Award-winning pet retail chain Jollyes will be offering cheaper vet services when it opens its newest shop – the 102nd store in its portfolio – in Northampton tomorrow (Friday).
The store in an old Furniture Warehouse unit on Towcester Road will include a Community Pet Clinic that offers vet services such as microchipping and vaccinations at much lower prices than traditional vets.
Vets accredited by the Royal Veterinary College will offer transparent and low pricing on essential services that pet owners need.
Primary course vaccinations for dogs and cats are available in Jollyes’ community pet clinic for £33 covering both doses and annual boosters for £25. Microchipping, already compulsory for dogs and mandatory for cats in England from June, start at just £13.
The government through the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) is already investigating the top six vet chains for possible overcharging and anti-competitive practices that may be leading to pet parents paying far more than they need for vet services.
As part of that investigation, Jollyes provided its own evidence to the CMA about vet pricing in Northampton. While some vets were reticent to give prices, those that did were significantly higher than those offered in Jollyes.
A microchipping service that costs £13 at Jollyes was as high as £30 at one local vet, and the price differential on kitten and puppy vaccinations was even more stark. Both necessary doses are a combined £33 at a Jollyes’ community pet clinic but as high as £98 at another vet.
When it opens, Jollyes’ commitment to value to Northampton pet parents will go well beyond the clinic service it provides.
The new Jollyes store will have a raw food frozen ‘shop-in-shop’ alongside high quality private label pet food such as its own Lifestage, K9 and Rileys brands which offer a premium experience without a big brand price tag.
Jollyes has recruited a team of 12 in Northampton, including manager Andrew Bartlett who joins the pet retailer from Topps Tiles.
For the proud dad of two Labradors, Rocky and Raven, looking after pets runs in the family. Andrew’s mother-in-law runs an animal rescue centre, the source of his two labs and three cats Larry, Lana and Luna.
Andrew got married on 6 April but is delaying his honeymoon so he can open the store.
Performing the grand opening tomorrow will be Mayor Cllr Stephen Hibbert and Mayoress Liz Coxalong. There’ll be animal-themed stilt walkers and the Jollyes mascot to meet and greet customers with free goodie bags for the first 100 customers.
The following weekend on Saturday 4 May, there’ll also be live entertainment with prizes, Jollyes’ iconic ‘Wheel of Fur-tune’ with on-the-spot instant wins and balloon modelling for the kids.
“We’re already working hard getting the store ready for opening at the end of the month so we can give pet parents in Northampton a new alternative for their pets at home.” said Jollyes regional manager Natalie Bentley.
“With a successful store in Kettering, we know how much people in Northamptonshire love their pets, so Andrew and his team can’t wait to bring the kind of value and service we’re famous for, here to the heart of the county.”
When open, Jollyes’ Northampton store will be its 102nd, capping off an amazing few weeks for the retailer as it won new investment to accelerate its store growth and then being named as the best retailer in Britain at the prestigious Retail Week awards for businesses in the category for retailers turning over less than £250m.
