East Midlands

Footfall rises ahead of Christmas but remains lower than 2023 levels

Footfall rose for the second consecutive week last week across all UK retail destinations with retail parks and shopping centres paving the way, according to MRI Software’s new data. However, levels were still considerably lower than the same week last year. For the week to 22 December, footfall rose by…

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Scarsdale Vets opens 11th veterinary practice in Wollaton

Veterinary group Scarsdale Vets has opened its 11th veterinary practice in the East Midlands, in Wollaton, Derbyshire. This is the final practice to be opened as part of the current phase of the group’s development. Wollaton will operate as a stand-alone veterinary practice which will function independently of Scarsdale’s existing…

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Pet food brand gets £27m boost for plastic-free packaging

British pet food brand, Butchers Petcare, has secured a £27m refinancing deal from NatWest, RBS Invoice Finance and Lombard, to support its growth and innovation plans. The funding deal which includes banking and asset-based lending facilities will support the East Midlands-based family-run business’ sustainability strategy, which includes an investment in…

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Burns announces new ‘Willy Wonka-style’ competition

Welsh pet food company, Burns Pet Nutrition, has launched a new “Willy Wonka-style” competition giving dog owners across the UK the chance to win a year’s supply of free dog food, in celebration of its 25th anniversary. To mark the milestone, the family firm has released limited-edition vintage look bags,…

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March retail footfall sees steepest decline in eight years

Footfall in March decreased by six percent, compared with the positive rate of 1.3 percent seen in March 2017. There was no growth in footfall for any UK regions, and the most notable declines (year-on-year) were seen in Greater London, -7.5 percent, the South East, -6.5 percent, and in the…

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Retail footfall drops in February

Retail footfall decreased by 0.5 percent in February 2018, and is a major decline compared with the rate of 1.0 percent seen the previous year. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this figure is better than the three-month average of -2.0 percent and the twelve-month average of -0.7 percent.…

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One in five workplaces allow pets in the office

According to new research, one-fifth of British workplaces now allow employees to bring pets into the office, yet a similar proportion (22 percent) of workers have complained about the furry companions. The survey by online job board, CV-Library, found that when it comes to the personal effect of animals in the…

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ROYAL CANIN® names rescue cat and dog of the year

Maine Coon Darwin and whippet cross Scout have been named the ROYAL CANIN® Rescue Cat and Dog of the Year, respectively. Rescue cats and dogs were entered into the competition run via ROYAL CANIN®’s Facebook page. Darwin and Scout have each received a hamper of ROYAL CANIN® products, while the…

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FSB Small Business Awards open for entries

The FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2018 are now open for entries. The awards will celebrate the best of the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses and their vast contribution to both regional and national economies. With 12 different award categories to enter, a series of 12 area award ceremonies will be held…

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Number of independent retailers rises

Data released by LDC and British Independent Retailers Association (bira) has shown that traditional independent retailers opened more shops than were closed in 2016 in Britain’s top 500 town centres. National chains continued to see a fall. Independent shops saw an increase of +159 shops (+0.15 percent) in 2016. This equates…

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