Growth across all channels

At the end of April, the Pets at Home Group announced its results for the 52-week period ending 25 March 2021. "The figures represent another step on our journey to becoming the best pet retailer in the world," the specialist retail group stated in a press release. With the growth of the entire group to GBP 1 142.8 million (previous year: GBP 1 058.8 million), retail sales rose to over GBP 1 bn for the first time and recorded growth of 8.7 per cent - despite Covid-related restrictions, the company points out.
Group-wide like-for-like (LFL) sales growth is reported at 8.7 per cent and 17 per cent on a two-year basis. Retail LFL sales growth is put at 8.8 per cent and 17.3 per cent on a two-year basis. Omnichannel sales growth is reported by the Pets at Home Group at 71.7 per cent and 119 per cent on a two-year basis. For the veterinary group, LFL sales growth is reported at 1.6 per cent.
Underlying the positive figures is strong LFL retail sales growth in the second half of the year of 11.9 per cent, reflecting broad-based growth across all categories and channels, including 4.9 per cent LFL growth in shops, notwithstanding a second national closure in England. "The UK pet market has grown substantially as home and hybrid workers seek to add pets to their family unit to combat stress, reduce loneliness and aid exercise," says Ross Hindle, analyst at Third Bridge on Pets at Home's results announcement.

Pets at Home continued to focus on customer acquisition, retention, and increasing the share of wallet of the existing customer base. The number of VIPs increased 9 per cent to 6.2 mio, while the number shopping across more than one channel was +10 per cent. The members of the puppy and kitten clubs grew +61 per cent year on year to the highest level on record. The number of subscription customers is now over 1 mio, generating GBP 90 mio in visible, recurring customer sales.
"We ended this unprecedented year a far stronger pet care business. Despite challenges to how we were able to do business, we grew our market share across all channels and our underlying growth trajectory accelerated," CEO Peter Pritchard concludes.