Pets at Home has posted a jump in first quarter sales as shoppers spend more on their furry friends, despite the cost-of-living crisis.

Group sales for the pet care retailer surged 7.9% to £436.8m in the 16 weeks to 20 July, with like-for-like revenue also up 7.9%, Retail Gazette reported.

Retail sales rose 7.1% over the period, boosted by volume growth across its grocery and premium categories and progress on its price position.

Pets at Home - which has stores in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cirencester - attributed its positive sales momentum to a 4% increase of active VIP members to 7.7m, with over 22,000 new puppy & kitten sign ups and 18,000 new pet registrations a week for its vet group.

The retailer said it plans to consolidate its vet and retail support offices, which will result in a £3m one-off transition cost this year.

Chief executive Lyssa McGowan said: "The quality of our growth has remained strong as we grew transaction volumes and continued to acquire new consumers at an impressive rate, as our compelling value, range and service continues to resonate with consumers."