Industry News

May- 2018 -

14 May

Pets at Home drops new Skegness store after recruiting and training staff

Pets at Home’s new Skegness store will not open despite the pet retail giant recruiting and training staff ahead of a launch. Only a few days ago the store announced it was due to open at the end of the month, but now it has decided it won’t be opened.…

14 May

Shigezo Kamihata posthumously awarded 2018 OFI Award

Shigezo Kamihata, founder of Kamihata Fish Industries, has posthumously been awarded the 2018 Ornamental Fish International (OFI) Award for his pioneering work for the aquatic industry in Japan and internationally. Kamihata passed away on 25 December 2017 at the age of 91. His deep passion for fish lead to him founding…

14 May

Retail consumer spending sees sharpest drop since 2012

Consumer spending has suffered its sharpest drop in six years, according to Visa’s latest consumer spending index. Spending in-store fell by 5.4 percent in April when compared to the same period last year, while overall consumer spending fell by two percent, matching March’s year-on-year figures. Online spending was also down…

11 May

Blue Cross ‘pleased’ with Efra inquiry into Dangerous Dogs Act

Blue Cross has said it was ‘pleased’ to see that the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Efra) was launching an inquiry into the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The charity said that 27 years later after the Act was brought in, it was clear that this law has been ‘completely…

11 May

Pet food company to hold mental health awareness event

A pet food company, Poppy’s Picnic, has held an event for care home residents in order to support Mental Health Awareness Week and show how pets can help people overcome depression and anxiety. The event will see residents from Dauntsey House Care Home meet the dogs of company owners Dylan…

11 May

‘Pawternity leave’ introduced at Cambridge company

A Cambridge company has introduced ‘pawternity leave’ for employees with newborn puppies, to allow them time to help the animals settle in. Technology company Airsorted is offering those with new puppies a full week off with pay to look after their new arrivals. James Jenkins-Yates, CEO and founder at Airsorted…

11 May

Smartphone purchases account for 54 percent of UK retail transactions, study finds

Retail purchases made on smartphones have seen a 66 percent increase in Q1 of 2018 compared to Q4 2017 according to marketing technology company Criteo’s Global Commerce Review. The research also showed that mobile devices accounted for over half (54 percent) of retail transactions in the UK. Shopping apps are…

11 May

MPs launch inquiry into Dangerous Dogs Act

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee has launched an inquiry into the legislation on dangerous dogs. There will be a debate regarding the effectiveness of the leglislation and the impacts of it on dog welfare. According to the committee, the number of yearly hospital admissions for dog bites increased…

10 May

Catipilla releases new cat climbing frame

Pet product manufacturer, Catipilla, has released its new range of cat climbing frames. The Catipilla climbing frames can be used both indoors and outdoors and the company claims it has many health benefits for feline friends. Catipilla was inspired by Smudge, an 18-year-old house cat who was struggling to clamber into…

10 May

Pet food ingredients market to be worth $45.44bn (£33.3bn) by 2023

According to a new report the value of the pet food ingredients market is set to increase from $34.96bn (£26.9bn) to $45.44bn (£33.3bn) by 2023, running at a CAGR of 5.4%. The report by revenue intelligence company MarketsandMarkets says that a higher population of pets and “pet humanisation” is contributing…