Businesses benefit from expansion of leading pet retailer

BUSINESSES are benefiting from the expansion of an acclaimed independent pet retailer.

PetPlace has enjoyed a significant period of growth, revamping its Abergele store to include a cinema and play park, opening a new headquarters in Kinmel Bay and recently unveiling a revamped building in Llangefni.

The 25,000 sq ft site also includes a play park, dog wash and coffee bar and was redeveloped by Old Colwyn-based Parra’s Construction.

Managing Director Simon Pritchard, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the sector, said it was a pleasure to work with PetPlace, adding: “We were extremely excited to be a part of this project to transform the existing facility into a new retail and dog play area which would act as a blueprint for their other stores in North Wales.

“The existing structure was tired and in desperate need of modernisation, so it was a huge transformation with a relatively small team and a lot of hard work.

“I think the finished product speaks for itself, and a lot of that is testament to the staff who continued to operate while works were undertaken. It is also a credit to the management’s forward thinking and vision – we were delighted to play a part in bringing that to life.”

Meanwhile, Oxfordshire-based Knowledge Ltd was tasked with installing digital software and technology across the state-of-the-art store.

Technical Director Nick Hill said: “We were excited by their vision and after travelling up to North Wales to see the layout for ourselves identified three key areas where digital signage could be used to enhance the customer journey, from enticing passing trade through to highlighting key product information and promotions.

“The final installation comprised of three high-brightness window displays, a freestanding 55” ‘Totem’ and eight smaller wall-mounted displays, all paired with a cloud-based content management system which allows full HTML-5, video and still image content to be deployed to all displays remotely and in real-time.

“All of which provides an immersive experience that guides customers on their journey through the store.”

The final touches were placed by Sure Retail, whose Crewe team – led by Business Development Director Giles Martin – are specialists in equipment and display solutions.

He said: “I often see correlation in working with companies that share our values, and us delivering stores I’m particularly proud of.

“PetPlace Llangefni is a prime example of this, as like us they are passionate about offering the best to their customers. Utilising innovation and creativity, whilst prioritising quality, ethics, and sustainability, throughout.”

Giles added: “The result is a true ‘destination store’, a purpose-built, engaging environment focused on customer experience and servicing the community, as well as individuals.

“It’s our privilege to assist in the realisation of PetPlace’s commendable vision, and we hope customers and staff will continue to enjoy this store for many years to come.”

PetPlace’s Managing Director Sion Pritchard thanked them for bringing the dream to fruition and said the firm is committed to supporting SMEs and small businesses and boosting the economy, both locally and across the UK.

“The result is a flagship store we are all very proud of,” he said.

“The response since opening has been incredible and Llangefni will now be held up as a benchmark for quality, innovation and customer service for pets and their owners – that was the vision we had all along, and they helped us to realise it.”