Jollyes grows sales as private label and raw food gain ground
Bottom line
Jollyes said revenue rose 8.7% year over year to £169 million in the 12 months ended May 31, 2026, as the UK pet retailer expanded to 123 stores, grew private-label lines, and widened its frozen raw food assortment. Like-for-like sales increased 4.3%, transactions rose 7%, and the company said it now plans to grow to more than 250 locations over the next five years. Trade coverage also pointed to new own-label launches, including the value-focused Simply Jollyes range, and a broader frozen food offer featuring brands such as Dibo. (retailgazette.co.uk)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the headline isn’t just retail growth. Jollyes is putting more shelf space behind private label, special diet products, and frozen raw food at the same time it expands its physical footprint, which could increase exposure to nutrition-related questions from pet parents in more communities. That matters because major veterinary bodies including BSAVA and WSAVA recommend routine nutritional assessment and advise strict hygiene measures when pets are fed raw-meat-based diets, while UK public health guidance warns raw pet food can carry pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. coli. (bsava.com)
What to watch: Watch how quickly Jollyes rolls out new stores and fresh or frozen food formats, and whether its nutrition messaging around raw and special diet products draws more scrutiny from veterinary and public health stakeholders. (retailgazette.co.uk)
Jollyes is pairing growth with a sharper nutrition play. The UK pet retailer reported FY2026 revenue of £169 million, up 8.7% from the prior year, and said the gains were driven by store expansion, private-label development, and a larger frozen raw food range. The company now operates 123 stores and wants to more than double that estate to 250-plus locations within five years. (retailgazette.co.uk)
That strategy has been building for several years. In FY2023, Jollyes highlighted rapid private-label growth, saying in-house sales had risen 64% and that more than half of all dog food sold in its stores was then coming from its own brands. At the time, the retailer was also investing in in-store services, including community pet clinics and grooming, alongside a store modernization push. (jollyes.co.uk)
The raw feeding piece has also been expanding in a visible way. In 2025, industry reporting said Jollyes was restructuring more than 100 stores, phasing out the sale of small live pets and using that space to extend frozen raw food sections. That report said 90 stores were already able to offer the full raw range, including third-party brands and Jollyes’ own products. The latest FY2026 reporting suggests the retailer has kept building on that approach as consumer interest in raw feeding continues. (petsglobal.com)
The newest figures add detail to how that growth is landing. According to Retail Gazette, sales rose to £169 million in the year to May 31, 2026, with like-for-like sales up 4.3% and transactions up 7%. The company’s 124th store was scheduled to open in Derby on July 10, 2026, with additional openings planned in Evesham, Great Yarmouth, Sheffield, Seaham, and Mansfield through September. CEO Adam Dury said the results reflected the strength of Jollyes’ value strategy and growing loyalty among pet parents. (retailgazette.co.uk)
Industry reaction has framed the result as evidence that specialist pet retail still sees room to grow through convenience, value, and owned brands. The Grocer described the expansion plan as ambitious and reported that Jollyes had published a list of 160 desired UK locations as it looks to capture more demand. Petworldwide separately reported that Dury’s permanent appointment as CEO in June 2026 was tied to a newly formalized five-year expansion strategy. Taken together, those reports suggest the company is moving from opportunistic growth into a more structured national rollout. (thegrocer.co.uk)
Why it matters: For veterinary teams, Jollyes’ results are relevant because retail assortment changes often shape the nutrition questions arriving in practice. A larger chain footprint means more pet parents encountering private-label diets, value-positioned special diet products, and frozen raw options outside the clinic setting. That can create both opportunity and friction: opportunity for practices to reinforce their role as trusted nutrition advisors, and friction when marketing claims or feeding trends outpace evidence-based guidance. (retailgazette.co.uk)
Raw feeding is the clearest example. BSAVA says veterinary professionals should conduct nutritional assessments routinely and strongly recommends strict hygiene measures when raw-meat-based diets are used. WSAVA provides separate tools on raw meat-based diets, and UK government guidance warns that raw pet food may contain Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. coli. The UK Food Standards Agency has also reported a high prevalence of pathogens in sampled raw pet food products sold at retail. For clinics, that means conversations about raw diets increasingly need to cover not just nutrient adequacy, but also household infection risk, safe handling, and whether a given product is complete and balanced. (bsava.com)
What to watch: The next signals will be whether Jollyes follows revenue growth with faster rollout of its 250-store plan, deeper investment in premium fresh and frozen nutrition, and broader positioning around special diet products. Veterinary professionals should also watch whether expanded raw merchandising prompts more formal responses from UK veterinary bodies, public health agencies, or competitors focused on evidence-led nutrition and in-store clinical services. (retailgazette.co.uk)