Wilko in Aylesbury to welcome pets inside for the first time

Wilko in Aylesbury now accepts pets indoors, the retail chain announced yesterday (February 7).

The Aylesbury store is one of 248 shops where Wilko customers will be able to bring their pets down most aisles.

That total makes up over two thirds of the stores within the UK.

Wilko says the decision was made following a pilot scheme at two selected UK locations.

Pets are now welcome down all the aisles apart from those containing food in participating shops.

On the same date Friars Square shopping centre in Aylesbury announced it would allow dogs within its hub.

Roughly 50% of businesses within the shopping centre also now allow furry creatures inside, including Pandora and Café Nero.

Since announcing the decision yesterday afternoon, Wilko has faced a mixed response.

Over 8,000 Wilko customers have commented on the chain's official Facebook page.

Many readers have labelled the move "brilliant", while a significant portion of responses have been negative, raising concerns about some owners' ability to control their dogs.

Opposition varies from those worried about assistant dogs being barked and attacked by the extra pets brought into the retail stores.

To further complaints about the ability of staff and owners to police the situation stopping animals from urinating on Wilko products.

Wilko hasn't stated which animals can and can't visit the store, but says it expects cats and dogs to be the most frequent visitors.

Selected stores are primarily those with their own on-street entrance and exit, Wilko states.

Rather than stores that may be contained within larger shopping centres which have their own rules on pets, or chains located on streets without pet-friendly entrances.

Clear signage should alert customers as to whether or not it is a pet-friendly Wilko store.