Pets Choice Chief Executive Tony Raeburn admits that bringing further brands on board is something that the company would consider. Following the recent acquisition of Spike's World he said the ultimate goal was to be the 'one-stop shop for all things pet'.

Pets Choice will undertake responsibility for the Spike’s World brands – Spike’s, Wildthings and Feathers & Beaky – as of Monday (19th June), including sales and invoicing.

After agreeing the deal, Tony said: “Spike’s World takes Pets Choice into a new sector and it's a great move for us as a business. However, it will be very much business as usual for customers who currently purchase these brands and orders can be made with our sales team from June.”

Founder and owner of the Spike’s Group, Marian Horscroft (pictured above with Tony, commented: “Pets Choice acquiring Spike’s World is a significant step for the brand, and I have complete trust that Tony and the Pets Choice team will continue to build upon the hard work that has gone into creating the brand and products.”

Meanwhile, Tony Raeburn found time to speak to Pet Trade Xtra about Pets Choice, a company he took control of in 2013 in a management buy-out.

What was it about Spike’s World that impressed you enough to go and acquire the business?
Spike’s World is a great brand with a strong story to tell within a niche sector.  It was a similar feeling with TastyBone, strong branding and unique products. We are also very passionate about UK manufacturing, particularly in the Blackburn area, and have been producing some of the Spike’s World products for several years, so it is a natural fit for us.

What will the new brands bring to your current portfolio?
The new brands take Pets Choice into sectors that we are currently not trading in however they blend nicely into our total portfolio.  Marion, the former owner of Spike’s World, has done a fantastic job growing the business, so Pets Choice are keen to build on the hard work that has already been put into creating innovative products for animals.

This is your second acquisition within a short space of time, have you got your sights on buying more pet companies?
TastyBone has been an excellent acquisition for us and a great addition to the Pets Choice portfolio and I think that Spike’s will be just as great. At the moment we are focusing on fine-tuning our offering across all brands, but I think bringing further brands on board is something that we will always consider as long as they are the right fit and at the right time.

Is acquisition easier than launching new brands?
I think both have their pros and cons. Launching a new brand requires a considerable amount of time, research and investment in marketing and sales, however acquiring an outside brand also requires incredible time and effort to successfully integrate within the business without losing focus or customer sales. Either way, to successfully acquire or launch brands it takes a tremendous amount of dedication, hard work, and sometimes good luck to have a successful branded portfolio. As a business, we know that there are opportunities in both areas and we will continue to consider all options as part of our growth plans.

You took control of Pets Choice in 2013 following a management buy-out, are you please with the progress you’ve made since then? Are you ahead of your targets?
We have managed to turn around a business that was struggling to find its place in the market to seeing considerable and sustained growth over the last three years. In that time we have not only acquired brands but also considerably grown our existing products and have successfully launched the Webbox Natural range into the market.  We have built a new Head Office with fantastic facilities which have enabled us to bring many jobs in-house. For instance, our Marketing team has grown from one person to a whole team, including Brand Management, Design, PR and Social Media.

Which is your biggest and best-selling brand?
Our largest brand is Webbox; we have such a full breadth of products including the Webbox Natural range which has seen tremendous growth since we launched last year. Webbox has seen consistent growth since 2013 despite the slight decline in the overall pet category. As a privately owned medium size manufacturer, we can respond quickly to the opportunities in the market and launch new products to maximise sales.

What’s your ambition for Pets Choice?
Our ultimate goal is to be the one-stop shop for all things pet and we have been investing in all areas of the business over the last three years to ensure that we can reach this. Pets Choice has seen a considerable amount of growth so far. However, we still have a long way to go to drive the business to the next level.

What are the biggest challenges facing you?
There can be many problems that we face at any one time, often changing on a weekly basis. At the moment it is the result of the EU referendum and the after effects of Brexit combined with the recent General Election results that bring uncertainty. Pets Choice import several lines from our European factories, any weakening of currency will increase the cost of these goods and will create some uncertainty, but on the whole, we know that we are in a better position than many to deal with the outcome.

Is the intention to sell the business when it gets to a certain size?

 Selling isn't even on the radar for Pets Choice, we are very much a family-run business and we want to keep it that way, continuing to expand across the pet sector and looking at new innovative products that animals love.