The inaugural PetQuip Industry Awards are set to be a strongly contested affair after the finalists for the September showpiece were announced this week (see below). 

The awards will be presented at a Gala Awards dinner during PATS Harrogate.

The awards ceremony, which will take place in the Carriage Suite, The Majestic Hotel, Harrogate on Sunday, September 15,  at 7.30pm promises to be a fun-filled evening of networking for the pet trade. 

The awards, sponsored by Westland, Petface, Group55 and PATS with the media partner being Pet Business World, are aimed at bringing together suppliers and retailers in the UK and internationally.

Commenting on the awards Pat Flynn, trade association manager for PetQuip, said: "We have attracted an impressive number of entries for this our first event and we are looking forward to celebrating with all the winning retailers and product manufacturers.  

"Whilst there is a business element to the evening when the awards are presented, the ceremony will be short and professional so that everyone can enjoy the networking and dancing to a live band."

Gordon Thomas, of Impact Exhibitions, the organisers of PATS, said: "It's great that PetQuip has decided to stage these new awards alongside our Harrogate exhibition. PATS Harrogate promises to be a brilliant show for the industry, a fact that can only help to enhance these awards.

"The fact that the awards  have attracted an impressive line-up of finalists in their first year shows that the pet industry welcomes these new awards."

Tickets to the evening include a pre-dinner drinks reception, a three course meal with wine, the awards ceremony and live entertainment, and cost £56 plus VAT (£46 plus VAT for PetQuip members).

Book now by calling Pat on 07778 313623 or emailing her on pat@petquip.com

List of Finalists
UK Pet Retailer of the Year

• The Natural Pet Pantry, Gosport, Hants
• Just for Pets, Nationally
• Diddy Dapper Dogs, Morecambe, Lancs
• Tails ’n’ Whiskers, Oakham, Rutland
• Scampers, Soham, Cambs
• Not Just Pets, Bath, Wilts
• Dobbies, Atherstone, Warks

International Pet Retailer of the Year

• Musti ja Mirri Oy – Finland
• Ranzijn Tuin & Dier – Holland
• Animax – Romania
• Aveve – Belgium

 Groomer of the Year

• Joanne Angus
• Colin Taylor
• Zoe Duffy
• Alison Rogers

Supplier of the Year

• Lily’s Kitchen
• Burgess Petcare
• Hagen
• Symply Petfoods
• Natures Menu
• Beaphar UK
• Gor Pets
• Wagg

Wholesaler of the Year

• Collarways
• Peregrine Livefoods
• Pet Revolution
• Vital Pet Products
• Pedigree Wholesale
• Bestpets

Pet Product Innovation of the Year

• EezyEat4Pets with the Eezy Eat Collar 
• Baggee & Doggee with the Baggee Lush range
• Animal Care College with their Pet Shop Assistant Course
• Group 55/Animology with Fox Poo Shampoo
• Pure Pet Food for their pet food range
• Pooch & Mutt for their Treats
• Pet Revolution with the Wildwash
• Westland for the Natures Feast range

Pet Product Exporter of the Year

• Dog Rocks
• Group 55 Ltd
• Litter Kwitter
• Get Off
• James & Steel
• Barking Heads/Meowing Heads
• The Canny Company

Nearly 400 people applied for just five jobs at a new pet store that is due to open its doors in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts, next month.

Pets at Home says it is investing £420,000 in its new store, which is in the former Shoe Zone unit at The Broad Centre on Station Road.

The opening of the store has created five new jobs in the town – but a whopping 390 people applied for these posts.

Area Manager Paul Doyle said: “There was a strong demand from Sutton pet owners for Pets at Home to come to town, and we’re very pleased to have been able to grant them their wish.

“Pets at Home is committed to recruiting from the local area and I’m pleased we’ve found a team of talented individuals. They’re all extremely passionate about pets and can’t wait to get started.”

The Sutton store will open on Friday, September 6.

