Belford pet shop closing its doors and moving to new premises in Seahouses

Ruth and Malcolm Riley, owners of Frankie and Twinkles Pet Supplies, have been based on Belford Industrial Estate for the past 18 months.

They decided they wanted to move their shop elsewhere to a busier spot with higher footfall and looked at various empty premises on Belford High Street.

Instead they have made the decision to move to an empty unit in Seahouses, which they hope to open in the spring.

They hope the seaside village, a visitor hotspot in the summer, will pay dividends.

Ruth said: “We did originally want to be in Belford because the village needs more shops for local people. It would have been perfect.

“But hopefully as Seahouses has more footfall and we are just a proper pet shop trying to expand our ranges, we will see more customers.”

The pet shop has been a hit with pet owners in the community due to its initiatives to keep prices as low as possible, especially during the cost of living crisis.

Frankie and Twinkles introduced a loyalty card, where a stamp is given for every £10 spent. After receiving five stamps, customers get 20% off their shop.

They decided to offer this as they felt that pet shops are generally expensive, and pet owners do go above and beyond for their pets.

To reduce worry for customers in tough financial times, Ruth and Malcolm thought that the loyalty card will give people a chance to save a bit of money.