Pets At Home is set to open a new distribution centre in the UK’s West Midland’s region.
The pet goods retailer has taken a lease on a 670,000 square foot development site at Redhill Business Park in Stafford. It is located close to Junction 14 of the M6.
The site will comprise a warehouse unit, three-storey office and two double-storey hub offices. It will also have a recycling store, tote store and a gatehouse.
Excluding fit-out, construction is expected to be completed during 2022.
Stoford joint managing director, Dan Gallagher, said: “We’re excited to deliver this scheme on behalf of Pets at Home, which will support both their current position as the UK’s leading pet care business as well as their future growth trajectory.
“Redhill Business Park is an established facility that provides a superb central location for a new development of this scale, with excellent motorway connections and a host of household occupiers nearby. The proposed arrival of Pets at Home demonstrates that deals of this scale and nature are still possible, in spite of the challenging environment.”
Simon Norton, director for industrial and logistics at Colliers International, said: “This is a remarkable deal for all parties involved. Both Stoford Developments and Pets at Home have worked seamlessly to agree what would be an exciting project once completed, giving Pets at Home a purpose-built, well-located and future focused facility to serve both its store and online requirements.
“This planned site acquisition really demonstrates how the industrial and logistics property sector continues to buck the trend with space take up exceeding previous years, particularly as the Big Box market has become one of the leading asset classes for both occupiers and investors.”
Pets At Home saw total group revenues fall 1% in the first quarter of its financial year (beginning 28 February). The first eight weeks of lockdown saw like-for-like revenues fall 13.5% year-on-year while the subsequent eight weeks saw growth of 12%.