Alex Kennedy started her pet business Doggielicious selling gourmet treats at the Isle of Man Farmers’ Market on a cold and crisp morning in 2011, and has seen it grow into a thriving concern.

This rapid growth has even allowed her to diversify into making dog coats and becoming the UK agent for an American-made portable hydrator system for dogs.

Here Alex reveals how she started her isle of Man business and discusses her exciting plans for the future.

Are you looking to recruit pet retailers in the UK?

Not for the treats and birthday cakes as we are quite busy with various outlets. We currently supply a large supermarket, our own website and a few other online stores. However, we are the agent for the H2Fid0 Portable Pooch Hydrator system, which is new to the UK (it’s designed by a US company called MODGY), and yes we would like to market them to pet retailers.

Apart from the gourmet treats what other pet-related items or accessories do you produce or supply?

We have created some dogs coats, which are very high-end, using some of the world rarest tweeds and tartans – they are woven here on the Isle of Man by Laxey Woollen Mills and I have a tailoress who makes them. The fabric is very limited and once used will never be woven again – it’s on a par with Harris Tweed.  The tailoring is very detailed; infact some parts of the coat are hand-stitched. The coats we have designed are not currently available for wholesale, however we are working on another design that we could offer.

How do see the future for your business?

Like any business you need to diversify. For example, we started out just making dog treats but as the business grew we saw other opportunities – actually, some of it just happened by chance or was due to customer demand. I think as long as you supply a good quality product people will buy it hence we have focussed more on the handmade items.

Where are the treats produced?

They are made by us in a small micro bakery, which we have set up in my house, using locally sourced ingredients produced here in the Isle of Man. The only machine involved is a mixer  – other than that, everything is made, cut and bagged by hand.

What pets do you have?

Yes I have bichon/Cav cross called Amber but I have owned Afghans, Pekinese and mongrels since the age of three.

Is it a 9 to 5 job or are you working longer hours?

At the moment its far more than 9-5 because we go to fairs and shows. We're also applying to exhibit at Crufts next year.

For more information visit http://doggielicioustreats.com/

Pooch Pack, a Leeds-based business owned by Taesha Glasgow, has received a boost from retail magnet Theo Paphitis after being selected as one of his weekly Small Business Sunday winners.

Theo re-tweeted Taesha’s competition entry to his 370,000+ followers after selecting her tweet below as one of his six winners. 

As a result Taesha has already enjoyed a significant increase in Twitter followers as well as a big increase in website hits. 

Taesha said, “I’m a big fan of Twitter and find it a great way for connecting with customers and answering their questions quickly. I’ve been entering #SBS for the last nine months and it’s great to be finally recognized - it proves persistence pays.

"I think it’s fantastic that Theo is supporting small business and I really appreciate him looking out for the little guy. As a relatively new business, gaining exposure is crucial to Pooch Pack’s success and I’m very excited that Theo has spread the word about what we do to his followers.”

Pooch Pack is a monthly subscription service that makes it easy for dog lovers to treat their dog. Each month customers receive a carefully prepared parcel to their door that contains specially selected treats, toys and other doggie goodies.

Taesha said: “I really enjoying sniffing out something different for my customers. The contents of a Pooch Pack vary each month and usually contain up and coming brands and products that customers may not have seen in pet shops and supermarkets.

"I’ve attracted customers from across the UK and into Europe and dogs seem to love it. In fact I’ve had lots of dog lovers tell me their pet anticipates its monthly arrival and gets very excited when a parcel turns up!

"I’ve now sent a Pooch Pack to Theo’s dog Gladys, and as I said in my #SBS winning tweet I’m sure she’ll approve.”

Any small business owner looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5pm and 7.30pm and include the hashtag #SBS.

Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every week on Monday evening at 8pm and then invited to enter their profile on the dedicated SBS website.

For more information about Pooch Pack visit www.poochpack.co.uk

Dan Lowndes, Trade Marketing Manager at Tetra UK talks about the importance of engaging the customer in aquatics, and its role in building a sustainable business.

