Industry News

Jun- 2020 -

22 June

Bira welcomes extension of government protection scheme

Bira has “welcomed” the government’s decision to extend protection for businesses from aggressive debt collection until September. The extended measures will prevent struggling retailers from being evicted with the current protection originally due to expire on June 30. The association said the decision was made by the government after Bira…

19 June

Tomojo launches in UK market

An eco-friendly cat food company has announced the launch of a new product for the UK pet market. Tomojo specialises in insect food for pets, and has now launched an “innovative recipe” for cats, developed in association with veterinary nutritionists. Its aim is to minimise its environmental impact while providing…

19 June

PetPanion seeks pet trade partners for new programme

PetPanion has announced it is searching for pet trade product and service providers to join its new owner rewards programme. It comes as the app has launched its new wellness score feature. Developed in conjunction with the University of Surrey, the feature “addresses all the areas new and existing dog…

19 June

Scotland government clamps down on animal abusers, raising sentences to five years

Animal welfare charity, Battersea, has praised the Scottish Government and MSPs from across parliament for delivering on their “promise” to increase maximum sentences for the worst animal cruelty offences from 12 months to five years. The ‘Animals and Wildlife Bill’ first introduced in October last year, passed its third and…

19 June

92% of shopworkers oppose longer Sunday working hours, says Usdaw

Some 92% of retail staff in England have opposed large shops opening for more than six hours on a Sunday, as the government considers deregulating Sunday trading. According to a survey by shopworkers trade union Usdaw, 66% of the 11,000 retail staff said they feel they are pressured to work…

18 June

Employers given 30 days to ‘confess’ to furlough abuses

Legislation is currently being fast-tracked to allow HMRC to reclaim any furlough money overpaid to employers, or not spent on wages as intended. Although we do not have the final version of the legislation, employers should start addressing their minds to the claims they have made to date as soon…

18 June

Pet Place secure £1m CBILS loan from Lloyds Bank

Pet supplies firm, Pet Place, has announced it has secured a £1m Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loan from Lloyds Bank. Pet Place, which owns five superstores across North Wales, has said it has successfully scaled up its online and click and collect services after a 600% increase in…

18 June

Aquatic firms see boost during lockdown

The UK’s aquatics industry has reportedly been “boosted” by a rise in popularity of garden ponds during the nationwide lockdown. According to the organisers of Aqua 2021, more households have looked to build a wildlife or fishpond in the garden during lockdown, which has “proved good for business” for Aqua…

18 June

Covetrus appoints Sandra Peterson to board of directors

Animal-health technology company Covetrus has announced Sandra Peterson has been appointed to the company’s board of directors. Peterson has experience in driving growth, operational improvement and innovation across global healthcare and consumer businesses. She has held senior positions at Johnson and Johnson, where she worked as group worldwide chairman and…

18 June

PFMA marks fiftieth anniversary

The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) has celebrated its 50th anniversary, and marked the occasion with the launch of a short film. The PFMA was founded in 1970 by four pet food companies who “saw the need for a single body to act as an industry voice”. The association was…