Paramount Retail Group (PRG), the owners of Pet Brands and Vital Pet Group, has today announced the acquisition of four major online retailers – Fetch, Medic Animal, Pet Supermarket and Pet Meds alongside two petfood brands; Bob & Lush and K9 Choice from Paws Group. With a combined turnover of over £50m in 2021 alone, the retailers and brands will join a strong stable of pet and lifestyle companies already owned by PRG.
With over 250,000 regular subscribers, Fetch, Medic Animal, Pet Supermarket and Pet Meds are already well-established online retailers with strong brand heritage and a loyal customer base. The deal will ensure that customers continue to receive their orders in a timely fashion with the benefit of the group’s unique distribution infrastructure and existing networks.
Ravi Sharma, Director at Paramount Retail Group, comments: “PRG are delighted to have completed the acquisition of these fantastic online retailers and brands from Paws Group. We believe to succeed in the current environment, expertise, scale, and strong partnerships are essential.”
“This is a very natural move for the company because of our existing resources and capabilities within the pet sector. The acquisitions will not only complement our portfolio of existing pet brands, but it will also allow us to scale and drive synergies for the group’s ambitious growth plans.”
The latest move positions PRG as a major player within the pet industry – a sector that is increasingly attractive because of its relatively recession-proof reputation, humanisation and premiumisation which drives pet product purchases.
PRG owns several core pet sector companies, creating a vertically integrated business model with significant synergies. The portfolio includes Pet Brands – an industry leader in the design and manufacture of accessories and treats for pets and wild birds and leading pet product wholesaler - Vital Pet Group.
About Paramount Retail Group
Paramount Retail Group is owned by the Sharma family and owns several diverse companies, including Pet Brands, Vital Pet Group, Dibor and Bristows of Devon. It employs over 350 people across sites in the Midlands and South-west.
The Paramount portfolio includes a majority stake in Pet Brands – an industry leader in the design and manufacture of accessories and treats for pets and wild birds. As well as producing its own brands and licensed brands, Pet Brands exports to 58 countries around the world. The company has long-standing partnerships with major retailers and is responsible for producing bespoke and innovative own-label ranges.
In 2017, Paramount expanded after acquiring a majority stake in leading pet product wholesaler Vital Pet Group, adding to its capabilities in operations and logistics, as well as growing partnerships with a wider network of customers and suppliers that extends throughout the industry.
Further acquisitions of two confectionery companies in 2018 added to the company’s stable of British brands and expertise in export. Over the same period, Paramount’s lifestyle brand and online retailer Dibor has grown incrementally.
About Fetch, Medic Animal & Pet Supermarket
Fetch was acquired by PAWs Holdings in January 2021, joining Pet-Supermarket.co.uk and PetMeds.co.uk in the UK and Medicanimal.com in Continental Europe with the view creating the number one dog and cat wellbeing business. The Group has over half a million customers and turnover in excess of £50 million. As well as retailing several pet products, the PAWs website offers virtual vet consultations and pet insurance.
