Pet shop to open 20 new stores and create 150 jobs after surge in demand during lockdown
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![Pet shop to open 20 new stores and create 150 jobs after surge in demand during lockdown (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)](/img/placeholder.png)
Pet food supplier Jollyes is set to create around 150 new jobs with plans to open 20 new shops to deal with increased UK demand.
The company said that it had seen significant growth over the last two years, with a surge of people buying animals during the pandemic.
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Hide AdJollyes saw its revenue shoot up by 21 per cent in the last three months, compared to the same quarter two years earlier.
The company said that it had seen a 50 per cent rise in sales of birds, and reptile sales also rose by 14 per cent.
According to Pet Food Manufacturers Associated, 3.2 million households in the UK have got a pet since the pandemic started, with around 12 million cats and 12 million dogs now in homes across the country.
The retailer currently has 67 shops across the UK and aims to open the new sites within the next 18 months.
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Hide AdIt said it would carefully think through the locations of the new shops that it plans to open.
Executive chairman Richard Cotter said: “While remaining open throughout the pandemic to serve pet lovers has not been easy because of the added cost and complexity, our people have more than risen to the challenge, and we’ve enjoyed a very successful year with sensational progress.
“And we’re excited about our future – we’ve worked hard to build a strong platform that will allow us to do much more – new and better stores, wider ranges and further investment in our people as we bring their passion for pets to more communities across the UK.”
Additional reporting by PA