Industry News

Easter retail sales ‘didn’t measure up’: KPMG

Easter retail sales did not “measure up” to expectations, with overall UK retail sales increasing by 1.4% in March from last year, according to KPMG. New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show, on a total basis, sales rose 2.3% in March, against a decline of 0.2% in March…

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Animal re-homing centre to reopen after infection scare

A Dogs Trust re-homing centre in Wymeswold is set to be reopen with restrictions following an infection scare. The centre released a statement on Monday 9 April, saying it was temporarily closed due to a “suspected infection”. It is unknown what the infection was, but a spokeswoman for the charity…

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PIF launches new online education portal

The Pet Industry Federation (PIF) has launched a new online education portal with a range of courses specifically designed for pet professionals. The courses include canine first aid, canine health and behaviour; business skills for dog groomers and legislation for dog groomers. The City and Guilds Pet Store Management course…

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Small firms hit by pension auto-enrolment scheme, claims FSB

Small firms and startups will be “hit the very hardest” by the doubling of auto-enrolment employer pension contributions, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). From 6 April 2018, the minimum amount employers must by law pay into workplace pensions increased by 2% of qualifying earnings, whilst staff contribute…

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Agria’s Anna Thomas named Young Marketer of the Year 2018

Agria’s Brand marketing executive, Anna Thomas, has been named Young Marketer of the Year by the Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA). Anna’s win was announced at the VMA Annual Awards event, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Friday 16 March 2018. Making the shortlist of three following a…

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UK retail sees second worst month on record for in-store sales

Like-for-like (LFL) in-store sales were down by 10.1% in the month of March, making it the second worst figures on record for UK retail. BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker report said the poor sales was largely attributed to the snowy weather. According to the business advisory firm’s records, the only…

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Raw dog food brand Poppy’s Picnic ‘smash’ crowdfunding target

Dylan Watkins and Louise Mackintosh, founders of raw dog food brand Poppy’s Picnic, have have broken through their crowdfunding target of £350,000 by raising nearly £600,000 in investment. The capital will be used to develop more recipes (including a new range for cats) and will help to fund their ambitious…

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Ceva Animal Welfare Awards 2018 announces winners

The winners of the Ceva Animal Welfare Awards 2018 have been announced in a ceremony in The Mercian Suite at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre in Birmingham on 4 April. The awards were hosted by TV presenter Matt Baker, and retired veterinary surgeon, Chris Laurence MBE FRCVS, who puts his…

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Forthglade launches new sea bass recipe

Devon-based dog food producers, Forthglade recently introduced a new sea bass recipe to their range of natural wet meals for dogs. The grain free complete meal contains 75% sea bass, sweet potato and vegetables. The company chose sea bass as an ingredient, saying it is a ‘great source of protein…

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‘We can’t compete with online pet sales’, claims charity

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is appealing to the public to choose to rehome a rescue dog or cat as it reveals a growing number of people are turning their backs on homeless animals – and logging onto the internet to find a new pet instead. In the UK, a…

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