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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Jun- 2020 -9 JuneCoronavirus
Bira opposed to proposed relaxation of Sunday trading laws
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has expressed concern for proposed relaxation of Sunday trading laws. Under plans being suggested by the government, England could suspend Sunday trading laws for a year in a bid to boost the economy. However, Bira, who has added its support to the ‘Keep Sunday…
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8 JuneCoronavirus
Footfall begins ‘journey to recovery’ in May
Consumer footfall may have begun its “long journey to recovery” in the month of May, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Whilst footfall dropped by 73.3% in May, this still marked a “marginal improvement” from the month prior, when footfall saw a decline of 80.1% in light of the…
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5 JuneBusiness
Online sales reach 10-year high
British retailers recorded a 10-year high for online sales in May while the continued lockdown measures kept high streets empty, according to new figures by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO. According to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker (HSST), total like-for-like sales, consisting of both in-store and non-store sales, declined…
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4 JuneIndustry News
Natures Menu donates 42,000 food pouches
Natures Menu has donated over 42,000 pouches of cat food to animal charities across Norfolk, in efforts to support these centres amid the ongoing pandemic The recipients of food packages from the raw and natural pet food group include RSPCA West Norfolk, Feline Care Cat Rescue, Hallswood Animal Sanctuary and…
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4 JuneRetailers
Bira creates five-step guide to help independent retailers open again
The British Independent Retailers Association has created a five-step guide to help independent retailers open again with confidence later this month. The five-step guide to a Covid-secure reopening takes members through what they need to do to be safe and compliant ahead of reopening on 15 June . It also…
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May- 2020 -29 MayRetailers
Bira welcomes £50m fund to prepare high streets for shoppers return
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has welcomed a new £50m boost to help local authorities prepare high streets for reopening. High Streets Minister Simon Clarke announced the fund for councils to help their local high streets get safely back to business earlier this week. The ‘Reopening High Streets Safely…
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26 MayCoronavirus
Non-essential retailers set to open in June
Thousands of high street shops, department stores and shopping centres across England are set to reopen next month once they are “Covid-19 secure” and can show customers will be kept safe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. All non-essential retailers including shops selling clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books, and electronics,…
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26 MayCoronavirus
‘Many independent retailers are ready to reopen now’, says Bira CEO
The CEO of The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) Andrew Goodacre has said many independent retailers are ready to reopen now, having already worked hard to put measures in place to keep both customers and staff safe. The news comes as non-essential retailers will be allowed to reopen from Monday,…
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15 MayCoronavirus
IRC launches ‘We are open’ scheme amid Covid-19 crisis
The Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC), a group of trade organisations representing different independent retail sectors across the UK, has launched ‘We are open’, an online map and directory of independent shops that are still open and operating responsibly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the government’s guidance some high street retailers…
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11 MayRetailers
Trouble ahead for retail vacancy rates, warns BRC
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Local Data Company has said the new BRC-LDC Vacancy Monitor has revealed that the rate of store vacancies increased to 12.2% in March. The monitor also reported a 0.3% decrease in vacancy rates in shopping centres to 14.1% compared with 14.4%. The South West and Wales…
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