Retailer Jollyes will open its next brand new store in Blackburn next Friday, with an important giveaway for all dog owners.
The new outlet at Unit 2, Grimshaw Park, Lower Audley Street, will be giving away free poo bags to the first 140 customers from 10am on July 26.
Inspired by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s campaign to encourage dog owners to do the right thing, Jollyes will be giving away ‘power poop’ bags that even come with a battery-style red reminder when the roll is about to run out.
The giveaway could help pet owners save money – as they can be fined up to £1000 at court for failing to pick up their dog’s mess.
But the giveaway won’t just be for customers at its new Blackburn store – Jollyes is writing today to every council in the UK with a nearby Jollyes store to tell them that all of its 100-plus locations will also have 140 free poo bag rolls for the first customers to shop in store next Friday.
Alongside the poop bag giveaway, there’s a big line up of other activity planned for opening weekend.
In support of Jollyes’ new partnership with the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA), three retired prison service dogs and a North West border force cocker spaniel will bite through a string of sausages to formally declare the store open.
RPD Purdy, a cockapoo, RPD Orio a 14-year-old labrador and RPD Digit, an 11-year-old Collie and prison service handler Sarah Vinton alongside border force cocker spaniel Norman and his handler Alanna Bayliss from Bolton will perform the opening ceremony alongside the mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Brian Taylor.
Over the next 12 months, all Jollyes’ stores will be raising money for NFRSA with collections matched by Jollyes up to £20,000 that will help NFRSA support retired service animals and their owners.
On Friday, there’ll be goody bags available for the first 100 customers, stilt walkers and an opportunity for all customers to spin Jollyes’ iconic ‘Wheel of Fur-tune’ to win instant prizes.
On Saturday, July 27, there’ll also be entertainment and music and customer gameshows alongside balloon modelling for kids with prizes to be won.