In This Issue
Christmas Future Trends and GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards Winners to be announced during Glee's on-line Festive Focus Day
CSY in 2020 – Adapting To Change
Alton's praised for tough stance on facemasks
Garden centre owners share their thoughts on being open during Lockdown 3
GARDENA launches Leaf and Grass Collector
The COVID year in numbers
Flymo's 2021 products raise the bar for innovative gardening equipment
Team Smart’s Sue Sharp retires
Boyd's 'no cake and chocolate' pledge takes him into the top 10% of New Year fundraisers
The GTN Xtra Top 100 Most Read Stories of 2020
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Final call for scholarship applications
Order your Begonias from Ball Colegrave now
Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey) to postpone opening by eight months
Gardeningexpress.co.uk owner closes garden centre during lockdown 3
Launch of The New Heirloom Garden book
The best of last week's
We're Here For You
Dobbies sponsors ITV’s ‘Love Your Weekend’ with Alan Titchmarsh
Millbrook plans for the future of Crowborough centre
Boyd gives up chocolate and cake for a whole year
Bursting fish tank averts aquatic shop blaze
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Perrywood at Christmas 2020 - with correct photo gallery now...
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Squires Badshot Lea - Christmas 2020
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Pet firm buys Ocado's Fetch brand
Pet Brands releases boredom-busting range of games
Send us your news and great ideas

Contact us with your news.

Email trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 07973 504214

 

Sponsored by:


Pet firm buys Ocado's Fetch brand

 

Paws Holdings Ltd (PAWS), the online dog and cat wellbeing business operating in the UK and Continental Europe under the Pet-Supermarket.co.uk, PetMeds.co.uk and Medicanimal.com brands, announced the acquisition of a further brand, fetch.co.uk (FETCH), which is currently owned by Ocado Retail.

 

This acquisition represents a significant step in PAWS’ strategy to become the number one dog and cat wellbeing business within the very resilient and growing sector of pet parenting.

 

The recent pandemic has caused a significant shift in consumer spending from the high street to online providers across retail, and the pet market is no exception. PAWS believe that 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, and the authority and specialism that sites such as those operated by 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 over €41 billion per 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.

 

Commenting on this announcement Graham Coxell, Chairman of Paws Holdings Ltd (pictured above), 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.”

 

Commenting on this announcement Mel Smith, CEO of Ocado Retail Ltd 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. 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.”

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Del.icio.us Digg | Comment (0)
Comment
Name:*

Email Address:*

Comment:*