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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Apr- 2020 -28 AprilBusiness Bites
Job support to be wound down, M&S dividend suspended, ventilator production slows, property market halts
Chancellor Rishi Sunack says he will wean the economy off his support schemes in a “gradual” wind-down, to help prevent soaring unemployment on ‘expiration day’. His announcement, made to MPs, came in response to concerns that a definite cut-off date would produce an explosion in redundancies and layoffs. Currently, the…
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24 AprilCoronavirus
Government introduces new measures to protect high street
The business secretary has announced a new set of measures that will be introduced to protect high street businesses “under strain” from the ongoing pandemic. High street shops, and other companies facing financial difficulties, will now be protected from “aggressive” rent collection and asked to pay what they can as…
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17 AprilRetailers
Bira welcomes additional support for Scottish retailers
Bira has welcomed a move by the Scottish Government to give additional financial support to small retail businesses. Scottish Ministers have announced a second phase of funding – worth £120m – in response to the outbreak of coronavirus, which results in businesses with one property will get a 100% grant.…
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15 AprilEconomy
Banks still failing small retail businesses, says Bira
High street lenders are failing to ‘rise to the challenge’ of supporting small retail businesses during the Covid-19 crisis, according to Bira. Andrew Goodacre, Bira’s CEO, said new government figures revealing that only 1.4% of applications for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme had been successful were “no surprise”. The…
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3 AprilRetailers
Covid-19: Bira welcomes call for more loan access
A government pledge to pressure banks into supporting small business during the coronavirus pandemic has been welcomed by the Pet Product Retail Association parent company the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA). The business secretary Alok Sharma recently called on high street lenders to ease access of the Coronavirus Business Interruption…
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1 AprilRetailers
Banks are failing independent retailers in Covid-19 crisis, says BIRA
High street banks are failing to support small independent retailers in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, a new members’ survey by the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has revealed. Bira asked its members three questions about the support they’ve received following the outbreak of coronavirus – and the results…
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Mar- 2020 -17 MarchCharities
All Pets Solution launches collaboration with Blue Cross
All Pets Solution launched its collaboration with the Blue Cross Animal Charity. The online retailer started the partnership by donating £14,000 worth of products, which included a selection of dog bowls and silicon eating mats, in order for the charity to issue them as a pack with every dog and…
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9 MarchBusiness
Bira issues five point plan to ‘Save Our Shops’
A five-point plan to ‘Save Our Shops’ (SOS) has been issued by Bira, the umbrella group of the Pet Product Retail Association. It’s the key feature of Bira’s forthcoming manifesto which focuses on what can be done to better support independent retail businesses and minimise the burden on them. Bira…
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6 MarchVeterinary
Blue Cross reopens Merton hospital
Blue Cross announced it has reopened its animal hospital in Merton following a refurbishment. The animal charity said that work was needed to update the reception area, dispensary and other public spaces within the hospital on Merton High Street. The hospital now features a new operating theatre, as well as…
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3 MarchPet Owners
Brits spending more on pets than ever, research reveals
Brits are spending more on their pets than ever, according to Argos Petcare. Petcare sales at Argos soared by 70% in just five years, with sales this January up an extraordinary 19% on the same month in 2019. Argos attributed the rise of the ‘petfluencer’ for the rise in the…
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