A leading pet and vet products supplier – based in the heart of Herriot country – is celebrating its three millionth order after 12 years in business.
Online retailer www.VetUK.co.uk, headquartered in Thirsk, was originally launched in the living room of veterinary surgeon Iain Booth back in 2006.
Mr Booth made it his mission to reduce the cost of ownership for the estimated 15m households in the UK with pets.
And VetUK has now recorded its 3,000,000th online order – generating an estimated £100m in sales in the process.
Celebrating the milestone, Mr Booth said:
To succeed in business, you have to be passionate about what you do.
We set out to deliver an alternative way for people to access medicines and products for their pets at a price that was affordable and fair.
The company was born out of a desire to get pet owners to shop around for their products, rather than to simply accept the inflated prices offered by other retailers, and vets.
And we’re delighted to have reached this landmark.
From our point of view, we do what e-commerce should do. VetUK occupies a niche in the market where customers get value for money but also a high quality service, too.
VetUK, based on the Europark industrial estate, on Station Road, Thirsk, employs 30 dedicated staff and is a licensed to supply the full range of of pet medications.
And to maintain its position in a highly competitive market place, its strategy remains to consistently grow its product range, particularly its own brand items.
They include supplements, flea and tick treatments, multiwormer for both dogs and cats, as well as food ranges for everything from garden birds and small furries to cats and dogs.
There are also Vet Diets to help animals get extra nutritional help, as well as products for the aquarium and pond, and for horses.
Mr Booth adds:
The key for us in educating people about pet care, and getting them to question the prices they’re often asked to pay.
For something like flea and tick treatment, products will often contain exactly the same active ingredient. Yet one label will charge double the price of our own-brand alternative, which essentially does the same thing.
Hopefully more and more pet owners are becoming wise in their spending habits.
As part of its service, VetUK also has a dedicated customer services team, which is available to help clients with any pet care-related question.
VetUK is also a proud supporter of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) helicopter emergency service, making large donations annually for the last seven years.
Meanwhile Thirsk has a rich history when it comes to vets.
Legendary author and veterinary surgeon James Alfred Wight, who went by the pen name ‘James Herriot’, practised in Thirsk for 40 years while also penning books like, ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ and ‘If Only They Could Talk’.
