Covid
Covid-19 had a profound and lasting impact on the UK pet industry, reshaping consumer habits, retail operations, and supply chain resilience. Under this tag, Pet Gazette explores how pet shops, distributors, and petcare brands navigated lockdown restrictions, staffing challenges, product shortages, and evolving customer expectations. We also report on the post-Covid trading landscape — including lasting shifts towards online sales, changes in in-store footfall, altered buying patterns, and recovery strategies. Coverage is tailored to support pet retailers and supply chain professionals adapting to the sector’s ongoing evolution in the wake of the pandemic.
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Apr- 2021 -14 AprilEconomy
First day of reopening sees UK footfall rise 155%
The first day of reopening saw footfall in UK retail destinations rose yesterday by +155.2% from the same day last week, and by +225.2% in shopping centres, according to the latest data from Springboard. It found the rise in footfall in high streets was slightly lower at +176.1% and was perhaps…
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12 AprilManufacturers
Hills partners with Gemma Atkinson to launch #MissionForeverFriend
Hills Pet Nutrition has partnered with actress and Hits Radio presenter Gemma Atkinson as part of its nationwide campaign to support homeless pets in need due to Covid-19. According to Hills, animal shelters across the country are “facing unprecedented budget cuts and financial strain”. In addition, a growing number of…
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12 AprilManufacturers
Ceva launches new separation anxiety guidance for pets
Ceva Animal Health has launched new guidance on separation anxiety for pets coming out of lockdown. The manufacturer, responsible for pet behavioural product Adaptil, is providing the guidance via leaflets, available online and physically, which will allow retailers to distribute it to customers how they see fit. The leaflet, titled…
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8 AprilSponsored
Kennelgate relaunches online as PetsandFriends.co.uk
Almost a year ago now back in March 2020, East-Midlands-based pet store chain Kennelgate (an umbrella brand of Kennelpak) saw what a lot of other retailers did, a huge boom in online sales due to the coronavirus lockdown. However, even with over 40 years in the industry, e-commerce trading was…
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8 AprilCharities
NAWT names Rob Mitchell as CEO
Rescue and rehoming charity National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) has appointed Rob Mitchell as its new chief executive officer. Mitchell joins the charity following a career in retail – first starting out at B&Q and latterly working as general manager, shop operations with the John Lewis Partnership. Outside of working…
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6 AprilFeatures
Paws for thought – trends that have impacted the pet care industry
Even before the Coronavirus pandemic upended everything, the pet care industry tended to mirror the trends of the human world, influenced by factors such as where we live, what we eat and our attitude towards health and wellness. It’s no surprise then that major shifts in pet care shopping habits…
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Mar- 2021 -29 MarchTrade Organisations
Kennel Club cancels Crufts 2021
Kennel Club has announced its decision to cancel Crufts 2021, which was due to take place from 15 to 18 July. The event is instead set to return 10 to 13 March 2022. Citing the Covid-19 pandemic, the event organisers said it had to take into consideration the health of…
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24 MarchCoronavirus
Gov urged to avoid fourth lockdown as Covid claims 67,000 retail jobs
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called on the government to take “all necessary precautions” to prevent another lockdown after 67,000 retail jobs have been lost in the past year due to Covid-19. The plea comes in response to the latest ONS job figures, which also show that employment levels in the sector have dropped…
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24 MarchTrade Organisations
UK houses 34 million pets, PFMA finds
The Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) has released its annual pet population report, which reveals there are currently 34 million pets in the UK. Across the country, there are 12 million cats, 12 million dogs, as well as 3.2 million small mammals such as guinea pigs and hamsters. This represents…
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22 MarchBusiness
A dive into doggy day cares
Bruce Casalis, founder of Bruce’s Doggy Day Care has been in the industry for over 13 years, caring for the individual needs of every dog that visits one of his centres. He first started out by walking dogs in the park and after seeing the demand for a registered professional,…
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