Reacting to customers' needs is one thing, but providing excellent customer service means being closely engaged with your customers and being proactive.  It means making the most of every opportunity to extend your service and add value to your customer’s experience on all levels.  It’s not a one-off activity but something that is on-going and has to be in the mind of your staff all the time.

Excellent customer service is increasingly important as it is expected by today’s consumers. The bar has been set extremely high across the retail sector and this is where aquatics retailing has to compete. If the store isn’t welcoming and the staff uncommunicative then you’re going to put off a lot of customers before they even start the hobby.

Our industry provides a great opportunity to present wonderful pictures of your livestock in their natural habitat; inform customers of the origins of the species, care and treatment; relate them to the communities they come from; building an understanding of their specific needs. Help the customer understand the consequences for these communities and the environment of not buying from responsible retailers. It all requires time and effort but it will engage your customers in an area they are already interested in; help improve the level of care they get once sold; and help build a trusting and long-term relationship with more and more customers.   

Having a good understanding of your stock and your customers and matching the two in the most effective way is a great skill to have, but one worth developing as it will make sure you sell appropriately and get the most out of your business. This will help maintain a loyal customer base and thus a sustainable business.  In fact it is the essence of a sustainable industry for us all.

Selling additional but appropriate products is part of this process and demands creative thinking, good knowledge, skill and imagination. A customer may come into the shop with a clear idea of the solution to a problem but close questioning may reveal a different issue that demands alternative solutions. The customer may also not have the knowledge to know the full range of options. 

There are now a wide range of products available from high quality manufacturers that are designed to make the hobby easier and more enjoyable and these provide extremely good opportunities for additional sales. Retailers are in a position to know the best products and make these additional sales that the customer wouldn’t have been in a position to necessarily know about. The sale should leave the customer feeling the retailer has gone the extra mile, and the retailer benefits from the extra sale.

The key in all this is to build trusting relationships, but you can’t do it on your own. Build links with good, reliable suppliers that sell high quality products and they will also provide you with the support you need. Make sure your staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary and the ability to encourage the fishkeepers whatever their level of expertise. 

The whole process needs to be supported by simple messages.  It has to be an education process that engages the buyer.  If you are asking your customers to commit to a project such as installing a pond or new aquarium, you need to have the staff there to support them throughout the process. This means having staff that stay in the job, that they can come back to time and again. 

Giving the right advice may at times mean a non-sale but if the advice is right they’ll return to you again and again. Having expertise is essential but we don’t all have to have the same level of knowledge.  As long as less experienced staff know at which point to ask for help, that’s the most important thing, and that’s how customer loyalty is established.

The key to keeping the customer happy and providing good customer service is to focus on helping them, not say “no”. Running customer service training programmes in-store will help while giving a strong focus on how you talk to customers, how to read how much information to give them and how you can provide a service that builds loyalty and trust in the long-term. 

Having expertise in-store is vital but if you don’t have the right approach with customers to go with it, that expertise is wasted. So amongst our staff we have a wide variety of expertise and levels of knowledge.  No one person is expected to know everything but we are all expected to focus on inspiring and helping the customer, and improving the enjoyment they get from their garden or aquarium.

For further information contact Tetra on 023 80 60 60 70 or go to www.tetra.net

The Fluval Chi, one of the most striking aquariums on the market, has got even better thanks to its improved lighting, filter and lid.

Based on the principles of Feng Shui, the 19-litre Fluval Chi’s unique features include a combined filter, light unit and water feature. Water gurgles over the top of the feature which appears to float in the centre of the tank.

The improved LED light creates a focal point within the aquarium and another single LED shines up through the water fountain, creating a beautiful sparkle effect.

An improved filter provides an increased flow rate which will ensure your fish are living in the best conditions and the plastic cover for the waterfall ensures no water will overflow out of the tank.

The new Chi also includes a lid which safely protects fish, delivering a dynamic and beautiful looking tank that will sit serenely in any environment.

