Pets at Home has said that it is planning an expansion throughout the UK following a “pivotal” year in which is acquired the Vets4Pets chain.

The group is planning 50 new pet grooming salons and 60 vetinary surgeries in the next year after reporting a rise of 11.2% in revenues.

Nick Wood, CFO commented: "It has been a pivotal year for Pets at Home. Our results demonstrate how we are building on our leading position in the UK pet care market, continuing to innovate and grow the business. I am excited with the progress made in our Vets Group, which through the acquisition of Vets4Pets and the opening of 69 new practices, has become the UK's largest small animal veterinary services provider. None of this would have been possible without the commitment of our outstanding colleagues and I thank them all for their dedication.

“We are focused on delivering the growth strategy we set out to shareholders at IPO. Whilst the lack of a sustained increase in consumer disposable incomes gives some caution to the outlook, I believe the potential of our retail and services businesses will enable us to deliver our strategy and achieve long-term returns."