – although at the time there was little on offer in terms of quality: dog food mostly contained scraps from the human food industry.
In 1992 a new garden centre concept store was opened in Brighton and during this time many of the company’s current sales techniques were developed, helping to shape the Pets Corner brand as it is known and loved today.
IT began to be used prevalently at this point with systems streamlining processes and EPOS. Pets Corner committed to being as efficient as possible to allow its specialist staff to focus on helping customers rather than administrative tasks.
In 1998 Dean Richmond bought the business, [which at the time comprised seven shops], from his parents. Since then his natural entrepreneurial spirit, innovative flair and commitment to hard work along with the input and support of his best friend and business partner, (Steven) Charman, have seen Pets Corner develop into a leading, nationwide brand.
Dean cares passionately about product quality and supporting small businesses and has adopted a very hands-on approach to running the company. Dean’s quest to uncover unique and innovative products was born at an early age – he started his first venture in his teens making bird feeders and wild bird fat balls in his parents' garage at home. He sold his products to local pet shops and garden centres, delivering them on his bike. His philosophy of adding value and producing high quality products remains at the core of Pets Corner‘s ethos today.
In 1999, with the agreement of Country Gardens’ CEO Nicholas Marshall, Pets Corner began opening garden centre concessions. In 2000, Country Gardens was bought by Wyevale and the expansion of Pets Corner garden centre concessions was temporarily halted. However, in 2008 when Nicholas Marshall became CEO of Wyevale, expansion of Pets Corner concessions into Wyevale garden centres (now The Garden Centre Group) was quickly resumed.
As a result between 2000 and 2008, 21 stores opened and three independent pet shops were acquired. Breaking away from garden centre concessions marked a new era for Pets Corner stores. The first standalone store was opened in West Hove in 2007 and in 2009 the Bournemouth standalone store was acquired and part let to The Pet Practice Veterinary Surgery.
In 2004 the first warehouse was opened in a former chicken shed measuring 2,000sq ft. utilising EPOS and supply chain systems.[1]
The business currently operates from two warehouses in Crawley totalling 28,000sq ft. and is looking to build a new BREAM rated outstanding HQ and distribution centre in Sussex totalling 60,000sq ft.
Stores
The Pets Corner headquarters is located in Crawley, West Sussex, above the current Crawley store. Located in Gatwick, near Crawley, is the company's 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2) distribution centre, supplying 70% of the Pets Corner range directly to the stores. The company’s delivery transport was updated in 2012.[2] The new stores from 2011 onwards are being equipped with LED lights.[3][4][5]
Pets Corner continues to consolidate its market leading position with more stores set to open throughout 2016. During its last financial year (ended September 2015), the company successfully opened 14 new stores.
To date the 112 Pets Corner stores consist of 41 standalone stores and 71 garden centre concessions.
In April 2016 the company added a further 51 stores to its portfolio after acquiring competitor PamPurredPets for £6 million. All stores will be rebranded to Pets Corner over the next few years.
Alongside world class customer service and specially classroom trained staff, each Pets Corner store has a wide variety of in-store services to meet every customer’s needs. These include:
Puppy Hour: Customers are invited to bring puppies under 12 months to a Pets Corner store every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am. During this hour puppies and their owners can socialise together as well as benefit from 10% off all purchases. For terms and conditions see the Pets Corner website (http://www.petscorner.co.uk/services). Pets Corner’s latest concept store in Wokingham has seen the introduction of a specially designed Puppy Hour Pen so that puppies can socialise together safely off-lead.
Price pledge: Each Pets Corner store monitors brand name prices. If a customer finds a branded product cheaper elsewhere, Pets Corner promises to refund the difference (offer applies to in-store purchases only).
100% Satisfaction Guarantee: Pets Corner stores guarantee that if a customer and their pet are not happy with their purchased items, products can be returned immediately and a full refund given.
Free local delivery: Many Pets Corner stores offer free local delivery (within 10 minutes’ drive time of the store) for orders exceeding £29. Purchases are delivered by Pets Corner vans and drivers and will be carried to wherever is convenient for the customer. This service is ideal for anyone who struggles to carry the heavy bags and boxes pet supplies are delivered in. Customers are encouraged to call their nearest store to place an order where they can pay by card over the phone or cash on delivery.
Free parking: Most Pets Corner stores offer free parking.
Livestock sex and health guarantee: Unlike many other pet shops, Pets Corner staff must complete and pass a comprehensive animal husbandry and sexing course before they can sell any pets. This is why Pets Corner is the only pet retailer to guarantee the sex of the mammals sold. (Species dependent, includes all mammals).
21 Day Health Guarantee: Pets Corner is the only pet store in the country to offer a 21 day health guarantee on all animals. If, within 21 days of purchase, a customer’s pet falls ill from a disease a vet believes was contracted before purchase, Pets Corner will cover the vet’s bill.
Many Pets Corner staff are qualified to sell veterinary medicines such as Advantage Frontline, Drontal and Panacur. There is no consultation fee so customers should find Pets Corner prices more reasonable than a vet’s.
Nutritional advisors: Correct pet nutrition is essential to an animal’s wellbeing and Pets Corner’s highly trained nutritional advisors will advise on the best diet for every pet, as well as for their owner’s budget.
Gift vouchers: Gift vouchers are available so friends or family can treat their pets.
Health Club: Pets Corner offers a free service and weighing scales in store to ensure that pets keep to an optimal weight for their health. Trained advisors can offer help with all aspects of nutrition, choosing the right diet and advising on an exercise programme.
