Our Family Business History

Petscorner First Shop
our first shop... we’ve come a long way!

August 12, 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.

Mark, Sandra and a young Dean
Mark, Sandra and a young Dean

The 70s

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.

Hove
Oh we do like to be beside the sea!

August 12, 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.

Hove
Probably worth a few quid now!

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 exacting standards. Making bird feeders and rabbit runs at home, Dean’s handmade designs introduced some British craftsmanship to the industry. Our ethos has always been, if it’s not available Pets Corner will create it, if it isn’t good enough Pets Corner will make something new.

Dean used to work on the tills!
Dean used to work on the tills!

April 2, 1992

Now 19, Dean took the helm of Pets Corner’s third shop in Brighton. Running a tight ship, he took the store to the company number 1 spot by day, and by night worked tirelessly to create handbooks and training manuals that would in time become ‘The Pets Corner Difference’.

Pets Corner Team
Our amazing team has started to grow, many are still with us today as senior management!

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?

Ethical Breeder

1995

As a family run business, we are not constrained by shareholders or corporate decisions and pledge to always put animal welfare above profits.

In this year we were the first to offer pet birth certificates plus health and sex guarantees, with all staff trained to refuse sales if they didn’t deem a home suitable.

Pets Corner Newspaper Clipping
A young and fresh faced Dean featured in The Times newspaper back in 1998!

1998

Exciting times as Dean takes ownership of Pets Corner, when Mark and Sandra retire. Immediately he set about implementing his vision of best product and best practice.

He championed his ethical breeder policy, classroom training and the idea of environmental protection, plus backing plans to donate 2% of profits to charity.

Read more about our charity partners.

Jon & Lucy in our Horsham training centre
Jon & Lucy in our Horsham training centre

2001

We pride ourselves on being both informed and informative and that’s 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.

Pets Corner Eco Building

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.

MORE pack shots
Original glossy bag branding on the left with today’s modern matt look on the right!

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

Pet Practice Milton Keynes
Pet Practice Milton Keynes

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.

Neil McAdam testing in the field
Neil McAdam’s ethical food inspired by the Sussex countryside

2015

Having pioneered the pet industry with our stance on animal welfare and pet nutrition, we worked with Neil McAdam to develop the highest welfare pet food in the world, to match our values.

100% fresh and made with whole animals, McAdams means your pet can eat as well as you, with small batch, free range and ethical pet food.

A refurbished Pampurred Pets site in Burgess Hill
A refurbished Pampurred Pets site in Burgess Hill

May 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.

Dogwood Pet Grooming Spa opens in Camberley
Dogwood Pet Grooming Spa opens in Camberley

2017

A chance chat with a championship groomer led Dean to meet Julie, who had over 2 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.

Yora insect protein dog food

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 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.

New green warehouse in Handcross

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.

Scampers Natural Pet Shop

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.

McAdams sourced from RSCPA Assured Farms.

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.