Business premises, currently housing popular Droitwich pet store, Happy Pets, have been put up for sale.

The property – 38 High Street, Droitwich – has an asking price of £200,000 and is being offered for purchase freehold.

Charlotte Fullard, senior surveyor at Halls Wilkins Commercial, said: “This property provides a great investment opportunity and currently generates an income of £14,880 per annum exclusive.

“We're selling the property with the pet shop business in situ, although they do only have a lease until 31 December 2014.”

The 963 sq ft property is situated within the town centre and has a range of neighbouring shops offering a variety of outlets for customers. The town also benefits from time limited public on-street car parking with the nearby Waitrose supermarket providing further pay and display facilities.

The two-storey attached building  comprises a 453 sq ft, open plan retail premises on the ground floor and self-contained one-bedroom flat above.

Charlotte added: “The main retail area and the office/store at the rear of the courtyard have been refurbished throughout and are presented to a high standard. The property also benefits from a large display frontage and nearby parking facilities.”

The owner of Happy Pets was reluctant to talked to Pet Trade Xtra about the sale of the building but did say he planned to continue running the pet store.

For more details call 01905 720104 or email commercial@hallsworcester.com

Group55 is celebrating a remarkable milestone, having sold one million bottles of its multi-award winning Animology shampoo.

Animology, which is now sold in over 30 countries worldwide, has enjoyed an astonishing rise to prominence since launch.

Having originally started life as a range of just eight products, Animology now boasts a retail grooming range of 18 SKU’s, with a further 11 products sold in 5 litre format for professional groomers. The company also recently launched a premium range of Animology vitamins and supplements for dogs.

Group55’s Sales Manager Martin Breen said: “Animology has had a few notable landmarks in its short history, having won several industry awards for the quality of the products themselves. However passing the ‘one million units sold’ mark is a special one, and something our small team can be extremely proud of achieving.

"As a British brand, we are delighted to be taking Animology to an ever increasing number of overseas markets, and we now look forward to reaching the two million units sold, and beyond.”

For full details of the product range visit www.animology.co.uk

Pet Retailer of the Year Not Just Pets has picked up another award, this time from former Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis.

The Bath-based company won a Paphitis-backed 'Small Business Sunday' award and was invited to a special winners' event at the ICC Arena in Birmingham this week.

"It was a brilliant networking event," said Not Just Pets owner Janine Tozer. "We learned lots on the day and gained insight from other like-minded retailers. Theo himself was a great speaker and a wonderful inspiration - we loved his passion and enthusiasm. 

"He even unveiled a surprise which only #SBS winners were privy to - a chance to pitch for £50,000 for our business in the New Year."

Each week Theo rewards small businesses that tweet him @TheoPaphitis and describe their business in one tweet including the all-important hashtag #SBS. Only tweets made in the time slot between 5pm and 7.30pm each Sunday count. Theo reviews and chooses his favourite lucky six who are then re-tweeted. As he has over 400,000 followers, this provides a massive boost to the chosen lucky businesses.

The benefits range from increased Twitter followers, to positive media publicity and crucially for many, increased sales. Of course, none of this is guaranteed as it is largely down to perseverance and hard work. 

Theo says: "I admire people who have passion and energy. If you cannot bore your friends to death about your own small business then something is seriously wrong. 

"I was struck by the number of business owners on Twitter who wanted to tell me about their new products and services. Small Business Sunday was born so that people have a specific time slot to tweet and can pitch their 'sell' directly to me.

"All my businesses are privately owned and entrepreneurial in spirit. My stationery firm Ryman has thousands of small business customers, which is why they are now kindly sponsoring #SBS. I want to offer benefits to #SBS winners, past and present and the link with the stationery retailer allows me to do this, so thank you CEO Kypros Kyprianou and Co.

"My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club. Like-minded individuals can share successes and learnings. This website will give a valuable profile to the winners chosen to date and should help those who have not yet won but want some tips on how to do so. You will find news about the latest winners plus events and activities of interest.