For more information visit www.hagen.com

Ceva Animal Health has launched a new range of veterinary strength supplements for pets under its popular LOGIC brand.

The new LOGIC range promotes dental hygiene, aids digestive health and helps senior pets with joint and behavioural problems.

The range is available in consumer-friendly packaging, together with a merchandising unit to showcase the products in-store.

There are two complementary dental products in the range, LOGIC Oral Hygiene Gel and LOGIC Orozyme Chews. These products contain an enzyme complex and antibacterial agents which supplement the pet's natural salivary system. This enzyme formula attacks bacteria in the mouth, fights bad breath and reduces the formation of plaque.

LOGIC Diar-Stop (previously known as Diarsanyl Plus) is an easy-to-administer intestinal support paste for dogs and cats suffering from digestive upsets. It contains four key ingredients to help quickly restore normal digestive health including montmorillonite, which coats and protects the intestinal lining while absorbing toxins, Na+, Mg2 and K+ ions to help restore electrolytes lost during digestive upsets, dextrose to provide an energy source for the small intestine and prebiotics to promote the growth of good bacteria.

LOGIC Flexivet is a pharmaceutical grade joint supplement containing a high concentration of active ingredients including 500g of glucosamine hydrochloride, 500mg of chondroitin sulphate and 400mg of green lipped mussel. Dogs take the highly palatable carob (dog safe chocolate) flavoured tablets as every day treats.

LOGIC Senilife is an easy to administer supplement specifically formulated to help manage signs of brain ageing in dogs and cats and reduce unwanted age-related behaviours such as disorientation, reduced enthusiasm, night time restlessness and house soiling.

Recent studies have shown that 73% of dog owners and 67% of cat owners notice a significant improvement within the first seven days of using LOGIC Senilife.

“The new LOGIC range will provide retailers with an extensive range of respected veterinary strength supplements and dental products, with more exciting and innovative products to come in the pipeline,” comments Claire Russell, consumer product manager at Ceva Animal Health.

Ceva is providing retailers with AMTRA accredited product training by a dedicated trainer with SQPs receiving four points per hour for training on supplements and/or training on dental products.

For further information on the LOGIC range visit www.logicforpets.co.uk, contact your wholesaler or call Ceva's customer support team on 01494 781510.

Volunteers at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home were praised this week for their “fantastic” work by Prime Minister David Cameron, on a visit to the rescue centre to mark its 1,000th unpaid helper.

Mr Cameron, whose Downing Street cat Larry came from the centre, said those who give up their time to help others get an “enormous amount of satisfaction”.

After being greeted on arrival by a nine-strong canine guard of honour, all awaiting rehoming, Mr Cameron said: “Battersea Dogs and Cats Home have been doing fantastic work for over 150 years and I’m delighted to congratulate them on their 1,000th volunteer.

“Today I’ve had the chance to see their volunteers in action and have been amazed by the commitment and enthusiasm of everybody here.

“They find an enormous amount of satisfaction, they feel they’re doing something good for others, and in this case good for animals, good for the community and also they find they get a lot out of it for themselves.

“We’ve tried to encourage volunteering, not least with things like National Citizen Service, which is giving every young person over time the chance to take part in community service projects and I think we’re going to see a big growth in that, and volunteering’s up over the last few years, as is charitable giving.

Battersea chief executive Claire Horton said: “It’s a great honour for everybody here at Battersea to welcome the Prime Minister to our world-famous home for such an important occasion.

“Without our fantastic volunteers Battersea would not be able to care for the thousands of lost, unwanted and abandoned animals we take in every year.”

The centre’s 1,000th volunteer, 32-year-old James Moore from Beckenham, said: “As soon as I walked through the famous gate I knew there was something special about Battersea.

“We are all here because we hope we can make a difference to the animals in some way.

“There is a real community spirit too which makes it a wonderful place to be.”

A Blackpool pet shop owner had been drinking when he crashed into the back of a car, a court was told.

Paul Bond, 35, of Lawsons Road, Thornton, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a breath specimen for alcohol testing.

