YORK, UNITED KINGDOM — VetPartners, which represents a network of 160 veterinary practices operating across the United Kingdom, recently acquired VetUK, a leading online pet care product supplier in the region, to expand its portfolio of pet care offerings.

Founded in 2005 and based in Thirsk, VetUK supplies between 2,500 and 3,000 online pet medication orders per day. This online pharmacy and retail outlet is expected to expand VetPartners’ existing veterinary-related services.

“Before the pandemic, pet care was one of the fastest-growing e-commerce categories, and VetUK were helping to lead the way because of the fantastic service they provide pet owners,” said Jo Malone, chief executive officer of VetPartners. “This has increased further during the pandemic, with customers seeking more convenience.

“The sale of essentials like pet foods and medicine has surged during lockdown, partly due to the huge increase in pet ownership, and we want to improve our client experience by enabling them to order products online like so many other sectors,” Malone continued. “The team at VetUK are passionate about what they do and we look forward to working with them and further developing VetUK.”

Aside from its robust pet pharmaceuticals business, VetUK carries more than 7,500 pet products, including pet food, toys and accessories, and over-the-counter treatments.

According to VetPartners, VetUK has heavily invested in its operations and dispatch software to improve its services. The company grew sales by 45% in 2020, due in part to a widespread shift to e-commerce amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Joining VetPartners is exciting for VetUK as we will be taking the company to a new level and it will open up a new customer base for both parties,” said Iain Booth, managing director and founder of VetUK. “People want products at the push of a button and that has accelerated during the pandemic as four to five years’ growth for us was condensed into one year.”

This is the second recent acquisition by VetPartners in the pet space to further diversify its portfolio. The company’s continued expansion is funded by BC Partners, an international investment firm.

BC Partners is also the owner of PetSmart and Chewy.com, two leading North American pet retailers.

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