THE second largest pet retailer in the UK has continued to buck the retail gloom.

Pets Corner, which employs 900 staff, has reported rising like for like sales of 6.51 per cent.

It is based at Spindle Way, Crawley, and is nearing completion of its store refurbishment programme and merger with Pampurred Pets.

It bought Pampurred Pets in April 2016.

Since then, it has invested £1.77 million refitting 18 of the 49 stores and closing 22 of the most unprofitable.

The remaining nine Pampurred Pets locations will complete their integration into Pets Corner by the end of 2019.

Pet Family, which owns Pets Corner and Pampurred Pets, also runs the UK’s first natural grooming spa Dogwood, which operates six outlets within existing Pets Corner stores.

Since launching in February 2017, Pet Family has reported Dogwood’s like-for-like sales were up 111 per cent in June.

Pet Family is now planning to accelerate openings of Dogwood spas with another four planned this year and a further eight openings scheduled for 2019.

The business will look to invest over £5.4 million over the next three years in at least 12 more store openings whilst developing the existing estate.

Pet Family’s retail sales continue to outperform competitors.