Covid-19
Covid-19 disrupted every level of the UK pet industry — from in-store operations and customer behaviour to global supply chains and product availability. Under this tag, Pet Gazette examines the commercial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on pet shops, distributors, importers, and suppliers. Coverage includes lockdown trading conditions, workforce challenges, logistics disruption, e-commerce growth, and the long-term shift in consumer purchasing patterns. We also report on government support schemes, safety regulations, and how the pandemic has reshaped strategic planning across the petcare sector.
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Jun- 2020 -22 JuneCoronavirus
Cheshire Police warn of rise in pet scams during coronavirus pandemic
Police in Cheshire have warned the public of a rise in pet buying scams during the Covid-19 pandemic. During the start of lockdown, West Midlands Police warned the public against buying pets online without visiting them first, as they fear criminals are taking advantage of the current Covid-19 pandemic. Online…
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19 JuneCoronavirus
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…
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18 JuneFeatures
Coronavirus diaries: PetPlace
PetPlace has introduced cutting-edge social distancing and safety measures to ensure the wellbeing of its customers during the coronavirus pandemic. The retailer, which has sites across North Wales, is the first in the UK to install Record FlowControl at its Abergele store, a revolutionary automated system that only allows a…
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17 JuneIndustry News
Lockdown has led to a 95% increase in social e-commerce, research reveals
Lockdown has led to a 95% increase in social ecommerce, according to new research by Parcelhero. The home delivery firm has predicted that a fifth of Brits have become “social shoppers” during the Covid-19 pandemic as many consumers have been using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Google…
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16 JuneRetailers
Covid-19 to add £5.3bn to UK e-commerce in 2020
The surge in online shopping caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to add £5.3bn to UK e-commerce sales this year, to reach a total of £78.9bn. This is according to analysts at Edge Retail Insight, the global trend forecasting arm of retail insights firm Edge by Ascential, which have…
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16 JuneFeatures
How pet retailers and brands can learn and adapt after Covid-19
Monitor consumer behaviour and adapt accordingly It’s more important than ever to closely monitor consumer behaviour. As expected, there has been a massive shift to online retail, both with direct to consumer, and via retail sites, with consumers taking advantage of the ability to order and have it delivered direct…
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15 JuneRetailers
Usdaw urges public to ‘respect shopworkers’ as shops are allowed to reopen
Shopworkers union Usdaw has urged customers to respect staff and employers to ensure safety in stores, as shops are allowed to reopen from today (15 June). The news comes as Usdaw released statistics revealing one in six shop workers have suffered abuse on every shift, during the coronavirus pandemic. The statistics revealed 62%…
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12 JuneIndustry News
Pet food retailer to move to largest premises of their kind
A pet food retailer has finalised a deal to secure a move into a former supermarket in Hampshire, creating the biggest pet food store store of its kind in the country. Healthy Pet Store, which specialises in healthy, frozen meals for cats and dogs, is now set to take over…
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12 JuneEconomy
UK GDP slumps over 20% in April as full impact of Covid-19 is felt
GDP slumped by 20.4% in April 2020, following a fall of 5.8% in March, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is the biggest monthly fall since the ONS’ series began in 1997, with the measure also falling by 10.4% in the three months to April…
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11 JuneCoronavirus
WSAVA World Congress 2020 postponed until 2021
Organisers of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) have postponed its 2020 World Congress due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The global event was scheduled to be held in Warsaw, Poland, from 23-26 September, in collaboration with the Federation of Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) and the Polish Small Animal…
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