Features

Jul- 2020 -

28 July

Supply, demand and meeting customer expectations

Demand for pets over the past few months has soared. Wood Green, The Animals Charity’s dog rehoming enquiries increased by more than 253% during lockdown and over 20,000 people contacted Wood Green about getting a new pet between April and June – more than half of which were for dogs.…

24 July

Giving customers added value has never been so important

When was the last time you thought about why your customers choose you over other services? They might come to you to buy the latest products for their rabbit, a prescription for their cat or a nice pamper session for their pooch. What can set a business apart is the…

22 July

Building loyalty with pet owners, manufacturers must take the lead

A lack of knowledge of the end customer is a challenge for any industry where a manufacturer is selling via distributors, large buying practices or, in the case of the pet trade, direct to the veterinary practice. Manufacturers have the tough job of appealing to all the stakeholders; the vets,…

20 July

Coronavirus diaries: Wear Referrals

As with everyone else, we went from being aware that a very concerning situation was developing across the world, to the unprecedented lockdown measures imposed on the UK. We adapted to these measures very quickly and, as time moved on, they made us question almost every aspect of our lives…

17 July

How to avoid needing to see vet for your pet during the lockdown

As the UK continues to battle with the Covid-19 pandemic, is particularly important to avoid pets needing to see a vet during this period. Many vets are able to offer consultations and prescribe urgent medications and treatments remotely, each vet practice can advise how supplies can be collected as procedures…

15 July

How is Covid-19 changing the way pet care retailers sell?

The pet industry is facing an unprecedented challenge as retailers look for ways to meet demand for essential items during the lockdown period. With store closures putting further pressure on online operations, how can pet care retailers manage to service customers safely and responsibly? Optimising stock deployment The latest official…

13 July

Coming together in the face of a pandemic

We are living in an unprecedented, unpredictable and challenging time. In the weeks since my last column, there has been a seismic shift in the way in which veterinary teams function and the range of services they are able to offer clients. The financial and emotional toll of the Covid-19…

10 July

Coronavirus Diary: First Vet

How the pandemic changed has my day to day experience of working with pets? I work for FirstVet, a video-based veterinary consultation service that was first launched in the UK in April 2019. During the pandemic FirstVet has seen a marked increase in the demand for remote consults (in fact,…

8 July

Mexican Rose Finch

I once saw a group of quite large and very attractive finches in a cage at a local bird traders’ facility. This would have been in the late 1980s early 1990s. These were large birds, steady on the perch with a robust beak and attractive red/pink plumage over the head…

6 July

Coronavirus diaries: National Animal Welfare Trust

Running an animal rescue and rehoming charity over the last four months has been a rollercoaster ride in a theme park called Uncertainty. How normal life now seems in January and February as we began implementing our strategic plans, oblivious to the juggernaut around the corner. Coronavirus became a real…