"I know I have been lucky in business and I am keen now to spread goodwill to others, of course not forgetting that very often, you make your own luck by making use of every opportunity."

“The Skills Show inspires young people with opportunities to discover what they are good at and what they enjoy,” explains Ross Maloney.

“We are thrilled that Rankin has partnered with us in this activity to create a range of stunning photographs that show young people what can be achieved through skills – we are certain that they will provide many of our audience with motivation to develop their skills and use them to start a new career.”

The Skills Show, which was held at the NEC Birmingham, provided hands-on experiences that aimed to inspire young people to explore further education, skills and apprenticeships.

More than 75,000 people attended the free event to discover what they are good at and what they enjoy, and how these skills can be transferred into a potential career. In addition to hands-on experiences where visitors can have a go at a broad range of new skills, careers advisers were also on hand to provide information and guidance about the next steps open to visitors.

Talented students from across the country showcased their skills in careers as diverse as catering, car maintenance and fashion design, while professionals from a broad range of industries gave inspirational Spotlight talks to provide an insight into a variety of careers and training routes. 

For further information contact Alex Witham on 01132 429 174 or email alexander@manifestcomms.co.uk 

Tori, a disabled service dog from Michigan in the USA, made a surprise visit to the UK last week and helped raise money for Blind Dog Rescue.

Tori brought a smile to customers at Not Just Pets in Bath and also managed to raise funds for the charity with a small raffle for prizes brought all the way from America. 

Owner Jana said: “I got Tori when she was six months old from a rescue group in Texas.

"She has degenerative disc disease, and ruptured a disc in Oct 2009. She had surgery at Michigan State University Vet Clinic but ruptured another disc in Feb 2010 and had further surgery. She didn't recover from the second operation and could not walk or stand.

"We got her a custom wheelchair from Eddie's Wheels and it rehabilitated her so she can now walk and stand but continues to use the wheelchair because she has one weak back leg that drags. The vet suggested I get her certified as a therapy dog in 2011 so I did and she loves it. She's an amazing little dog.

"She is the sweetest, most comical dog. I can't travel without her – we are very bonded. She loves her therapy work too and works magic with children.”

Tori travels with Jana to nursing homes, schools and anywhere where she can bring help and therapy to those who need it.

Following on from an exclusive launch, the pet GPS device G-Paws is now available to all independent retailers with shipping in time to capitalise on the last-minute Christmas rush.

G-Paws is the lightest (11g) GPS data recorder developed to be worn on cat and dog collars.  

It records where the wearer has been and this information is uploaded onto a free pet-profile created on G-Paws.com where owners can see the secret lives of their pets on either street level mapping or aerial photography.  

With unprecedented media attention, both cat and dog owners are flocking to find out where their cats go at night and just how far and fast their dogs run when off the lead.  

Here's what Channel 5s Gadget show made of it (click here) and the unit is on the gift guide of national media from the Daily Telegraph to Horse and Hound to The New Scientist.

G-Paws has a stock-in offer with free shipping for first orders and can deliver in three working days.  

For more details email sales@g-paws.com or call 01672 518265.  

Pet retailers have been told they can successfully grow their businesses as long as they welcome change and harness technology.

The message came at a specialist trade forum held by Crown Pet Foods in Somerset.

Crown Pet Foods managing director Jean-Lin Pelatan said: “Customer demands are evolving and changing and technology has a part in that – but what makes us, the specialist pet trade, different is that we are real.

"Customers want a real relationship, but what is clear is that how they access your stores is not just in the traditional, walk through the door way but increasingly via their mobile phones and the internet.

"There is still huge potential for us as an industry, and the sector is continuing to grow in the face of world economic issues.

"The specialist pet sector is the most legitimate channel to feed every dog and cat in the country, instead of the current 32% of dogs and 22% of cats.”

