DogBuddy.com launched its third annual Dog-friendly Pub Awards with the first ever Doggy ‘Think Tank’ to find out what dogs really want from a dog-friendly pub – is it tasty treats, pawsome playthings or just a good ol’ bowl of doggy beer?

The event, held at the famously dog-friendly pub, The Woolpack on Bermondsey Street, London, welcomed all kinds of pups to test some of the fun and essential components of a truly dog-friendly pub. DogBuddy created five different testing stations for the dogs to decide which aspects they each enjoyed the most.

• Treat testing
• Dog bed testing
• Doggy Beer testing
• Dog bowl testing
• Toy testing

Lisa Hens, Senior Scientific Officer at the RSPCA, who is one of the judges of the Dog-friendly Pub Awards  said: “It’s great to see establishments considering the needs of the dogs that might visit them and the Dog-friendly Pub Awards is a brilliant way to recognise this.

"Whilst letting dogs decide what they want from a pub in the ‘Think Tank’ is all just a bit of fun, it is important to consider the well-being of dogs in a busy, sometimes crowded, environment such as a pub, and to ensure that all their needs are catered for whilst there.”

Richard Setterwall, CEO and founder of DogBuddy adds: “With the launch of the 2018 Dog-friendly Pub Awards, DogBuddy is encouraging pubs across the country to embrace ‘paw power’ and welcome not just two, but four-legged customers as well.

"Not only will the awards show some well-deserved appreciation of existing dog-friendly establishments, but they also aim to promote dog-friendly values across all pubs nationwide, inspiring dog owners in the UK to discover and visit their local pubs.”

Voting is open from Sunday 26^th August 2018 - National Dog Day. Voting closes on Sunday 28^th October 2018 and winners will be announced Friday 9^th November 2018.  Anyone can vote for their favourite dog-friendly pub by visiting dogbuddypubs.com.

For every vote received in the Dog-friendly Pub Awards, DogBuddy will also donate 50p** to the RSPCA who rescue, rehabilitate and rehome thousands of dogs every year.

Burns Pet Nutrition will be donating a quarter of its annual profits to a number of charitable organisations of part of its continued efforts to support community projects and animal charities, according a report on Wales Online.

The company’s record charity donation will help a number of charitable animal welfare organisations including its charity partners Dogs for the Disabled and Forever Hounds Trust.

A significant portion of the donation (£800,000) will be invested into the Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation, a charity established in 2007 by John Burns to improve the lives of people and pets across the UK with an emphasis on tackling the effects of social isolation in rural west Wales.

John said: "As the sole shareholder of Burns Pet Nutrition I am not beholden to investors seeking returns on their investments. I have decided that the company should be a force for good channelled through the work of our community team and The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation.”

A full report can be found on the Wales Online website – click here

The UK pet industry has seen an impressive number of companies entering the market over the past few years and many of these new businesses have chosen the PATS trade shows as their launch pad.

This year’s PATS Telford will see a host of newcomers exhibiting their new products and services to an audience of UK and international pet retailers.

The growing stature of the September trade exhibition has resulted in 63 companies taking stand space at Telford International Centre for the first time.

They will be joining a long list of regular exhibitors on Sunday 23^rd September and Monday 24^th September as the UK’s national pet trade exhibition shapes up to be another epic event. With all stand space sold, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers will be exhibiting.

Organiser Gordon Thomas says the exhibition promises to be another memorable event for the pet industry. “The fact the show has attracted so many new exhibitors is a clear indication it is an important place to launch products. Companies have been telling me they have lots of products to showcase, so visitors can be certain there will be plenty of things to see and do.”

New to PATS Telford, Barney’s Biscuit Boxes summed up how the exhibition can help a new company to grow. The company’s Matthew Stanley said: “Exhibiting at Telford is the best way for us to speak with a great range of potential buyers from small independent retailers to larger pet organisations about our handmade natural dog treats. Fingers crossed our biscuits, which contain fresh fruit, fresh vegetables or fresh meat, will be a real hit.”

It’s a similar story for Four Legged Fancies, whose managing director Victoria Rough said: “We have a strong presence locally at shows and events in the South West, which has allowed us to secure a number of stockists in the area. However, PATS can showcase us to retailers from across the whole of the UK and beyond.”

And Stuart Malcolmson, of Arctic Wolf Ltd, commented: “We chose to exhibit at PATS as it allows us to meet with a large number of potential new retail partners in a central location.”

