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.

Jul- 2020 -

14 July

Veterinary

Covid to ‘accelerate’ consolidation of vet sector, says VetPartners

VetPartners CEO Jo Malone has said that the veterinary industry will emerge “stronger than ever” after showing “adaptability and resilience” amid the pandemic. It comes as Covid had a “drastic” economic impact on veterinary practices, with a recent survey by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) revealing a reduction…
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13 July

Coronavirus

Businesses must remain Covid-secure, warns HSE

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned businesses that they must ensure they are Covid-secure as lockdown measures ease across the UK. According to the authority, inspectors will be “out and about”, spot-checking employers that they are complying with health and safety law. HSE defines “Covid-secure” as being “adaptable…
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13 July

Features

Coming together in the face of a pandemic

We are living in an unprecedented, unpredictable and challenging time. In the weeks since my last column, there has been a seismic shift in the way in which veterinary teams function and the range of services they are able to offer clients. The financial and emotional toll of the Covid-19…
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10 July

Features

Coronavirus Diary: First Vet

How the pandemic changed has my day to day experience of working with pets? I work for FirstVet, a video-based veterinary consultation service that was first launched in the UK in April 2019. During the pandemic FirstVet has seen a marked increase in the demand for remote consults (in fact,…
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8 July

Manufacturers

VMA crowns product of the year

The Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA) has awarded New Product of the Year 2019 to Galliprant from Elanco Animal Health. The award is normally announced at the VMA Annual Awards event. However, in light of the ongoing pandemic, the next formal event will take place on 19 March 2021. The annual…
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6 July

Features

Coronavirus diaries: National Animal Welfare Trust

Running an animal rescue and rehoming charity over the last four months has been a rollercoaster ride in a theme park called Uncertainty. How normal life now seems in January and February as we began implementing our strategic plans, oblivious to the juggernaut around the corner. Coronavirus became a real…
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3 July

Economy

Consumer confidence increases in June

GfK’s fourth Covid-19 flash report has revealed Consumer Confidence Index increased by three points to -27 over the past two weeks. Joe Staton, GfK‘s client strategy director, said after the recent “near-historic low” of -36 for the Consumer Confidence Barometer last month, there are some early signs of improvement across most measures…
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1 July

Coronavirus

1,600 exhibitors confirm participation in Interzoo 2021

Over 1,600 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation in the next Interzoo, which is to be held in Germany next year. Earlier this year, Interzoo announced it has rescheduled to take place in June next, with Zoomark International moving to 2022 to accommodate the change due to the Covid-19 pandemic.…
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Jun- 2020 -

30 June

Economy

Revised ONS data reveals greater GDP drop in Q1 2020

The UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms fell by 2.2% in Q1 2020, which has been revised downwards by 0.2 percentage points from the Office for National Statisitic’s (ONS) first quarterly estimate. The ONS said it is the largest fall in UK GDP since Q3 1979, when it…
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29 June

Manufacturers

Blagdon launches new Amphibious IQ scrappage scheme

Blagdon has announced the launch of its new Amphibious IQ scrappage scheme and is inviting aquatic retailers to sign up for a pond pump recycling scheme. The scheme has been launched to help “encourage” a more eco-friendly and energy saving approach to pond keeping. Andrew Paxton, development manager at Blagdon,…
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