宠物美容正发力

宠物美容，不只是替狗儿洗澡而已，而是借着顶级的美容用品和精湛的修剪技法增添美感，从而达到让狗狗和主人身心愉悦的效果。作为全国最大的宠物连锁店，Pets at Home（宠物在家）更是从这一产业赚足了银子。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

notched有凹口的[nɔtʃt]

pamper纵容['pæmpə]

pooch杂种狗[puːtʃ]

like-for-like同比

veterinary兽医的['vɛtərənɛri]

flea跳蚤[fliː]

hygiene卫生学，保健法['haɪdʒiːn]

Pets at Home boosted by grooming services（445words）

By Aliya Ram

Pets at Home notched up strong growth in its third quarter as Britons gave their pooches a pampering in the run-up to Christmas.

The UK's largest pet store chain said on Wednesday that third-quarter revenues climbed 7.1 per cent to £195.1m in the three months to December 31. Like-for-like sales rose 2.2 per cent, fuelled by an 8.5 per cent jump in services sales, including a big contribution from veterinary and grooming.

This compares with like-for-like growth of 4.1 per cent for the group and 26 per cent in the services unit in the third quarter of the previous year.

According to the pet supplies chain the number of dogs groomed in the week before Christmas increased 18 per cent on the year before to 12,000. Merchandise sales, including pet nutrition, rose 1.7 per cent during the third quarter, compared with 3.4 per cent last time.

“We are pleased with the improved trading momentum in our merchandise business, alongside continued strength in our vet and grooming services,” said chief executive Nick Wood. “We are also delighted with our acquisition of one of the UK's leading specialist hospitals, Anderson Moores [a veterinary specialist].”

According to Mr Wood the slowdown in the pace of growth during its second year as a listed company was due to tough comparatives from 2014-15, when warm and wet weather resulted in high sales of flea treatments.

“Last year's growth was above our expectations because health and hygiene was very strong,” he said. “This year we've had a drag to our performance from health and hygiene…but underlying that, you have a very strong [offer] with a very fast and accretive business tacked on top.”

General merchandise sales, including health and hygiene products, account for a slightly larger proportion of the company's revenue mix over the winter. But total sales from the fast-growing services business increased more than in the previous year, jumping 27.4 per cent to £17.8m, compared with a 26 per cent rise last time, as Britons groomed their pets ready for Christmas.

“Merchandise like-for-like growth has picked up from the first half, with the health and hygiene category recovering,” said retail analysts at Liberum. “This should help reassure that the recent weakness was a trading ‘blip' rather than anything else.”

The chain added that it was on track to open 20-25 Pets at Home stores, five Barkers-branded outlet, up to 55 vet practices and 55-60 grooming salons this year.

Pets at Home has lost more than a fifth of its market value since October, when it reported weaker than expected sales.

On Wednesday shares were 4 per cent higher at 242.6p in early afternoon trade.

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1.Pets at Home is the largest pet store chain in which country?

A.America

B.Britain

C.Canada

D.France

答案(1)

2.When the number of dogs groomed according to the pet supplies?

A.the week after Christmas

B.the week before Easter

C.summer vacation

D.the week before Christmas

答案(2)

3.What resulted in high sales of flea treatments?

A.warm and wet weather

B.flood routing

C.pet owners' thoughtlessness

D.volcanic eruption

答案(3)

4.Which one will be opened more in 2016?

A.Pets at Home stores

B.grooming salons

C.Barkers-branded outlet

D.vet practices

答案(4)

* * *

(1)答案：B.Britain

解释：Pets at Home（宠物在家）是英国最大的宠物连锁店。

(2)答案：D.the week before Christmas

解释：人们把宠物视为家庭成员，愿意为其消费。除常规用品之外，英国人还会给宠物购买圣诞礼物。

(3)答案：A.warm and wet weather

解释：温暖潮湿的天气导致跳蚤治疗销售的增加。

(4)答案：B.grooming salons

解释：文章倒数第三段