Bond was disqualified from driving for three years and fined £240 with £85 costs plus £24 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Nicola Corney, prosecuting, said police were called to a car accident on Queens Promenade on April 26 about midnight.

Two cars were on opposite sides of the road and were extensively damaged, the court was told.

Bond was stood next to a Saab and told an officer: “She slammed on the brakes and I went into the back of her.”

A roadside breath test showed he was more than twice over the limit with 89 micrograms of alcohol in his body – 35 micrograms is the limit.

At the police station he was obstructive and failed to provide the required specimens.

Bond had a previous drink-drive conviction.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said the consequences of a driving ban for Bond would be drastic as he would not be able to get supplies himself for his pet shop.

3P Enterprise, the UK distributer of Petmate and Maelson, is set to launch Henry Wag, its own brand of premium pet products and accessories.

With over 10 years experience in the pet industry, the development of its own brand and move into manufacturing represents a new phase in the growth of 3P.

"To date 3P has been dependent on the products offered by our overseas suppliers," comments Managing Director, Grant Rogers. "Often these are developed for the US market, which do not always meet the needs and requirements of our European customers. We have used our experience in the pet industry and my background in product design to develop a range of products to meet the needs of the home markets."

The first product in the new range is the Henry Wag Elevated Dog Bed which combines contemporary design with strength and durability.  The strong metal frame and firm base offers comfort and support and the detachable fabric cover can be wiped down or removed for convenient machine washing.  The raised design ensures the dog is kept up off the floor away from drafts and allows for air circulation so eliminating the condensation and dampness often associated with traditional fabric beds.

The Elevated Dog Bed by Henry Wag is available in 3 sizes and is presented in a full colour point of sale carton. It will be on show at the 3P Enterprise stand B35 at  PATS Harrogate.

3P Enterprise Ltd is delighted to introduce Roopers by Petmate to the UK.  Roopers are a lovable family of dog toys and the perfect companion for your pet.  Sculptured from rope they are hardwearing and durable and each toy comes with its own unique personality.  Large dogs can get their teeth into Bruce the Boxer or Daisy the Labrador. Smaller breeds will be thrilled to get to know Frank the Daschund, Ninja the Squirrel or Kiki the Rabbit.

More info: 01594 810990, www.3penterprise.co.uk

Anco Roots claim to be the latest trend in natural dog chews – 100% natural, untreated tree root for fun, chew and play.

They act as a natural toothbrush but are also interesting and fun for the dog..the best of both world really!

Since the launch of our new Anco Roots at PATS in March, the feedback has been phenomenal! The company has now introduced a new eye-catching display solution, free of charge when purchasing 1x Anco Root Starter Pack.

This new chew is not only for dogs – the five sizes can be suited to all sorts of animals including hamsters, or even parrots!

More info: 01337 827913, www.ancodistributors.co.uk

EzyDog has two new products that will be shown at PATS Harrogate next month. Designed for service and active dogs, the Convert Harness (above) and Saddle Bags offer dogs and their owners a great channel to outdoor enjoyment.

The Convert Harness has been designed to meet the needs of the most active pet owner. It is the perfect companion for you and your best friend to enjoy the outdoors in any condition. The Harness is fitted with a soft cotton lining on the bearing surfaces to ensure maximum comfort for your dog, as well as heavy duty webbing for all straps and Stainless Steel fittings for extra durability and security.

This Harness features side mount attachments for accessories and a soft touch traffic handle, great for both rugged terrain and suburban streets. These features have ensured that the harness is suitable for use with service dogs, as well as general purpose dog walking. The Convert Harness is the ultimate hard wearing Harness, combining security, comfort and strength.

The EzyDog Saddle Bag set has been designed to complement your EzyDog Convert Harness, to 'convert' your everyday harness into a backpack. With a heavy duty construction that is waterproof and durable, your dog can go anywhere and hold everything!

More info: 02392 474711, www.ezydog.co.uk