PATS Telford is also attracting international companies like Chinese company Sunner Pet Products whose Ivy Sun said: “We hope that our pet products will be popular among European customers. Dog poop bag is our main product, and we also want our new cat litter scoop to be known among people.”

GoldPaw is an American brand looking to establish itself in the UK and owner Rebecca Gadd said: “We've shown at other international fairs but we decided to attend PATS because we wanted to focus our efforts on Britain this year.”

Vital Pet Trade Specialist had a major presence at Sandown and the company will be repeating the exercise in September. Director Sunny Sharma said: “Turnout at the Vital Grandstand and our enlarged stand in the Surrey Hall at PATS Sandown was beyond expectations. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the response from existing and prospective customers and suppliers. We’re excited to be building on this success at Telford, where we will have even more opportunities to partner with major suppliers offering exclusive products and promotions.”

PATS Telford will also again play host to popular visitor attractions like The New Product Showcase, sponsored by pbwnews, demonstrations and workshops from top dog groomers, and free-to-attend seminars from leading industry figures.

Parking is free at the Telford International Centre, and everyone will receive free tea and coffee, and a free show catalogue.

A full and up-to-date list of exhibitors is available on the website www.patshow.co.uk together with information on how to reach the venue and regularly updated show news.

Five generations of expertise in animal nutrition and 100% Irish ingredients are at the heart of Go Native – a new complete range of grain-free dog food, treats and dental sticks from Connolly’s Red Mills.

The Connolly family has been making animal feeds in Co Kilkenny, Ireland since 1908 and has used that know-how and commitment to quality to create this ultra-premium, grain-free range.

Go Native has been developed by nutritionists and vets at Connolly’s Red Mills’ purpose-built facility and crafted in their kitchens. Go Native is a complete diet for all dogs, whatever their size, breed or age.

 When only the best is good enough – sourcing the finest Irish ingredients

Connolly’s Red Mills are very particular about using trusted suppliers and only the best, carefully  sourced, natural ingredients are selected for Go Native. 

Fully traceable and sustainably sourced, Go Native food contains 70% meat from a single meat source  – either organic herring or salmon or free-run chicken and turkey  – combined with superfoods like v kale, spinach, broccoli and carrot.

Connolly’s Red Mills’ stringent quality control goes a step further– they even make the poultry feed that’s given to the duck and chicken they select for Go Native.

Recipes include Duck with Apple & Cranberry, Organic Herring with Carrot & Kale, Organic Salmon with Spinach & Ginger and Chicken with Potato & Broccoli.

Go Native grain free meaty treats contain 30% meat and come in four varieties: salmon, herring, duck and turkey. They are cold formed  to ensure all of the nutrients are locked in and suitable for dogs over six months.

Go Native dental super sticks have a unique rough texture and spiral shape to reduce tartar build-up and the formation of plaque and come in two varieties: Carrot & Sweet Potato or Pumpkin & Broccoli. The dental super sticks also contain ground peppermint for fresh breath.

The utmost care and attention to detail at every step

All ingredients are tested in Connolly’s Red Mills’ on-site laboratory and the entire range is grain-free, reducing the risk of allergy. Go Native also contains no wheat, maize, soya or corn, so is 100% gluten-free as well as free from genetically modified ingredients.

“A century of know-how, care and attention at every step has gone into creating this exceptional dog food range,” said sales and marketing director Gareth Connolly. “We’re proud that Go Native is produced using the highest quality, sustainably-sourced, Irish ingredients.”

Go Native Dog food is packed using Connolly’s Red Mills’ unique Nutrient Fresh Management System.

To celebrate the launch of Go Native, Red Mills hosted a special dinner party for some very special four-legged guests. They all thoroughly enjoyed themselves, plates completely cleared with not a morsel of Go Native left behind. The meal was then polished off with a tooth-cleansing Go Native Dental Superfood stick before the guests headed home with goodie/doggie bags.

Check it out here: https://www.redmills.ie/products/pets

To find out more or to register your interest in becoming  a stockist, visit www.gonativedogfood.com

Beaphar UK has announced the UK winner of their recent global competition #DrawMeYourFamily. George Rocke, age 6, from Hereford has been chosen as the winner, and will receive the fantastic prize of a family adventure break worth £1,000.

