31 per cent growth overall for Jollyes

UK pet store chain Jollyes has provided an update on developments in the first half of fiscal 2024 up to 27 November 2023.

The company recorded like-for-like sales growth of 19 per cent and overall growth of 31 per cent following the opening of new stores in Swindon, Belfast (Boucher Road), Merthyr Tydfil, Harrogate, Widnes, Swadlincote, Reading and Hull.

In the second half of the financial year, Jollyes aims to expand its capacity further with new partnerships to support future growth. These include a three-year deal with pet food manufacturer United Petfood, worth £25 mio, which should extend the private label assortment. 36 jobs will also be created at the production plants in Llangadog and Pencader in South Wales and at Longridge near Preston.

Jollyes has also announced the launch of a TV advertising campaign in Northern Ireland in the first quarter of 2024 to support the opening of its 99^th branch in Connswater Shopping Centre in Belfast. The retailer wants to underpin its market-leading position in Northern Ireland, where it has announced 15 new stores to come.

Jollyes also intends to enter into a partnership shortly with Bristol-based social enterprise Billy Chip. Under this, the BillyChip street currency will be on sale in all stores for £2 and can then be given by customers to homeless people in exchange for a coffee or food. The tokens can be exchanged for tins of dog food in Jollyes, making the company the first partner of Billy Chip outside the food and service sector.