Pets at Home

Overview

Pets at Home is the UK’s largest pet supplies retailer, but they also operate a significant veterinary services business. Most of their veterinary practices are co-located with retail stores under the Vets4Pets or Companion Care brands.

Business Model

The Pets at Home model is notable for its vertical integration:

• Retail stores selling pet food, supplies, and accessories
• Veterinary practices (Vets4Pets/Companion Care) often inside or next to stores
• Grooming services (Groom Room)
• Insurance services (Bought By Many partnership)

This creates potential conflicts of interest - for example, product recommendations from vets that benefit the parent company.

Joint Venture Model

Many Vets4Pets practices operate as joint ventures where individual vets own a stake in their practice alongside Pets at Home. This is meant to align incentives and provide some independence, though the corporate parent still exerts significant influence.

Regulatory Matters

Pets at Home’s veterinary businesses are included in the CMA’s market investigation into veterinary services.

What Pet Owners Should Know

• Vets4Pets practices are part of a retail business with interests in selling pet products
• The joint venture model means some practices have more local ownership than others
• Co-location with retail can be convenient but may create commercial pressures