# Pets At Home names former Waitrose boss James Bailey as chief executive

By Russ Mould — 2025-12-23

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: “The market has given a cautiously positive welcome to the man tasked with putting some pep back into Pets at Home as James Bailey is announced as a permanent replacement for the recently ousted Lyssa McGowan.

“Bailey has decent retail credentials having served as managing director at Waitrose through Covid and relaunching the supermarket’s online platform after it broke ties with Ocado. Prior to that he spent two decades at Sainsbury’s.

“This retail experience is important as it’s the retail arm of Pets at Home which really needs sorting out.

“The company’s veterinary business continues to perform well – notwithstanding the ongoing probe by the competition authorities into this whole market.

“To what extent this can be fixed is Bailey’s conundrum to solve.

“With household budgets in the UK still under pressure, people are less likely to splash out on extra treats and toys for their furry and feathered friends and are more likely to focus on the basics.

“Added to this, Pets at Home faces real pressure from the big supermarkets who have the purchasing power to outmatch them on price.”

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