Jollyes officially opened its new flagship Swansea store at Fforestfach Retail Park on Saturday, November 15, and was joined by hundreds of customers and pets.
The Swansea store is the first of six new openings planned over the next six weeks.
Performing the red ribbon cutting was The Countess Lady Bathurst, founder of the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA), who led ceremony supported by NFRSA mascot PD Hero and members of the Jollyes team.
Alongside The Countess Bathurst were three special guests – heroic South Wales Police dogs Keiko, Hera, and Rockywho all bit through strings of sausages to mark the official opening.
Jollyes presented the NFRSA with £5,000 from its in-store fundraising for the charity, part of its pledge to donate up to £20,000 in support of NFRSA and the retired service animals it supports.
During the event, South Wales Police were also presented with a certificate of thanks for raising £2,600 for NFRSA after completing the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge.
The NFRSA helps support the care, well-being, and welfare of retired service animals from across the emergency service family – the police, fire, border force, National Crime Agency, NHS and prison services.
The new Swansea store has recruited six new staff who bring extensive knowledge and pet passion, led by store managerClaudia Circiuamru.
Ms Circiuamru said: “We’re delighted to finally open the doors and welcome customers to our new store in Swansea. My whole team here is excited to bring their pet expertise alongside the kind of value that’s been making a real difference to pet parents right across the UK.”
Swansea is Jollyes’ seventh Welsh store, joining Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Llanelli, Flint and Wrexham.
It’s the first of six stores to open over the next six weeks after the pet retailer agreed to take over a number of Poundland stores set for closure.
The next new Jollyes store will be in Southend-on-Sea on Saturday, November 22, followed by the first of the former Poundland stores in Thurrock on Friday, November 28, and Colne on Saturday, November 29, which will all receive a visit from Santa and his reindeers.
