Pets at Home has reported an 18% leap in revenue to £302 million for the third quarter of 2020.

The retailer reported a strong performance despite coronavirus lockdowns effecting store openings on both a regional and national level.

Like-for-like sales saw a 17.6% rise as customers took advantage of its click and collect service.

Peter Pritchard, Pets at Home’s group chief executive, said: “I am very pleased with the progress we have made in this quarter, in particular how we have adapted to the changing environment in which we operate.

“We remain as determined as ever to create the best pet care platform in the world, and our strong liquidity gives us the capacity to make the right investments to support our ambition”.

London saw the sharpest rise in dog ownership across the country in 2020, an 84% leap according to research conducted by Quotezone.co.uk.

Pets at Home revealed that the number of VIP members increased 12% year-on-year, over a quarter of whom shopped across more than one channel during the festive period.

Meanwhile, its Puppy and Kitten Club members grew by almost 50%, typically spending a further 25% more than non-members.

Pets at Home also revealed that its veterinary practices averaged 10,000 per week over the second half of the year, while subscriptions rose to more than one million.