Lucy Rocke said: “George’s two favourite things in life are his pets and drawing. George has been diagnosed with ADHD and has trouble expressing his feelings, and we have found he can do this through his love of art and drawing.

“When George is having a bad day or a mad moment we can find him sat with his cat upstairs or with the dogs. His connection with animals is such a beautiful thing to be around. George has a soft beautiful soul. Winning means so much to George, he can be down on himself a lot, and this really has lifted his spirits and shows him how brilliant he is. We, the family, are all so very proud.”

Dr Sue Huggett, UK Business Manager, Beaphar UK, said: “We were so impressed by all the entrants to our #DrawMeYourFamily competition, and would like to thank all our retailers for getting behind it. The competition has really helped strengthen the relationship Beaphar has with our consumers, and we are confident our trade customers will see this in their sales too.

“George’s picture was one that stood out, and having learnt a little more about his family we are thrilled to have been able to give them a such an amazing prize. It is clear from all the entries we received that children really do view their pets as part of the family.

Dr Huggett concluded: “In fact, two particular entrants put so much effort and imagination into creating their pictures of their families that we decided to send them both a bundle of Beaphar goodies for their pets.”

Beaphar’s #DrawMeYourFamily competition followed on from their recent brand video, ‘Draw me your family: The Beaphar Social Experiment’, which proved that children view their pets as part of the family, while parents often forget them. The video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/5avkySyX0uc

Beaphar UK offers continuous product support to their trade customers all year round, including training, in-store point-of-sale and digital assets. For more information, please contact your local Sales Executive, call our award-winning Customer Service Team on 0333 0066236 or email info@uk.beaphar.com.

As leading exponents of well-rounded, nutritionally-primed pet food, there was never any question of a rural orientated operation like Cotswold RAW seeing tripe in anything but a positive light.

The vibrant Badsey operation has seen a significant interest over the last 4 months in its 2 tripe-themed offers: a much loved Beef & Tripe complete meal and an especially popular lamb’s Tripe Chunks offer that provides the perfect complimentary meal for your pet. 

There’s no escaping the undeniable truth that tripe (from a human perspective) doesn’t win any beguiling scent awards, and yet, for senior dogs with a declining sense of smell or frustratingly finicky hounds it’s the human equivalent of fresh coffee meets bacon baps.

Tripe is an all too natural element of both dogs’ and cats’ ancestral diets, because as self-sufficient hunters, they'd consume their prey’s entire stomach and associated entrails, which provided abundant access to essential vitamins and nutrients.

Green tripe is the easily digestible, untreated  contents of a grazing animal’s stomach or intestines; a fermented food which contains high quotas of the all-important healthy probiotic, lactobacillus acidophilus, that tackles harmful gut bacteria: e-coli, listeria and salmonella head on to keep your pet’s digestive system in fine fettle.

Better than that, Green Tripe is brimming with heart-healthy unsaturated fats, (nearly 50%) that in addition to providing top drawer, long-term energy, makes your four-legged friend feel nice and full, which is particularly helpful if your hound is following a carefully controlled, weight-loss diet.

According to Cotswold RAW spokesperson, Chris Brierley, "in addition to supporting our region’s rural economy, an integral part of what we do is help historically unfashionable cuts of meat find their feet!"

Tetra is encouraging more people to delve into the underwater world by revealing our favourite childhood memories of having an aquarium.

While back in the 80’s, pet owners might have opted for a traditional bowl aquarium, sporting a multicoloured theme and even a classic novelty item, such as a castle, today’s tanks are light years ahead, with pet owners now more likely to opt for a larger, more stylish tank that can safely house our fish. Even colour trends have changed over the years, with millennial pink currently a popular aquarium colour choice.

Nevertheless, some things never change and that’s where we find the inspiration in naming our aquatic friends. From Beano to Bart, Flounder to Nemo, Elvis to Lil Kim, to Ant & Dec, the latest research from Tetra shows that we typically look to popular culture to inspire our goldfish names.

Indeed, even the Royal family features in Britain’s most popular pet names, with William and Harry currently ranked among the nation’s top choices. For some, our fish’s name might even reveal a little bit more about our other favourite things, with Gin & Tonic and Guinness both common names for goldfish!

So, with fishkeeping firmly back in vogue, the aquatics experts at Tetra have revealed five fin-tastic reasons why you should get back into fishkeeping!

Fish make great friends!

