Our Family Business History
1968
In April 1968, spurred by their shared love of animals and with a farming background, Mark and Sandra Richmond opened a small family pet shop in Haywards Heath, Sussex.
Armed with passion, compassion and a little bit of luck they championed a change, forging a new era in pet care. Their mission was to offer the most nutritious food and the best pet care advice in the industry.
1970
As the Richmond family grew, so did their menagerie of animals and pets. Their business grew too, which meant a move to a bigger store.
More than just a local pet shop, Pets Corner had firmly positioned itself as a respected hub in the community, offering honest, informed advice on pet care and nutrition, always with a friendly face.
1983
With a second store opening in Hove, busy times were ahead. Now a destination for expert advice and for quality raw meat, a healthier alternative to off-the-table-scraps or cheap tinned food.
Pet pioneers, Mark and Sandra now also sold a small range of supplements and healthcare remedies for pets, realising the importance of good nutrition years before it would become mainstream.
1986
Already showing his entrepreneurial spirit, Mark and Sandra’s teenage son Dean started to fill in the gaps where product quality didn’t meet Pets Corner’s exceptional standards. Crafting bird feeders and rabbit runs at home, Dean’s handmade designs introduced some British craftsmanship to the industry.
Our ethos is that if it’s not available Pets Corner will create it, if it isn’t good enough Pets Corner will design something better.
1992
At only 19, Dean took the helm of Pets Corner’s third shop in Brighton. Running a tight ship, he took the store to the company's number 1 spot by day. By night he worked tirelessly to create handbooks and training manuals that would in time become ‘Quality with Values’.
1994
Another store opening, this time in Crawley, and an ever-expanding team.
We know our staff make us stand out and we like to think Pets Corner is a great place to work. Almost 3 decades after this picture was taken, six of this team are now in senior management roles.
Today we employ over 950 staff, why not join our team?
1995
As a family-run business, we are not constrained by shareholders or corporate decisions and pledge to always put animal welfare above profits.
This year we became the first to offer pet birth certificates alongside health and sex guarantees. With all staff trained to refuse animal sales if they didn’t deem a home suitable.
1998
Exciting times as Dean takes ownership of Pets Corner, when Mark and Sandra retire. Immediately he sets about implementing his vision of the best products and best practices.
He championed his ethical breeder policy, classroom training and the idea of environmental protection. Plus backing plans to donate 2% of profits to charity.
2001
We pride ourselves on being both informed and informative. This is why we took our staff back to the classroom, having developed a full pet care and nutrition curriculum.
In this year we became the only pet retailer in the UK to classroom train all our staff, in our ‘industry first’ training academy. Today we are delighted to have seven training academies across the UK.
2002
We are proud of our eco-credentials and are always challenging industry standards. Ethical accountability has always been important to us and we are delighted to say we now contribute ZERO waste to landfill.
Our commitment to sustainability also means our stores use 100% renewable energy and electricity, cutting our carbon footprint.
2008
Pets Corner is constantly evolving. In this year we begin working with specialised partners to develop innovative pet food, that isn’t available elsewhere on the market.
Using our knowledge and scale we introduced two brands to market with industry-first USPs:
MORE – The first pet food to use naturally preserved ingredients
Symply – The first hypo-allergenic pet food
2015
Creating a hub of health and nutrition for your pet has always been our goal. In this year we welcomed fellow family business owners Ben and Sarah and their Pet Practice Veterinary Surgeries to the Pets Corner group, helping us do just that..
2015
Having pioneered the pet industry with our stance on animal welfare and pet nutrition. We worked with Neil McAdam to match our values and develop the highest welfare pet food in the world.
100% fresh and made with whole animals, McAdams means your pet can eat as well as you. Truly ethical free-range dog and cat food.
2016
Pampurred Pets was a chain of pet stores that shared our vision and values. In 2016 we decided to team up, with Pets Corner acquiring 51 stores, making us the second largest chain of pet stores in the country.
2017
A chance chat with a championship groomer led Dean to meet Julie, who had over two decades of expert grooming experience. Together they created a destination spa, just for dogs.
The first Dogwood Spa opened in Camberley, with a plan to roll out another 60 local grooming stores, at a rate of one a month!
The proof is in the pampering but don’t just take our word for it, check out our 5-star ratings on Google review. Find out more about Dogwood here.
2018
We take our social and environmental responsibilities seriously and the launch of Yora was a landmark moment for us. Yora is the world’s first sustainable dog food. Perfect, nutritionally balanced food for your pet made using insect protein and it’s planet friendly too!
2019
For over 50 years we’ve loved being part of our customers’ pet care journeys. The Pets Corner family has grown so much since our tiny pet shop opened in 1968, but our founding principles remain.
We are delighted to be pioneering the pet industry and we want Pets Corner to continue to be a destination store for great pet care advice, nutritious food and a friendly face.
2020
This year we opened our newer, greener distribution centre in Handcross, West Sussex, to serve our 150 stores. Using renewable energy, this 43,000 square foot space has helped streamline our operations, allowing us to concentrate on what we do best; helping our customers.
2021
With award-winning credentials, Scampers Pet Superstore joins the Pets Corner group. Sharing our passion for pet food that’s natural and nutritious, this highly-respected family business brings with it a wealth of experience.
2022
Our Trusted Food McAdams was created in 2015, with the ethos to always put welfare first.
Fast forward to 2022 and McAdams is still dedicated to changing the pet industry. They proudly make the only dry pet food sourced from RSCPA Assured Farms.
Every pack of McAdams complete sold in the UK raises funds to the RSPCAs vital work. Within the first year of their partnership, McAdams is pledging a minimum of £80,000 to this important charity.
2023
This was the year we welcomed CatsenDogs into our Pet Family. This Belgian chain of pet shops shares our ethos for natural pet food, superb quality products, and knowledgeable staff. We are proud to have this highly respected business as part of our family and look forward to our future together.
2023
Our Global Flagship Ascot store opens, and the knowledgeable team embraces a new community of pet owners. This beautiful new store features a Dogwood Natural Grooming Spa and a Pet Practice, our state-of-the-art veterinary surgery.
Ascot is also home to a brand-new Academy Centre, which will host a variety of classroom sessions from nutrition to behaviour and everything in between.
2024
We relocated our Basingstoke store to a bigger and better space. Our incredible store has a huge range of natural wholesome pet food, including our Raw Store which has dedicated freezers full of the best raw brands
We also stock an extensive collection of bespoke luxury beds, with one to support every pet. Basingstoke is one of our biggest stores and includes a Dogwood Natural Grooming Spa and our state-of-the-art veterinary surgery, Pet Practice.
Find out more about Basingstoke or find your nearest store here.
2024
Our Pet Family Trust is established, with a mission to preserve and support the environment for future generations.
We purchased Fairlight Farm, an unproductive 29 acres of farmland and woodland. Our hardworking team cleared litter, restored the woodland, planted wildflowers and saplings, and established a place for all wildlife to flourish.
We will continue to build upon our ethos of environmental stewardship and plan to acquire and restore more land across the UK.