Growth in double figures

The US speciality store chain Pets Mart increased its net sales by eleven per cent to US$ 3 bn (€ 2.4 bn) in 2003, while comparable store sales grew by 7.0 per cent. The rate of growth in sales of pet services was 25.4 per cent, to a volume of US$ 193.5 mio (€ 156.1 mio). Pets Smart had an above-average fourth quarter, with sales up 13 per cent (comparable store sales: 7.7 per cent) to US$ 839.7 mio (€ 677.2 mio) compared with the same quarter in the previous year. The company opened 67 new stores during 2003 and closed seven. 145 stores were reformatted.