Nationwide pet retailer Jollyes has named the manager for its new Southport store as it prepares for the official opening with a fun-packed line up of events. 

The new Southport store, at Unit 3 on the town’s Kew Retail Park in Scarisbrick New Road, will open at 10am on Saturday 2 July. 

It will employ 10 colleagues, including store manager Martin Pitt, who joins from Aldi. With three children in his family, he has hands-on experience with pets including fish, guinea pigs and birds and is “dog parent” to Leo, a Belgian malinois. 

As part of its opening plans, Jollyes has begun recruiting for colleagues at the new store. Applications for those who want a dream job working with animals can be made at https://www.jollyes.co.uk/i/jobs-jollyes. 

Jollyes has lined up a fun-packed opening for the new store to give Southport’s pet lovers a warm welcome from the UK’s “Pet People” including:  

• The official opening will be performed by the Mayor of Sefton, Councillor Clare Louise Carragher 
• Sandgrounder Radio will bring their fun bus to broadcast live on the day 
• Local two-legged celebrity canine Dennis the dachshund 
• Entertainment will include a magician, stilt walker and balloon artist 
• Visitors will have the chance to win instant prizes on the wheel of fur-tune 

Jollyes has more than 70 stores across the UK and the 6,000 square feet Southport store will complement its popular outlets in North West including Ashton-under-Lyne, Bolton, Eccles, Ellesmere Port and Runcorn. 

It follows recent openings in Stirling, Wrexham and Cookstown. New stores are due to open this summer at Stockton, Poole, Glenrothes and Edinburgh. 

Sarah Farrar, Jollyes regional manager, said: “It’s an exciting time for Jollyes as we expand across the UK and we can’t wait to open our doors in Southport, taking our place in the community and playing our part in the local economy. 

“The new store is in a great location, and we’ve designed it to make it as easy as possible for pet lovers in the town and surrounding area to find what they are looking for, from toys to treats.” 

More news on the Southport store, including product ranges, will be announced in the next few weeks. 

Backed by Kester Capital, Jollyes announced in January it had a pipeline of 20 new store openings over the next year.