Pet retailer of the year Jollyes has announced plans to invest £325,000 in Northern Ireland to open new stores and support key Irish suppliers.
Jollyes, which already has 12 stores in Northern Ireland making it the country’s leading pet retailer, will begin the new investment on Saturday 11 December, opening a new 6,700 sq ft store at Longwood retail park Newtownabbey to replace its shop at Glengormley.
In a much larger location, the new store at 2 Longwell Road, Newtownabbey will create five new jobs and bring a Pamper & Groom Spa to the town for the first time, a service only currently available at its stores at Belfast and Newry.
In February Jollyes will open for the first time in Cookstown having secured a 5,000 sq ft unit at Sweep Road retail park.
The new store at Cookstown will create ten new roles and job applications for those who want a dream job working with animals can be made at https://www.jollyes.co.uk/i/jobs-jollyes.
To support its current growth right across the UK, over the next 12 months Jollyes will also be investing significantly in its Irish suppliers.
Jollyes is proud to have a strong Irish supply base for all its 70 stores across the UK and is also planning to step up investment with its Irish partners to help support its current growth.
- It will be working closely with family-owned Mackle Petfoods based in County Armagh on new and extended ranges following the success of Jollyes’ new Lifestage dog food range which has been a hit with customers since its launch earlier this year. All of Mackle meat is sourced from local suppliers where possible and is fully traceable to the farm of origin.
- To cater for the increased demand for Frozen pet food, Jollyes will also be building on the relationship with Belfast-based Frozzys to widen availability of its award-winning frozen lickable yoghurt. Winners of a coveted gold at the 2021 PetQuip Awards, Frozzys Frozen Yogurt is a natural nutritious treat rich in vitamins and minerals, low in calories and available in perfectly portioned tubs. It is designed to take time to eat, to prolong enjoyment and keep dogs mentally stimulated, and its frozen nature helps to keep dogs cool.
- Jollyes is introducing new and high-quality design-led dog beds from Coolock Dublin-based manufacturer Beddies. Beddies is another family business owned by the Stevenson family, who also own Pownall & Hampson Ltd, a manufacturing company synonymous with quality as the leading bedding manufacturer in Ireland. Beddies is also expanding and creating jobs to meet increasing demand from customers.
Demand at Jollyes’ has never been higher. According to the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 3.2 million households have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, with cat and dog ownership alone reaching 12 million of each. Pet ownership has been linked to well-being and improved mental health.
According to a PFMA report, almost a third of households in Northern Ireland own a dog – higher than anywhere else in the UK. Twelve per cent of Northern Ireland households also own a cat[1].
Jollyes prides itself on recruiting and training staff to offer customers expert advice on caring for their pets, from diet and health to training and toys.
Laura Hadden, regional manager for Jollyes in Northern Ireland and Scotland, is delighted that Northern Ireland is seeing additional investment: “People here in Northern Ireland love their pets and over the years we’ve built up a solid bond with our customers here right across the country.
“We’re looking forward to reaching out to more customers here with a new store at Cookstown and a new state-of-the-art store at Newtownabbey. Together, they’ll give us the best offer we’ve ever had for pet owners in Northern Ireland.”
During the pandemic Jollyes saw increased sales of pets, food and accessories, including sales of popular birds such as canaries up 50 per cent and sales of reptiles such as geckos up 14 per cent. There was also a 10 per cent rise in sales of wild bird seed as more people fed their garden birds.
In 2022, Jollyes expects to open new stores through both the targeted strategic acquisition of smaller pet retailers and taking on new leases in carefully selected locations across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the past month it has purchased three stores in Yorkshire and one in the Midlands as it steps up its growth plans.
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