Serge Beser is the owner of Anopio, a Belgian boutique consulting firm specialising in leveraging internet technologies in a pragmatic way for each industry and business.

“Technology is a means to an end – the most important thing is whether it makes sense for your business," said Serge. "For the pet trade specialist, you have to ask yourself what can I provide that none of the pure internet players can, because of the most important specific factor for bricks and mortar shops – that they are real and the exist in the ‘real world’. 

“Whatever you do, you must do it well – for example, if you start a Facebook account then you need to keep monitoring and responding, because that’s what customers expect today.” 

For Serge, the four major trends which pet specialists need to consider to be part of the digital world are the mobile phone, word of mouth, marketplaces as an easy way to start selling on line and learning about the experience, and search engine advertising to optimise awareness, while being conscious of the (hidden) costs.

Jean-Lin Pelaton added: "Change has been a theme at this forum, but the one thing we must not change is the added value we offer to pet owners.

"New technology and bricks and mortar stores, whether High Street or out of town, are not antagonistic. If we embrace the concept and harness the technology we will move forward and continue to grow all our businesses.

"We have the luck and the luxury to be in a business in which emotions play a central part. Love for animals is what binds all of us in the pet trade together, and by continuing to offer our specialist products, services and advice, we can continue to grow and evolve in the changing retail climate.”

Mary Portas, famous for her Channel 4 TV series ‘Queen of Shops’, has urged the pet trade to make sure it provides the best experience for its customers.

Mary, who works extensively with national and local government on the future of Britain’s high streets, and runs her own business consultancy, says creativity is the most vital role in a good business, and that the most important thing any retailer can do is look at the customer experience they provide.

“You have to give the best experience, understand what makes people happy and satisfied, and how they live and shop today," explained Mary at the Crown Pet Foods’ Specialist Pet Trade Forum.

"Every 50-75 years the way we live and shop changes, so we have to re-imagine the High Street in the light of today’s demands and expectations,” she said. 

“The small stuff is what makes the difference, because retail feeds people’s needs, so being creative, clever and intimate enables you to reflect their values. 

"The future High Street will be a multiple fun destination which nurtures our daily lives, so your pet shop will be alongside the library or the yoga centre, with other specialist retailers, coffee shops and housing.”



Andrew Warren-Payne, senior research analyst at digital marketing firm Econsultancy, is part of the expert team that put together the report titled ‘How the Internet can save the High Street’. 

His view is that the retail model of the future is a hybrid – bringing the best bits of the internet into stores is the way to make the technology work for you rather than against you. His ‘quick wins’ featured six ways to make this happen in less than half a day. 

His top tips were to make sure your business is featured on Google places; register with the likes of Facebook and Twitter; use customer comments from internet sources to highlight products in store in the way Waterstones does; use loyalty schemes and contact those who sign up; put Wi-Fi in your shop; and having online calls to action in store, such as ‘like us on Facebook’ or ‘chat with us on Twitter’.

Broadcaster Clare Rayner has long championed the success and sustainability of smaller, independent retailers and their suppliers.

Her 10 steps to retail success asked the audience to define their goal and vision; decide their positioning; imagine their ideal customer; plan their range; look at pricing and promotions; consider channel and location; customer engagement – how to attract, convert, retain customers and gain their referral; the supply chain; planning and controlling as an early warning system; and taking care of the ‘back office’ – human resources, legal, finance and ICT. 

With new sales director May Philpott and CEO Mark Pearson now on board at Solus Garden & Leisure, the Worcestershire-based company has announced the final additions to its sales and customer service teams.

Caroline Houghton joins the company as retail operations manager, joining from Stax, as does business development executive Chris Hilton. Rebecca Spreckley has joined the team as customer support manager, moving on from a similar role at Hozelock.

"Our new staff bring yet more vital garden industry experience and knowledge to our sales and customer services team and we're delighted to have them on board," said Solus commercial director Ross Yealland. 

