High Street
The high street remains a vital battleground for pet retailers, balancing in-person service with growing digital competition. Pet Gazette covers the role of independent pet shops, regional chains, and national retailers on UK high streets — reporting on shop openings and closures, rent pressures, footfall trends, and evolving customer expectations. We also examine localised marketing strategies, product merchandising, and how high street stores adapt to omni-channel retail. For wholesalers and suppliers, this tag offers visibility into the challenges and opportunities facing brick-and-mortar stockists across towns and cities.
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Sep- 2020 -8 SeptemberRetailers
Pet boutique to open in Folkestone
A new pet boutique is set to open its doors in Folkestone, after its opening was initially delayed by the coronavirus crisis. Local resident Debbie Convery will now open Not for Humans, after being “inspired” by local residents who helped her find her missing dog. Convery told Kent Online: “Two…
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8 SeptemberEconomy
UK retail sales increase by 4.7% in August
UK retail sales in August have increased by 4.7% on a like-for-like basis from August 2019, according to figures released in BRC-KPMG’s Retail Sales Monitor report for the month. Overall sales increased by 3.9% in the period, in comparison to a decline of 0.4% in August 2019. This is above…
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2 SeptemberRetailers
EOHO boosts retail footfall in last week of August
Footfall across all UK retail destinations rose by 6% over the week ended 29 August, according to the latest figures from Springboard. The latest figures still marked an annual decline of 26.1%, though this was a “noticeable improvement” against the year-on-year decline of 30.7% the week before. In the final…
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Aug- 2020 -28 AugustRetailers
Burgos Pet World extends aquatic centre
Burgos Pet World has formally opened an extension to its shop in order to provide a new aquatic centre, according to local paper the Andover Advertiser. The family-run pet store was first opened in 1972 in Ragged Appleshaw, before relocating to Andover three years later. After moving back to Ragged…
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25 AugustCoronavirus
UK footfall accelerates fourfold
Footfall in UK retail destinations rose by 4.1% last week against the week before, marking a “significant” acceleration in the prior week’s rise of 0.8%, and 1.8% rise in the same week last year. According to the latest data from Springboard, this was largely driven by rises in footfall of…
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21 AugustRetailing
Road closures are ‘accelerating the decline of the high street’, says Bira
Local authorities across the UK are “accelerating the decline of the high street” with “unnecessary” road closures, according to Bira. The group said it has been “inundated” with calls from concerned businesses that post-lockdown accessibility issues are “significantly impacting trade”. Bira said it is now working hard to help address…
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7 AugustCoronavirus
Poor July sales rock high street recovery
Poor in-store sales through the month of July have “dampened hopes of a recovery” across UK high streets, according to the latest High Street Sales Tracker from BDO. In-store like-for-like sales decreased by 39.4% last month, down from a marginal base of 0.1% that was reported the year before. According…
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7 AugustRetailers
Usdaw warns business rates increase could risk more jobs
Retail trade union Usdaw has expressed “major concerns” over reports that the government is considering increasing business rates for premises with a rateable value over £51,000. The news comes as reports suggest Rishi Sunak is considering increasing business rates in an effort to boost the UK economy. Instead, Usdaw is…
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4 AugustCoronavirus
Mandatory face coverings spark ‘modest’ uplift in footfall
Footfall across all UK retail destinations saw a “modest” uplift last week, with footfall up by 2.8% against the week prior. According to Springboard, this may have been boosted by the mandatory use of face coverings in shops, after footfall was up by 4.4% the weekend the rule was introduced. …
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Jul- 2020 -22 JulyRetailers
Bira urges PM to ‘give us back our high streets’
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene and “give us back our high streets”. In an exclusive Bira survey, three quarters (75%) of independent retailers said trade is being “detrimentally impacted” by lockdown road closures. The survey revealed that two thirds (66.1%)…
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