• Pets Corner buys PamPurredPets for £6m
  • The pet retailer adds 51 stores to its portfolio
  • UK’s biggest pet chain Pets at Home gets new chief executive today

Pets Corner has acquired competitor business PamPurredPets in a deal worth £6m as it seeks to expand its store coverage across the UK.

The independent pet retailer has bought the entire shareholding of PamPurredPets, adding a further 51 stores to its existing portfolio of 110 shops, 14 of which opened last year.

The deal makes Pets Corner the UK’s second-biggest pet chain by store numbers and EBITDA. It now only trails Pets at Home, which has over 350 stores.

Pets Corner said it will “continue running PamPurredPets as a separate entity” but unveiled plans to rebrand the stores, which are located across southern England and Wales, and add veterinary concessions to seven locations.

According to the retailer, PamPurredPets’ staff will also be introduced to its classroom-based training programme.

Pets Corner managing director Dean Richmond said: “PamPurredPets’ stores are ideally positioned to complement and enhance our existing portfolio and reach our core customer base.”

The acquisition comes as Pets at Home’s new chief executive Ian Kellett steps into the role today, as successor to Nick Wood.

The retailer had also been set to welcome new new chief finance officer Graeme Jenkins today, but his appointment has been postponed amid an investigation into supplier payments at his former employer, Target Australia.