Recession

UK consumer confidence sinks to new record low in June

UK consumer confidence has fallen to the lowest level since records began during the month of June, according to the latest figures from GfK. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased one point to -41, a new record with four measures down in comparison to the May 20 announcement, with one…

Read More »

Dogs Trust campaign reveals owners forced to give up pet due to Covid

Dogs Trust has released a new advert, featuring recordings from owners who made the decision to hand over their dogs over to the charity due to Covid-19.  The recordings have been shared via a radio and video advert as part of the charity’s ongoing ‘Change the Tale’ campaign. The advert…

Read More »

UK suffers record 9.9% GDP slump

GDP declined by 9.9% in 2020, a figure which is more than double of what was recorded in 2009 after the UK’s financial crisis. According to the ONS, the fall was largely due to restrictions which were in place for most of the year, forcing the economy to operate at limiting trading levels. Figures…

Read More »

Project Blu secures deal with Metamorphosis

Eco pet product start-up Project Blu has secured a multi-million-pound deal with San Diego-based Metamorphosis, a venture capital firm that aims to accelerate businesses in the pet industry.   The deal will see Metamorphosis take an equity stake in Project Blu, which was founded in 2019 by Geryn Evans.  The company…

Read More »

Recession fears could lead to ‘dog welfare crisis’, RSPCA warns

The RSPCA is warning that the looming recession and growing trend of ‘‘lockdown puppies’’ will hit struggling rescue centres in the coming months and lead to a ‘‘dog welfare crisis’’. During lockdown, the charity identified that Google searches for ‘‘puppies near me’’ increased by 650% in July, five times higher…

Read More »

The future of pet retailing

Following a survey of our members, we have a clear picture of the impact of Covid-19 on the pet food industry to this point. Initially, sales in pet food peaked. People were stockpiling other essential items, and this was extended to pet food. This was followed by a small trough…

Read More »

UK in recession following 20% GDP slump

The UK economy has entered into a technical recession following a “record” fall in gross domestic product (GDP) during the second quarter of the year. According to the Office for National Statistics, GDP slumped by 20.4% between April and June 2020, compared with the 2.2% drop seen during Q1 2020…

Read More »

3 Reasons the Pet Industry Is Safe From the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the world in innumerable ways. Global stay-at-home orders have severely impacted several industries, with many businesses permanently closing. Although the uncertainty brought by the pandemic devastated the economy, some industries continue to thrive—including the pet industry. It’s no secret that pets all over the world…

Read More »

Barking up the right tree

Prior to COVID-19 completely changing the way we, as consumers behave, the pet industry was leading in terms of innovation, cross-sector development and retail growth.  One of the industry leaders, Pets at Home, reported record sales for year ending 26th March 2020, exceeding the £1bn mark. Pet food brands large…

Read More »

92% of shopworkers oppose longer Sunday working hours, says Usdaw

Some 92% of retail staff in England have opposed large shops opening for more than six hours on a Sunday, as the government considers deregulating Sunday trading. According to a survey by shopworkers trade union Usdaw, 66% of the 11,000 retail staff said they feel they are pressured to work…

Read More »