Latest news: Pets at Home expansion plans

Retailer set to create 700 jobs and open new £5million distribution centre. 15/07/2011

The Cheshire-based company currently boasts 281 stores and employs 5,200 members of staff. With pre-tax profits up 10.7% to £517.8million over the last year and sales up 10.3% to £93million, expansion plans are now in place.

‘It is a difficult retail environment at the moment, but we are helped by the fact that pets have a very high position in the household and a lot has to happen before people cut back. We are more ambitious this year and will open more than 25 new stores as we take advantage of property opportunities that present themselves’, said chief executive Matt Davies.

‘We have taken 'second hand' space from retailers that no longer exist and that will continue to be a source of store openings for us over the next couple of years’ he added.

The new distribution centre, based in Northampton, will generate 350 jobs alone. With the already existing depot in Stoke, the two centres will cater for a further 200 store openings between them. A typical opening costs £400,000 in investment and creates 15 jobs. The company are hoping to build a nationwide network of 500 stores.