Just For Pets owner swoops for PE-backed pet shop chain

The owner of Just For Pets has acquired the retail arm of Nottingham-based Kennelpak, as it switches focus to its wholesale and distribution division.

Pets & Friends has been sold by Endless to PSR Trading, seven years after the private equity firm invested in Kennelpak to support the growth of the brand.

PSR will now take over Pets & Friends’ 19 stores, 17 grooming salons, a website and subscription service, a dog training centre, and The Grooming Academy, primarily located in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Pets & Friends will retain its name and operate alongside Just for Pets. All Pets & Friends staff will transfer to PSR, ensuring they keep their positions.

James Woolley, Endless partner said: “Pets & Friends has grown exponentially during our period of ownership and, after investing in a high-quality management team led by CEO Claire Bayliss, we have worked with them to reposition and transform the retail business at every level, creating a platform for growth which we are proud of.  We extend our best wishes to the team at PSR Trading as they take Pets & Friends into the future.”

Claire Bayliss, chief executive officer of Kennelpak, said: “Under our management and the investment from Endless, Pets & Friends has undergone a significant transformation at every level, evolving from a Midlands-based retailer to a much-loved multichannel pet specialist brand with national reach.  I am immensely proud of the market-leading brand we have built together, and the exceptional service that our colleagues deliver to customers. Their hard work and dedication have been crucial in making Pets & Friends the success it is today, and I thank them all for being part of our transformation journey.

“Our Wholesale & Distribution division has been the cornerstone of Kennelpak’s heritage for the past 50 years. Our aim is to strengthen its position as the trusted pet specialist, with an even greater emphasis on supporting our distributor partners’ plans for growth and continuing to deliver exceptional service for our customers. We wish the team at PSR Trading all the very best for the continued growth of the Pets & Friends brand.”