TWO sisters with a pet supply business have launched a new concession in York city centre.

Bethany Corbett and Michelle Ingram have teamed up with Browns of York as part of plans to expand their Sheriff Hutton-based Simply2 Pet Products business.

Simply2 Pet Products stocks toys, treats, bedding and pet care items for dogs and cats, and employs eight people with plans to hire more as the company grows.

Bethany and Michelle have launched their new concession in Browns’ Davygate store, offering many of their most popular pet products along with the Browns-exclusive ‘Ebor’ line of leather dog collars and leads.

York Press:

They hope to be able to expand further into the three other Browns locations.

Bethany and Michelle previously worked for the family business - their father Kevin Ingram set up the independent veterinary supplier JAK Marketing in 1995, and the whole family initially worked together to run JAK from their home, dispatching orders to vets nationwide.

JAK Marketing purchased its first warehouse on the Sheriff Hutton industrial estate in 2002 and has since expanded into more units and has a 35-strong team of staff, all from the local area.

Bethany and Michelle worked at JAK in purchasing and marketing respectively. Seeing a growing demand for JAK products in the retail sector, they set up Simply2 Pet Products, going on to devote themselves to it entirely from 2018.

They now have a global customer base, exporting their own brand of Yorkshire-made premium pet bedding, ProFleece - a strong and comfortable fleece, made from recycled plastic water bottles that allows liquids to pass through without staining or bacterial growth, making it ideal for whelping and kittening or elderly, or disabled pets.

Simply2 also stocks biodegradable dog poo bags, including their own corn-starch based compostable bags, Compoost’Em.

Originally, Simply2 supplied mainly to trade, but recently focused on private retail customers too, prompting the concession launch.

Its new website launched in June, offering pet care advice and products - including the Suitical Recovery Suit, an alternative to E-collars or cones, and Tick Twister tick removal tools. They’ve also collaborated with Greek company NanoSanitas to offer their award-winning grooming products.

Simply2 had to furlough some staff, but stayed open throughout the lockdowns to supply pet shops and owners with essential pet care products. They’ve since been able to bring everyone back on board to run at full capacity.