Our friends with fins give great companionship. In fact, one in four UK fish owners admit to regularly chit-chatting with their pet, while half fondly recall their fish chasing their fingers across the aquarium glass or even touching the water, so their pet could ‘kiss’ them2.

Aquariums look beautiful in the home

Perhaps one of the most common reasons people choose to keep an aquarium, is that they look beautiful in the home. Fish tanks can become the focal point of a room and are often a point of conversation with visitors. In fact, many of the rich and famous, such as the Beckhams, late fashion designer Alexander McQueen and Madonna, have had special fish tanks installed in their home as a luxury design statement.

Fishkeeping is fun

Not only is choosing your fish’s name one of the highlights of pet ownership, you can also go to town decorating your fish tank. You can add amazing plants, statues, rocks of many colours and accessories to create it a special ambiance and make your fish’s home as spectacular and comfortable as possible.

It’s a fin-tastic learning experience for children

For children, learning to look after fish can be a magical experience that creates a lifetime of fond memories. What’s more, learning to look after a fish teaches children responsibility. Through fishkeeping, children can learn valuable skills such as feeding and caring for the fish alongside ensuring the tank is always looking its best. When reminiscing about the joy of owning a fish, the UK ranked watching them grow and feeling proud of taking care of them as the most rewarding benefits3.

Heath benefits

Finally, there’s a bank of research to show that fish promote feelings of calm and peacefulness. As a result, keeping fish in your home can bring many health benefits, such as reducing stress and lowering blood pressure and heart rate4. Try watching them for a few minutes a day to help you to relax and connect to nature.

If reminiscing about your childhood aquarium has made you nostalgic Tetra has a range of solutions from small stylish globes to larger aquatic centrepieces allowing you to revisit the fascinating world of aquatics with ease. Visit www.tetra-fish.co.uk or your local aquatics store for more information.

Deciding to take control of your pet’s weight issue is a great start. Excess weight can lead to heart disease, diabetes, painful joints and a reduced lifespan. Even being slightly overweight can be a problem, despite the common misconception that pets need a bit of extra weight as ‘reserves’ for when they are poorly. The most important factor to control when it comes to weight loss is the total amount on calories consumed. This is especially important for pets that cannot exercise due to arthritis or other health conditions.

Vet's Kitchen has outlined nine simple sets to help pets lose those extra pounds.

1. Reduce their calorie intake – in order for them to lose weight, they have to be eating less calories then they need on a daily basis. The feeling guidelines on the pack/can of pet food is the total amount required per 24 hours and includes enough energy for any exercise they may do. A rough rule of thumb is to feed 70% of the feeding guidelines suggested for their target weight.
2. Know how many calories they need and count them! – the more accurate way to calculate feeding amounts is to use our online calorie calculator or speak to your practice veterinary nurse to work out how many calories and how much food your pet should be eating per day. 
3. Know how many calories are in what you’re feeding – in addition to knowing how many calories your dog or cat requires, you also need to know how many calories are in the food, treats and other rewards you give.
4. Consider a change in diet – you might want to consider changing your pet to a ‘light’ or weight controlled diet. To help control their hunger, these diets often have added fibre and/or increased protein levels and a lower calorie content per 100g.
5. Weigh out the food – studies have shown that the amount of food can be overestimated by up to 80% when using cups, so for accuracy, we recommend using kitchen weighing scales to weigh out daily portions.
6. It’s still okay to feed treats - feeding treats is an important part of your relationship with your pet and it is completely allowed. Just be sure to include any treats, chews or table scraps in the daily recommended amount of calories you feed. Vet’s Kitchen Little Stars for dogs and Little Heart treats for cats are calorie rated treats that tell you how many treats equate to Vet’s kitchen adult pet food, so you can cut down accordingly.
7. Cope with the pester power! - deal with those big brown eyes and ‘that look’ by making mealtimes fun instead of just giving them an extra treat. Puzzle feeders or scatter feeding can help slow down greedy eaters and enrich mealtimes to prevent boredom. You might also find that splitting the daily amount up will help. For adult dogs, we suggest splitting the daily amount into 2-3 meals per day. For cats, you can allow them to graze or offer small frequent meals as long as the daily amount is adhered to.
8. Monitor - check your pet’s weight every two to three weeks. The ideal weight loss is 3-5% of their body weight per month. If there is no weight loss after three weeks then you might need to readjust the feeding amounts.
9. Don’t hesitate to ask for help -  if you are feeding Vet’s Kitchen food to your dog or cat and would like further information on calories and feeding amounts to help your pet lose weight, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01793 887555 or contact@vetskitchen.co.uk. We have a team of friendly vets, vet nurses and nutritional advisors that would love to speak to you.

