Furlough Scheme

This coverage examines the Furlough Scheme and its impact on the UK petcare industry, focusing on how retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and supply chain operators managed staffing and business continuity during the scheme’s operation. Pet Gazette reports on government policy updates, case studies from pet businesses, and the long-term commercial effects on employment, operations, and recovery. Our coverage provides pet trade professionals with insights into financial resilience, workforce management, and adapting to economic challenges.

Sep- 2021 -

24 September

Economy

Consumer confidence falls amid ongoing supply chain issues

UK consumer confidence has fallen back five points in September, largely attributed to both shop supply shortages and rising prices, according to new research by GfK. GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index decreased by five points to 13 in September, with all measures down in comparison to August’s announcement. The data showed…
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Jun- 2021 -

9 June

Coronavirus

RSM retail head calls for ‘more flexible furlough scheme’

Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM, has called for a more “flexible furlough scheme” to allow retailers to “manage peaks and troughs of activity”, as the UK comes out of lockdown. In her plea, which comes ahead of the government’s coronavirus select committee this afternoon, Baker said that retailers…
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Mar- 2021 -

22 March

Business

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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3 March

Economy

Budget 2021: Chancellor unveils new £65bn support package

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined a new £65bn support package in his March budget, confirming the decision to extend the furlough scheme until the end of September as well as new loan schemes of up to £10m for businesses. In what is Sunak’s second budget since he joined office in…
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3 March

Coronavirus

Sunak to extend furlough scheme until September

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to extend the furlough scheme until September as part of his March Budget which will be announced today (3 March). According to The Times, Sunak will state that the country is in a “moment of crisis” as he extends furlough for another five months, taking the support beyond the…
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1 March

Coronavirus

Chancellor to unveil £5bn high-street support package

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to offer over 700,000 retail, hospitality and other businesses grants of up to £18,000 as part of a £5bn rescue package to be included in his Budget speech on Wednesday (3 March). The new ‘Restart Grants’ will be directly distributed from local authorities from April…
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Jan- 2021 -

21 January

Coronavirus

Chancellor considers adding furlough extension to March budget

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering another extension to the government’s Job retention Scheme (JRS) as it continues to try and mitigate the impact of covid-19 on the UK economy. According to Bloomberg, Sunak is considering a fifth extension to the furlough scheme that will cover roughly 5 million workers…
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5 January

Government & Legislation

Chancellor unveils £4.6bn in new lockdown grants

Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000, the chancellor has announced. The news comes after the prime minister’s announcement that businesses will be closed until at least February half-term in order to help control the spread of Covid-19. This…
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Dec- 2020 -

17 December

Coronavirus

Furlough scheme extended until April 2021

The furlough scheme has been extended until the end of April 2021 with the government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages to employee’s pay, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed today (17 December). The government will also extend current government-guaranteed Covid-19 business loan schemes until the end of March. This includes…
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Nov- 2020 -

5 November

Coronavirus

Chancellor extends furlough scheme to March

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of March, amid increased measures for business support as the UK enters a four-week lockdown. Payments are set to remain at 80% of employee’s wages. It comes as the chancellor said that it was “right…
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