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.
-
Jul- 2020 -22 JulyFeatures
Building loyalty with pet owners, manufacturers must take the lead
A lack of knowledge of the end customer is a challenge for any industry where a manufacturer is selling via distributors, large buying practices or, in the case of the pet trade, direct to the veterinary practice. Manufacturers have the tough job of appealing to all the stakeholders; the vets,…
Read More » -
20 JulyCoronavirus
Footfall sees ‘most modest’ decline since lockdown
Footfall rose by 4.5% last week against the week prior, according to the latest figures from Springboard. The group said this rise was largely driven by high streets and shopping centres, where footfall rose by 6.8% and 4.7%, respectively, while slipping 0.7% in retail parks. While this recorded rise was…
Read More » -
16 JulyRetailers
Usdaw welcomes compulsory wearing of face coverings in shops
Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed the mandatory wearing of face coverings in shops, but warns that it can only be effective alongside existing social distancing and hygiene procedures. Earlier this week wearing a face covering in retail shops and supermarkets will be made compulsory from the 24 July. It…
Read More » -
14 JulyEconomy
June retail sales show signs of recovery
Retail sales increased by 3.4% in June, against a decrease of 1.6% in June 2019, marking the first signs of growth registered since the UK lockdown began. This is according to the latest BRC–KPMG retail sales monitor, which found that the increase in retail sales to be above the three-month…
Read More » -
14 JulyCoronavirus
Face coverings to be compulsory in shops from 24 July
Wearing a face covering in retail shops and supermarkets will be made compulsory from the 24 July, it is set to be officially announced later today (14 July). It is thought that those who are found to be flouting the new rules may be faced with a fine of up…
Read More » -
13 JulyCoronavirus
Footfall suffers despite June reopening
Footfall in June saw a “significant improvement” against the 73.3% decline reported in May, but was still less than half the level of last year, with an annual decline of 56.6%. According to the latest figures from Springboard, footfall fell by 65.1% in high streets and 62.3% in shopping centres,…
Read More » -
10 JulyCoronavirus
Footfall decline eases amid ‘sluggish’ recovery
Footfall across the UK rose by 19% in June against the month prior, but was still down by 62.6% year-on-year, according to the latest figures from the BRC. In the first two weeks of the month, footfall decline averaged 77.1%, but this improved to 53.3% in the remaining three weeks…
Read More » -
9 JulyRetailers
Bira ‘disappointed’ mini-budget does ‘not help indie retailers’
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has expressed its “disappointment” that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s mini-budget does not “directly help retail business owners”. Sunak announced a raft of further measures to support the recovery of the economy following the coronavirus lockdown, in Parliament yesterday (8 July). Features of the budget included…
Read More » -
8 JulyEconomy
Chancellor unveils new £9bn retention scheme
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a new scheme to pay companies £1,000 bonus per employee for those they keep on until January on part pay. Sunak said if employers bring back all nine million people who have been furloughed, this will be a “£9bn policy to retain people in work”.…
Read More » -
7 JulyEconomy
Usdaw urges chancellor to announce retail recovery plan
Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on the chancellor to announce in Wednesday’s (8 June) economic statement an “urgent recovery plan” for the “struggling retail industry”, which is developed with trade unions and retail employers. Some of the factors, Usdaw is urging the government to cover fundamental business rates, an…
Read More »