"2014 promises to be an interesting and successful one for Solus, as we look forward to even greater success for our own and partner brands. We're looking forward to developing closer partnerships with our garden centre retailers, and to meeting any challenges in a positive and business focused manner that's good both for us and our customers.  

"We're confident that our service-oriented and collaborative approach will ensure we remain the number one choice in garden and leisure product supply and distribution."

Among Solus' many brands are Bermuda water gardening and Chapelwood wild bird food.

With all the talk of their award wins and new Country Hunter range of products you can be forgiven for almost missing the launch of a long overdue basic product joining their ambient canned range – a Junior can.

Junior is the new name for Puppy, used widely on European packaging already. The Junior can joins Natures Menu’s popular established range of canned dog foods and will be created with lean chicken and turkey meats with the additional of seaweed and spinach for essential growth nutrients and anti-oxidants.

Just like the rest of Natures Menus canned range the Junior can will be filled with the raw ingredients, sealed and then steam cooked once.

Puppies from the age of eight weeks onwards will be able to enjoy the benefits of one of the most minimally cooked canned pet foods on the market.
The Junior can is now available to order direct to your pet store!

For more details click here

LitterLocker, an innovative system offering a convenient and hygienic way of dealing with soiled cat litter, has a new website – www.litterlocker.co.uk

As well as promoting product features, usage information and testimonials, the new website includes a stockist locater function, making it easy for consumers to buy LitterLocker and LitterLocker refills.

The LitterLocker offers retailers a fantastic incremental and repeat sales opportunity and is being extensively supported with a range of marketing and promotional activity.

As well as a new website LitterLocker is being promoted through the main consumer pet and cat magazines, both in print and online.

LitterLocker is also being extensively promoted through cat clubs and social media.

A range of in-store point of sale including free-standing display units, shelf edgers and consumer leaflets are also available.

If you would like to be included on the website as a stockist contact the Customer Services Team on 0115 982 3900 or email info@petproducts.co.uk

A couple have been handed jail terms after breaching a court order banning them from having pets.

Peter Chapman, 55, and Shirley Chapman, 53, were both jailed for 13 weeks after a police search revealed two dogs and a cat at their home in Oliver Road, Ilkeston, on October 15.

They admitted breaching the order at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court.

The couple had previously been jailed for 12 weeks and banned for life from keeping animals after pleading guilty to seven animal cruelty charges in June 2012.

The animals were taken by RSPCA volunteers to be checked and will be rehomed.

Zack, a three-year-old crossbreed from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire has turned his life around, from being a bossy alpha male to a happy, energetic, enthusiastic dog, thanks to his loving owner, Jo Scargill, and the Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme (GCDS).

Jo got Zack in April 2012 from Yorkshire Rose Dog Rescue and they have been together for 18 months, but it has not all been plain sailing for Jo as she struggled to come to terms with Zack’s difficult behaviour.

Jo commented: “Zack was a very bossy alpha male, and he had been allowed to do exactly what he wanted, when he wanted, and it was difficult but I could see the potential in the dog that I thought he could become.”

Jo decided to attend training classes and the pair started GCDS classes, part of the UK’s largest dog training programme, at Courteous Canines.

Both dog and owner found the classes beneficial and it wasn’t long until they started to see significant improvements in his behaviour – before long Zack passed his GCDS Bronze and Silver awards.

Jo continues: “Going to weekly classes has been a lifeline for me and Zack - it has given us both structure and focus and the trainers have been brilliant. I am now at the point where people I don’t know are stopping me and complimenting me on how well Zack is doing.

“I can’t explain how much my confidence has increased over the last few months. I am now able to take Zack to different places and this is as a direct result of the Good Citizen training. The GCDS has been great, it’s open for anyone and everyone who wants to train their dogs and I couldn’t recommend it enough. We’ve set our sights on the Gold award next.

