Online retailer Direct4Pet is celebrating the accelerating growth of its business following major investment in a 40,000 sq ft logistics centre in Lancashire. The move marked the latest stage in its transformation from a small surgery-based operation into one of the country’s fastest growing pet care businesses.

Direct4Pet – whose motto is to make pet healthcare more accessible and affordable – evolved from within an established veterinary practice where the growing need for online, accessible, affordable, and professionally overseen pet care products was soon recognised. As demand quickly increased, it became clear that the business needed its own dedicated structure. In 2013, Black Cat Medicines Limited was established, laying the foundations for what would become a leading name in the pet market. 

In 2020, Direct4Pet.co.uk was launched, providing a new digital home designed to reflect a broader vision: a modern, easy-to-use platform offering pet owners nationwide, a trusted source for everything that their animals would need.

Garry Howard, Director of Direct4Pet, said: “Although Black Cat Medicines Limited remains our registered company name, Direct4Pet has become our flagship brand – the face of our commitment to quality, convenience, and customer care. What began as a veterinary-led online pharmacy has evolved into a multi-channel retail operation, serving customers not only through our own website but across numerous major marketplaces.”

As a UK-based, RCVS-registered veterinary pharmacy and pet-care retailer, Direct4Pet provides a full range of products – prescription medicines, food, supplements, accessories and everyday essentials – all overseen by qualified veterinary professionals.

“We live and work surrounded by animals – from family dogs and cats to horses, small furries, and rescue pets – giving us daily reminders of why we do what we do. This hands-on experience shapes everything from the products we stock to the advice we share with our customers. We understand pets and their owners on a personal level,” added Garry.

As the business has grown, so too has the infrastructure. In January 2025 Direct4Pet moved into a new 40,000 sq. ft logistics warehouse, a major investment that reinforces the businesses commitment to efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction. The facility features state-of-the-art conveyor picking and belt packing lines, enabling the team to process and dispatch thousands of orders each day with precision and speed. 

“Every product is handled in-house by trained staff under veterinary supervision, ensuring that the quality standards we uphold in clinical settings carry through to every order that leaves the warehouse,” said Garry.

In addition to their own website, Black Cat Medicines also retail through a network of trusted marketplaces, including Amazon, eBay, Tesco, OnBuy, and B&Q. This approach allows customers to buy from their platform of choice, making pet care more convenient and accessible than ever.

“Beyond retail, our advanced fulfilment capabilities enable us to support partner brands and manufacturers through a bespoke integration developed in collaboration with Storefeeder, our Warehouse Management System (WMS) provider.

“This provides a full 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) solution, allowing our partners to connect their e-commerce websites directly to our warehouse systems. Because we already stock their ranges, we can efficiently pick, pack, and dispatch their website orders as if they were our own – saving time, reducing costs, and ensuring a consistent customer experience.

“This combination of veterinary expertise, multi-channel retailing, and integrated logistics has positioned us as both a trusted retailer and a reliable logistics partner within the UK pet-care industry.”

As well as pet owners, Direct4Pet also serves breeders, shelters, pet insurance companies and animal charities, who value their reliability, product authenticity, and veterinary support. Every product Direct4Pet sells is authentic, product tested, high-quality, and sourced from trusted UK suppliers.  

Alongside qualified veterinary surgeons and registered SQPs Direct4Pet employs Product Managers, Buyers, Merchandisers, and Customer Service specialists who work closely together.

Their Customer Service team plays a key role in listening to the voice of the customer, gathering feedback, and identifying trends or unmet needs. This insight directly informs decisions about which products to stock, new innovations to introduce, and improvements to existing lines.

They also collaborate with industry experts, manufacturers, and animal nutritionists to ensure that every product that Direct4Pet offers meets the highest standards for pet health, safety, and wellbeing. This combination of professional expertise and direct customer insight ensures their range is both trusted and tailored to what pet owners really want.

Since the website rebrand to Direct4Pet in 2020, has served hundreds of thousands of UK customers.  The customer base continues to grow rapidly as more pet owners discover the convenience, trust, and breadth of products offered by this veterinary-led online pet store.

Garry concluded: “We aim to expand our range, introduce new exclusive brands, pushing later cut off times for next day delivery and explore international shipping in the future. We’re also investing in technology – improving our website experience, adding educational pet-health resources, and developing tools to help customers manage orders and deliveries more easily. We may even do a bit of TikToking, sharing tips, guides, and fun content to connect with pet owners in new ways!

“Our long-term goal remains to become the UK’s most trusted online veterinary pharmacy and pet store, combining professional care, affordability, and convenience in one place.”

 For further information visit www.direct4pet.co.uk