Pet-Supermarket.co.uk owner Paws Holdings has acquired fetch.co.uk from Ocado Retail.
This acquisition represents a significant step in Paws’ strategy to become the No.1 dog and cat wellbeing business. Paws also owns the PetMeds.co.uk and Medicanimal.com brands.
The company believes the consumer spend that has shifted online will remain online, even after the pandemic has ended, because customers will have become accustomed to the range of choice, the convenience of home delivery that businesses such as Paws can offer.
The Fetch acquisition will mean that Paws will become a significant player in the European online market for cat and dog owners, who currently spend more than €41bn a year on caring for their pets. Paws will have in the region of 500,000 customers with a combined pro forma turnover in excess of £55m.
The terms of the acquisition are being kept confidential.
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Graham Coxell, chairman of Paws Holdings, said: “Given the last year, it has become more obvious than ever the positive role that our pets play in supporting our wellbeing. The UK in particular is known to be a nation of dog and cat lovers and we know that our customers are looking for a friendly, well-informed online community that will allow them to offer the best nutrition, healthcare and advice they can find.
“By bringing Fetch into the Paws family we will become a business of sufficient scale to disrupt a market that is currently dominated by players who are only interested in shifting as much food as profitably as possible, regardless of whether this is the best food for the dog or cat that it is being bought for.
“We think our customers, who see their pets as part of their families, want and deserve more than that. As pet lovers ourselves, we are delighted to be embarking upon this journey, now with Fetch, to provide what will become the most personalised dog and cat parenting ‘best friend for life’ support.”
Mel Smith, CEO of Ocado Retail, said: “While today’s announcement marks the end of our involvement with Fetch, a part of Ocado since 2014, we are delighted it is joining the PAWS family.
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“We believe they will be the best long-term owner of Fetch and are impressed by the scale of ambition at Paws as it seeks to scale its business. I would like to personally thank all our Fetch colleagues for their hard work and commitment over the years and wish them all the best for the future.”
Founded in 2007, the companies belonging to London-based Paws Holdings are online providers of products and services to ‘pet parents’ of dogs and cats. PAWS currently trades across the UK, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Austria.
Ocado Retail is a joint venture between Marks & Spencer Group and Ocado Group. It is responsible for Ocado.com and Ocado Zoom, a same-day grocery service.
With more than 639,000 active customers, it is the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket. Customers have access more than 50,000 products, including big-name brands, the full M&S food range and Ocado Own Label products.
