VetPartners acquires online retailer VetUK

Practice group VetPartners has acquired online retailer VetUK to help expand digital services across its 500 sites.

Thirsk-based VetUK, founded in 2005, is among the UK’s biggest online suppliers of pet care products, and is a licensed supplier of pet medications in the UK and mainland Europe.

Since founding it has handled 3.5 million online orders and dispatched 2,500 to 3,000 orders per day.

Online pharmacy

VetPartners said having its own online pharmacy and retail business would enable it to expand service to clients at its 160 practices and more than 500 sites.

Chief executive Jo Malone said: “Before the pandemic, pet care was one of the fastest-growing e-commerce categories, and VetUK was helping to lead the way because of the fantastic service it provides pet owners. This has increased further during the pandemic, with customers seeking more convenience.

“The sale of essentials like pet foods and medicine has surged during lockdown, partly due to the huge increase in pet ownership, and we want to improve our client experience by enabling them to order products online like so many other sectors. The team at VetUK are passionate about what they do and we look forward to working with them and further developing VetUK.”

Availability

VetUK managing director Iain Booth set up VetUK to increase availability of medications and reduce the cost of pet ownership, while maintaining the highest standards of vet care.

Its product line has 7,500 items, with a workforce of 38 and sales growth of 45% in 2020 as more people ordered online.

Mr Booth said: “Joining VetPartners is exciting for VetUK as we will be taking the company to a new level and it will open up a new customer base for both parties.

“People want products at the push of a button and that has accelerated during the pandemic as four to five years’ growth for us was condensed into one year.”

VetPartners’ latest acquisition follows that of Pet Cremation Services last month.