Pickles, the animal wellness startup modernising pet healthcare by connecting the best vets to pet owners both online and in-person, have announced today the first-ever members-only veterinary practice in West London.
Backed by angel investment from companies like Butternut Box, this 3000 sq ft animal clinic will offer the millions of pet owners in the nation’s capital on-demand access to high quality and holistic pet care with a membership model that promises to fundamentally change the sector forever.
The company has developed its own proprietary technology platform to create a new experience for owners and personalised care for pets; based on the team’s experience in innovative human health companies.
The company stems from a very personal experience, when Richard White’s dog Pickles ended up passing away and Richard experienced first-hand the dis-jointed and confusing service that most pet owners have become accustomed to. Not wanting to wait for change, Richard co-founded a company with a mission to provide the best vet and healthcare experience for animals and their human companions, by combining tech with optimal clinical care to better serve both pet owners and veterinary professionals, removing any friction in the process and enabling personalisation of the experience all around for both parties.
Pickles offer pet owners personalised care for their pets through a truly unique membership scheme and a companion app, making their vets and nurses exclusively available for their members and protecting the vet and pet owner relationship.
For a fixed annual membership fee of GBP 120.00 per year pets can receive yearly vaccinations and unlimited in-person consultations at a set price with no waiting, as well as video consults, dietary plans and other pet care services directly through their app. The technology supporting the experience also enables personalised and breed specific treatment advice which is data driven and will continuously evolve.
Richard White, Pickles Co-founder and CEO comments: “After several months operating online only, we are thrilled to launch Pickles’ first ever physical practice, as this is a core component of our offering. We chose West London for our first space, in response to the high concentration of pets, and the high demand for vet support in the area. We’re using tech to fix a tangible pain point for both vets and pet owners. The platform allows us to make sure medical professionals aren’t overstretched and are able to provide a better level of care for all the patients they see. The goal is to massively reduce the friction at both ends, and to offer an enhanced experience and greater transparency in the end costs for pet owners.”
Pickles’ brand new practice, located at 899-901 Fulham Rd, London SW6 5HU, in West London is the next step in this pet-care revolution and is being designed from the floor up to reimagine a more health-conscious way of delivering value to pets of all shapes and sizes.
Being more than double the size of an average vets in London allows for much larger consultation rooms and operating theatres, as well as the inclusion of dedicated spaces for more emotional conversations. In order to alleviate the stress of the pets as well as the owners, Pickles are pioneering a special focus on the use of scents, lights and colours to create a more calming atmosphere.
Pickles plans to open up another 5-7 sites in London over the next 12 months, before expanding out to 80+ locations nationwide. Crucial to the long term plans of the company are the introduction of a “360 experience” where Pickles’ physical locations become one-stop-shops for all pets’ needs. Down the line, Pickles will facilitate Pet Care Consultants, who act as an advocate for pet owners and ensure personalised and focussed care for every Pet and their owner. Leveraging the expertise and investor support from Butternut Box, Pickles will also broaden its services beyond veterinarian support and into pet insurance, food, toys and other products, and ultimately become the number one brand in the pet industry.
Richard adds: “So far we’ve seen that vets love working with us, and pets love coming in, so it’s firmly within our sights to create a brand and platform that is number one in a variety of verticals, and create a home-grown UK company worth billions of pounds.
“There has been little to no innovation in the pet sector over the past few years, especially when it comes to improving the physical aspects of pet care. In animal care, physicality can’t be ignored and is vitally important. I’m excited to bring my 20 years + of experience in caring for animals to Pickles’s strong digital DNA.” said Pickles co-Founder Andrew Francis.
The UK petcare market is currently valued at over £6bn, and as the trend for pet ownership continues to grow post-lockdown, this figure looks set to increase. Despite the unprecedented demand for pet health services, there are big issues holding back the industry.
Vets and nurses are leaving the industry in record numbers amidst high-pressure working environments, while pet owners face higher prices and longer waiting times. Pickles offer an alternative that has been greatly supported by vets and pet owners alike.
Pickles was founded by repeat entrepreneur Richard White (who founded Local Globes backed Goodlord, and grew it from 2 to 150 employees within 3 years), Paul Jakimciw, Andrew Francis and Nick Player (who scaled and sold Medivet). Between them, they boast successful experience in online consumer platforms (Skype, GiffGaff), healthtech (Push Doctor and Ada) and pet care (Paw Squad) which makes them perfectly placed to disrupt this industry. Their investors to date include Tom Singh (New Look founder), Jon Oringer (Shutterstock founder) & Edward Lando (serial early backer of Unicorn businesses) & Butternut box.
