28 Oct 2022
Those behind first members-only Pickles vet practice in Fulham reveal hopes of growing into a major venture by opening more than 100 sites across the UK.
James Westgate
Job Title
Inside Pickles' first practice on Fulham Road in London.
Founders of a new members-only practice group have revealed plans to grow the venture into a business worth “billions of pounds”, with as many as 100 sites across the country.
Pickles opened its first clinic in west London this week (24 October), promising a new veterinary model that offers more transparency, and leverages technology to reduce costs and help tackle some of the sector’s retention issues.
Based in Fulham, the 3,000 sq ft practice is the first of many planned by the Pickles team, which hopes to open between five and eight new sites in London next year.
Once these openings have been completed, the next stage of growth for the group will be to expand the business to cities and towns across the UK.
Founded by entrepreneurs Richard White and Paul Jakimciw, along with Nick Player (formerly of Medivet) and vet Andrew Francis, Pickles’ clients pay a fixed fee of £120 per year, which includes yearly vaccinations, unlimited in-person consults, video consults, dietary plans and other services delivered directly through the group’s bespoke app.
Mr White, who is also the chief executive of the business, said: “Essentially, what we are trying to do is offer something different.
“My take on it is that there are two groups of people involved in veterinary practice: the people who work for these practices and the pet owners, and it seems the current model doesn’t work for either. Our aim is to create a new veterinary model that works for everyone.”
He added: “So far, we’ve seen that vets love working with us and pets love coming in, so it’s firmly within our sights to create a brand and platform that is number one in a variety of verticals, and create a home-grown UK company worth billions of pounds.”
The Pickles team has developed all its tech in house, including a bespoke PMS system that the company claims will “reduce friction at both ends”, and benefit both staff and clients.
By using a subscription model and offering increased access to online veterinary services through its app, Pickles aims to offer more transparency for clients and reduce the workload for clinical teams in practice.
Mr White added: “Our members will pay £120 for the year and they will get all their consultations – either in person or digitally – and there will also be vaccinations included in that price.
“We are totally transparent about what is in the subscription fee, and anything over or above that will be paid for. What that allows us to do is make sure we don’t take on too many clients, and we don’t over-promise and under-deliver.
“This approach will help us manage the workload and it also breaks that cycle that sees practices just booking anything in to lock in that revenue at any cost.
“It’s a model that appeals to our team – we hired people who told us they were thinking about leaving the profession, and that joining us has renewed their hope and enjoyment in being a vet.”
And despite the growing cost of living crisis, the Pickles team is confident its ambitious business plan will stand up in an increasingly challenging financial climate and that the “pet pound” will remain robust.
Mr White said: “There is money out there for growth and there is money that needs to be put to work that hasn’t gone away. I do think we are just going to have to work a bit harder, but ultimately, I think this sector will remain strong in an economic downturn investment-wise and that people will continue to prioritise their pet spend.
“The economics of this stack up – what we are doing is using the digital side of it to really make sure the people that really need to come in do come in and the people that don’t necessarily need to come in, or those that can have an aftercare check-up or there is a chronic illness that can be managed, that will be done digitally.”
While digital technology is central to the model, co-founder Andrew Francis insisted that how care is delivered in Pickles’ bricks and mortar practices will be central to its success.
He said: “There has been little to no innovation in the pet sector over the past few years – especially when it comes to improving the physical aspects of pet care.
“In animal care, physicality can’t be ignored and is vitally important. I’m excited to bring my 20 years-plus of experience in caring for animals to Pickles’ strong digital DNA.”
