Pets at Home presents excellent figures

Pets at Home generated sales of $ 441.3 mio in the period from 1 April to 13 October (1st half of 2017). This is an increase of 9.1 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year. While sales in animal food products increased by 3.7 per cent to $ 209.6 mio compared to the first half of the previous financial year, the company increased its sales in accessory products by 5.9 per cent to $ 169.9 mio. However Pets at Home achieved its strongest growth in services - vet practices and grooming salons - which can now be found in 49 per cent of its superstores. Sales increased by 47.6 per cent to $ 61.9 mio.
Over the same surface area, sales grew by 2.5 per cent compared to the first half of financial year 2016. In merchandises sales increased by 1.9 per cent, in services by 8.7 per cent.
In the first half of the financial year, Pets at Home opened eight new stores. Therefore, at the end of the reporting period, the company was operating 435 locations across the UK. The number of vet practices in the same period grew from 388 to 405. These are divided into 143 standalone vet practices and 262 in-store vet practices. This means that over 60 per cent of all stores include a vet practice. When it comes to grooming salons, Pets at Home grew by 18 locations to 258. So grooming salons are now integrated into 58 per cent of all specialist stores. 

"In particular, the developing potential of our services business as we see it mature and grow," comments CEO Ian Kellett on the half-year balance. But the director was also obviously pleased about the sales result in merchandises. He particularly highlighted the health & hygiene category, which "returned to a more normalised level after a poor season last year". Kellet was also pleased with the launch of the company's subscription service, exclusively for VIPs. "Subscribe and save flea treatment" allows customers to receive a single flea treatment through the pet each month.
The company also announced a change in personnel when presenting its half-year figures. Brian Carroll, non-executive director, has been resigned from the board of Pets at Home on 2 December. He has been director of the company since 2011. Nicolas Gheysens, director of private equity at KKR & Co. LP, has replaced him.