Pet store brand Pets at Home has been acquired by private equity firm KKR for nearly £1b.

The brand has been sold by Bridgegroup which was in talks with several potential buyers – Apax Partners, Bain, KKR and TPG and follows successful trading figures over Christmas for the 240-chain.

John Pfeffer, European head of retail for KKR, said: “We are enthusiastic about the significant further potential for Pets at Home to grow, develop and continue to deliver its unmatched breadth of products, store environment, competitive pricing and customer service.”