Retailer Jollyes is to open two new stores in the north of England at the end of the month.
A new branch in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is due to open on Friday September 29, with an outlet in Widnes, Cheshire, opening on the following day.
Jollyes Harrogate, located at Unit 2C, Hookstone Park, Harrogate, will open at 9am on September 29, with an official ceremony at noon. The second store, at Unit 5, Widnes Shopping Park, Widnes, opens the following day at 10am.
Both stores will feature a Jolly Groomer salon plus a dedicated raw frozen food section. The Widnes branch will also features a community pet clinic.
The stores will both be staffed by teams of 12, led by managers Lyndsey Fearns in Widnes and Dawn Jenkins in Harrogate. Lyndsey, who is Jollyes store manager of the year, moves from the nearby Runcorn store while Dawn will transfer from Jollyes’ Selby store after four years working for the retailer.
On opening day, Harrogate’s “honorary hound” will bite through a string of sausages to declare the store open and take part in a “doggy dash” to take away a £100 jolly trolley full of goodies in a 60 second race round the aisles.
At Widnes, one competition winner will open the store by being “married” to their pet in a full-works ceremony including an organist, red carpet, flowers, and the exchange of rubber rings. The winner will also be going on a “Doggie-moon” holiday with their pet, courtesy of Jollyes.
Both stores will have special Jollyes goody bags for the first 100 customers.
Harrogate and Widnes will become Jollyes’ 94th and 95th UK stores respectively.