“If I am completely honest, I am not certain I would still have Zack without the level of training and support I have received through the scheme and the trainers at Courteous Canines. If that had happened, it would have meant Zack would have had three homes in as many years – which is just unbearable to think about.”

The pair have both come on in leaps and bounds and have even started agility training together.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Congratulations to Jo and Zack for all their hard work. It’s a fantastic example of the importance of training and responsible dog ownership.

“Now in its 21st year, the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme’s aim is to promote responsible dog ownership. Since the GCDS was founded in 1992, over 450,000 pass certificates have been issued to dogs and their owners. With thanks to Courteous Canines, Zack is one of thousands of dogs to have achieved their Silver award.”

For more information about the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme, visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dogtraining

A masked raider who targeted two shops, including a pet store, in a desperate plan to get cash for his drug addiction has been jailed for three years.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Antony Groves, 37, pulled out a knife in a shop and threatened to use it if necessary, forcing the victim to hand over £10 — all that was in the till.

The defendant, of Crabtree Avenue, Waterfoot, had earlier admitted robbery and attempted robbery, on July 11.

The court heard how Groves first went into the pet shop in Waterfoot demanding money, saying he had a knife.

He didn't produce the weapon and left empty-handed when owner Elizabeth Ingham said she had no cash in the shop.

He then went into The Sandwich Bar, in Waterfoot, and produced a knife. He told Carole Roberts and her daughter he didn't want to hurt anyone, demanded money and threatened to use the blade if necessary. Mrs Roberts handed over £10.

Tim Brennand, for Groves, said he offered his unreserved apologies to the victims.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Woolman said: “Shopkeepers are vulnerable, particularly women on their own in shops.”

A photographer has come up with an unusual pet project - snapping dogs as they hang their heads out of car windows.

Lara Jo Regan, 48, embarked on the odd task for her new 2014 calendar 'Dogs In Cars'.

The shoot, in Los Angeles, was aimed at capturing the joy experienced by dogs when the breeze hits their faces.

She said: "I usually try to come up with ideas that are somewhat odd and complex to assure no one else is doing the same thing.

"But as an owner of three dogs living in the Los Angeles car culture, the idea was just staring me in the face.

"Most dogs become downright delirious over a car ride, and I wanted to capture this amazing primal energy in photographs beyond what I'd seen before."

Ms Regan started with friends' dogs and then placed adverts online for certain breeds she thought would work.

Each dog has its now fans online, but Lara's favourite is the three pugs in the old Volvo.

She said: "A pug is naturally hilarious, but three of those faces slobbering in unison out the window of a moving car is an off-the-charts gut buster."

The Dogs In Cars calendar 2014 is available at: www.officialdogsincars.com

Bailey is now one of the most popular names for dogs thanks to the pooch who wooed millions of viewers this summer with his dancing abilities on America's Got Talent.

Bailey made it into the top ten for the first time, coming in at number three on the girls' list.

Overall, the stand-out winners revealed by Rover.com - an American website that connects dog owners with in-home pet sitters - were the long-time favourites Max for male and Bella for female pups.

Greg Gottesman, founder of Rover.com, says that generally people like to choose human-like names for their animals in a bid to make them feel part of the family.

Indeed, Lucy, Daisy, Lily, Molly, Lola, Maggie, Sadie, Chloe, Charlie, Jack and Toby all made it into the top ten for 2013.

"We know from surveys that dog owners think of their dogs as family members," Mr Gottesman added.

TOP TEN MOST POPULAR PUPPY NAMES FOR 2013

FEMALE             MALE

Bella                    Max  

Lucy                    Charlie

Bailey                  Buddy

Daisy                   Jack

Lily                      Cooper

Molly                    Rocky

Lola                     Riley

Maggie                Toby

Sadie                   Bear

Chloe                   Harley

To arrive at its lists of most popular dog names, Rover.com reviewed its database of more than 100,000 registered users in the US.