Industry News

Jul- 2020 -

3 July

RSPCA outlines efforts to go plastic-free

RSPCA has announced a host of measures introduced in efforts to become plastic-free across its business. Its first step is to replace all plastic bags with more environmentally-friendly paper ones across its charity shops, noting it is “one of the first” charities to move away from single-use plastic carrier bags.…

3 July

Face masks in Scottish shops mandatory from 10 July

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that shoppers will be required to wear face masks from 10 July. Last week, we reported that retailers in Scotland were being asked to display a poster at their entrance requesting shoppers to wear face coverings. However, wearing face masks in shops has…

3 July

Consumer confidence increases in June

GfK’s fourth Covid-19 flash report has revealed Consumer Confidence Index increased by three points to -27 over the past two weeks. Joe Staton, GfK‘s client strategy director, said after the recent “near-historic low” of -36 for the Consumer Confidence Barometer last month, there are some early signs of improvement across most measures…

2 July

Pawexpo 2020 postponed

The organisers of Pawexpo have announced that the pet trade show will no longer take place this year in light of the ongoing pandemic. Following a series of discussions between organisers and the pet retail market, the event’s organiser, Hyve, has confirmed that Pawexpo will instead return as a live…

2 July

ECC congress goes online

Organisers for the emergency and critical care (ECC) congress have announced that the event will now go digital in light of continued uncertainty amid the pandemic. Vets Now said that the event will now take place at a virtual conference centre between 4 November and 7 November, providing digital networking…

2 July

Increased road closures ‘detrimental’ to high street trade, says Bira

Increasing numbers of road closures are a further barrier for shoppers to return to the high street, says the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira). Bira is raising concerns after members in coastal resorts highlighted the problem when roads were closed as “tourists flocked to beaches during lockdown last week”. Andrew…

2 July

Wilsons Pet Food looks to expand

Wilsons Pet Food is reportedly set up to sign several deals with “major retailers” in a bid that would fuel the company’s growth. Craig Wallace purchased the pet food brand in 2017, and has since facilitated the opening of its first purpose-built production facility. It now produces cold-pressed dog food…

2 July

High street retailers ‘urgently’ need government recovery plan, says Usdaw

Shopworkers union Usdaw has urged the government to agree with employers and trade unions a recovery plan for the high street as “thousands of further job losses are announced”. The union said the scale of job losses across the retail industry is “accelerating” as the high street continues to struggle…

1 July

KCCT Emergency Relief Initiative supports rescue centre

The Good Life Dog Rescue has revealed that the Kennel Club Charitable Trust’s (KCCT) emergency fund has supported the business through the crisis, allowing it to continue operations amid the pandemic. The Yorkshire-based rescue centre has saved over 300 dogs in the last year. The organisation works to rehome dogs,…

1 July

PFMA launches webinar promotion

The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) is encouraging those who work in the veterinary profession, pet welfare, and rehoming charities to sign up to its upcoming online webinars. In a bid to make the training courses more accessible to these professionals, the PFMA is now offering an exclusive 20% discount…