Fitting service: All staff are trained in fitting muzzles, harnesses, collars and coats so that every pet will be comfortable as well as safe.
I.D. tag engraving: ID tag engraving is available in many stores and tags across the range may be engraved at the time of purchase.
Specialised stocked items: Some Pets Corner stores stock specialist animal items such as horse grooming products, feed and bedding.
In January 2016 Pets Corner launched the first ever combined first aid course for humans and pets, which will be given to their 600 employees across the UK.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Deeply embedded within Pets Corner’s philosophy is a keen adherence to corporate social responsibility, encompassing both environmental and social issues and in particular supporting responsible pet breeding and ownership.
Green
Pets Corner takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and is committed to limiting any environmental impact by operating zero carbon stores. Where Pets Corner shares concession space (rather than one of its own standalone stores) landlords are lobbied to adopt environmentally-friendly practices. The company buys its power from Good Energy, which generates power from natural sources including wind, water and solar power. In-store LED lighting uses 80% less energy than conventional lighting and stores recycle 99% of their rubbish. In addition, all unsold, damaged or unwanted pet food is donated to local animal charities.
Ethical
Animal welfare is Pets Corner’s top priority and the company is proud to be one of the most ethical pet stores in the UK. Strict policies ensure that all animals’ needs are considered before, during and after their time in Pets Corner’s care. By supporting responsible pet ownership Pets Corner ensures that every animal which leaves its care goes to a home that fully understands the commitment of owning a pet, its individual needs and appropriate care.
Pets Corner will only buy livestock from carefully vetted, pre-approved small family British breeders to ensure that neither the company nor its customers are supporting battery breeding or the animal importing industry. Before breeders can be considered as suppliers, Pets Corner will visit their premises to check their facilities. Only once Pets Corner is fully satisfied that the breeder meets its strict criteria will they allow them to sign a contract. Breeders are usually local to the store they are supplying. To maintain quality Pets Corner will pay its breeders more than any other pet chain – for example, the company makes no profits on the sale of rabbits and currently pays £30 each. Rabbits are sold in-store for £36 each – ultimately allowing for only the VAT to be included.
Pets Corner Difference
The Pets Corner Difference encompasses all aspects of the company’s business ethos, from ethical pet breeding and welfare to comprehensive staff training, supporting small suppliers and family businesses, and a keen sense of environmental responsibility.
The Pets Corner Difference also includes policies to improve the pet industry as a whole. For example, by developing its own range of nutritionally-balanced pet foods which excludes ingredients that are not nutritionally beneficial, Pets Corner contributes to improving the quality of pet foods and therefore the health of pets.
Undercover Boss
Pets Corner featured on Channel 4’s Undercover Boss in July 2014. The show saw Steven Charman (Pets Corner’s co-owner) go undercover within the business.
Managing Director of Pets Corner, Dean Richmond, felt that the show portrayed Pets Corner in a positive light overall, delivering the message that their staff are knowledgeable, they sell high quality products and that they differ greatly from other pet stores, including their approach to ethical breeding.
With 18,000 hits on the Pets Corner website within two hours of the show's first airing, and 8,000 hits the following day, Undercover Boss succeeded in bringing the Pets Corner name and pet welfare credentials into the wider public domain.
Awards
Voted Best Retailer by RWAF
Pets Corner was extremely proud to announce in April 2015 that it had won the prestigious award of Best Retailer of the Year at the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) awards, having been the retailer with the most nominations from RWAF members.
The RWAF charity, which runs the popular ‘A Hutch is not Enough’ campaign, works to improve the lives of domestic rabbits across the UK through education and communication. Rabbits are the third most popular pet for Brits, yet remain one of the most neglected domestic animals, often through owner ignorance of their needs.
Animal welfare is at the heart of the Pets Corner brand. Staff are classroom trained to ensure rabbits are only sold to knowledgeable, suitable owners and always in sex-guaranteed pairs, unless they are being homed with an existing neutered rabbit. Pets Corner sells some of the largest hutches and runs of any pet retailer and the quality of care advice is highly regarded.
The award was announced just before Easter 2015 - the perfect time following the launch of the Pets Corner “Bunnies aren’t for Easter” campaign, when the company puts a hold on all sales of rabbits over the Easter period to deter careless and spontaneous purchases. Pets Corner has also signed up to the RWAF retailer charter, promising to sell large hutches and runs and making a long-term commitment to rabbit welfare.
Pet Industry Pet Retailer of the Year for two years running!
In October 2014 Pets Corner’s Cheltenham store was named the winner of the prestigious Pet Retailer of the Year category at the Pet Industry Awards 2014. The following year the Warminster store celebrated as once again Pets Corner was awarded with the coveted 2015 title. The national awards recognise the outstanding work of pet businesses in the UK.
In order to be shortlisted, retailers had to prove commercial success, outstanding customer service and satisfaction, details of staff training and innovation. Those who met these high standards were then mystery shopped to determine the winner.
Both stores were complimented on their fantastic teams, their love and passion for animals and their hard work to ensure their stores’ presentation and appearance were always first class.
References
- ↑ "vART helps Pets Corner hit latest milestone" (PDF). Advanced Retail Technologies. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "Pets Corner thrives on Mercedes-Benz Axor". Transport Engineer. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "LED Eco Lights wins exclusive nationwide contract with Pets Corner". The Green Organisation. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "LED Eco Lights win exclusive Pets Corner contract". Pet Product Marketing. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "Pets Corner profits up as it plots expansion". RetailWeek. Retrieved 4 December 2012.