Jollyes is planning to open 10 more stores by the middle of 2024, beating its previously-set 100-store target ahead of schedule.
Jollyes has added 26 stores to its estate in the last two years, an increase of almost 40%, and in recent weeks has opened new stores in Swindon, Belfast (Boucher Road) and Merthyr Tydfil, bringing the total to 93.
With the backing of a new multi-million pound facility from HSBC, Jollyes confirmed it intends to open in another 10 new locations before the end of its financial year in May 2024. Stores planned for the rest of the calendar year include Harrogate and Widnes at the end of September, Swadlincote at the end of October, plus Reading and Hull at the end of November. In the first half of 2024 Jollyes also plans to open new branches in North and South Yorkshire, Tyneside, Bristol, South Wales, Northern Ireland and central Scotland.
The stores announcement came as the national retailer reported its best-ever Q1 trading performance. In the 13 weeks to August 27, 2023, sales were £33.7m, 33.6% higher than the same quarter in the 2022. Like-for-like sales were up 23.1% with most of the growth coming from transaction growth rather than price inflation, which accounts for only 2% of the uplift. Sales were also supported by a 47% increase in sign-ups to its PetClub loyalty scheme.
In Q1 Jollyes also completed the relaunch of all its in-store spas to new Jolly Groomer branding with a simple pricing formula. The retailer also launched an enhanced package of staff benefits and continued with its SQP training programme in Q1 through Vetpol, with a further 52 colleagues in training on top of the 132 already qualified.
Chief executive officer Joe Wykes said: “Our performance in our opening quarter of this financial year underlines the effectiveness of the strategy we’ve put in place – delivering exceptional value to our customers, powered by the most knowledgeable colleagues in the industry.
“It’s clear that the dedication of our people and our commitment to value, combined with smart use of our PetClub membership data, is a compelling recipe, delivering strong performance in our existing stores and allowing us to open new locations that perform from day one.
“Once again I’d like to thank our whole team for what they’ve all contributed. Nothing has made me prouder this quarter than the investment we’ve made in them, as we work hard to be one of the best employers in retail.”