For further information on Vet’s Kitchen, visit www.vetskitchen.co.uk

Lily’s Kitchen has unveiled its much-anticipated Christmas range for 2018, making sure that the nation’s furry four legged friends can join in with all the Christmas fun.

The limited edition theatre-inspired ‘Christmas Spectacular’ collection is a seasonal range of meals and treats bursting with natural goodness to help every dog and cat enjoy the festivities alongside the rest of the family. With their beautiful handcrafted designs, the thoughtfully crafted products are guaranteed to set tails wagging and felines purring, whilst driving incremental sales for retailers.

Founder and CEO, Henrietta Morrison, comments: “At Lily’s Kitchen we include our pets in everything we do - because they are our family and we know our customers feel the same. Christmas is such a special family time and that includes our furry friends too.   

“The 2018 ‘Christmas Spectacular’ range is set not only to bring much excitement in store and boost seasonal sales opportunities for our retail partners, but it will also ensure that it’s the most wonderful time of the year for our dog and cat family members too”.

The Lily’s Christmas Spectacular range includes:

Christmas Spectacular Biscuit Collection Tin for Dogs, 252g, RRP £20

A charming assortment of naturally delicious biscuits for dogs in a collectible treat tin. Settle down together for some festive entertainment, a few nibbles and be ready for an enthusiastic hound of applause!

Includes:

·           Premium limited edition tin to keep treats in all year round

·           A menu card to help your dog pick their favourite treat this year

And, a selection of naturally delicious treats, many of which are only available in our Christmas Spectacular Biscuit Tin:

·           The Gingerbread Dog

·           Turkey & Cranberry Treats

·           Organic Bedtime Biscuits

·           Rise & Shines Baked Treats

·           Organic Cheese & Apple Treats

·           Salmon Shortbread Fingers

·           Whitefish & Seaweed Rusks

·           Fishy Turmeric Bites

‘Christmas Spectacular Advent Calendar’ for Cats, RRP £10

A fun and festive gift for cats to count down to Christmas in the most entertaining way. This hand drawn Advent Calendar for cats whisks you into a world of a Christmas panto celebration with plenty of merriment and mischief! Each window of the theatre is generously filled with Lily’s Kitchen naturally wholesome treats. Featuring an all-star cast of tasty treats to discover - Chicken with Liver, Chicken with Shrimp and Turkey with Cranberry.

‘Christmas Spectacular Advent Calendar’ for Dogs, RRP £10

This charming, hand drawn Christmassy Advent Calendar for dogs makes a fun and fabulous gift, generously filled with naturally wholesome, delicious treats for dogs to help them countdown to Christmas in the most deliciously entertaining way. With an all-star cast of tasty treats to discover - Rise & Shines, Training Treats and Bedtime Biscuits - dogs will love taking a peek behind the curtain each day this December.

‘Christmas Spectacular Festive Treats’ Cracker for Dogs, 100g, RRP £3.95

Lovingly baked for dogs that have been good all year round, this Christmas Treat Cracker is filled with tasty little treats that are made with naturally delicious turkey, cranberries, thyme and cinnamon. A wonderful present that every special dog will love.

‘Christmas Spectacular Festive Treats’ Cracker for Cats, 50g, RRP £3.49

Share a theatrical surprise with your cat when opening this cracker, bursting with Christmassy treats made with turkey, chicken liver and cranberries. Wonderfully festive nibbles that every feline will adore.

‘Christmas Spectacular Three Bird Feast for Dogs’ (Tray), 150g, RRP £1.35

Perfect for smaller dogs, share all the excitement of festive family fun and feasting by treating dogs to their own naturally delicious and wholesome Christmas dinner. This seasonal recipe is packed with succulent, freshly prepared turkey, duck and goose with a supporting cast of festive cranberries and parsnips. Guaranteed to get rave reviews from your waggiest family member. Bravo! Also available in 400g (Tin), RRP £2.75

‘Christmas Spectacular Turkey & Ham Pâté Feast’ for Cats (Tray), 85g, RRP £1.10

A naturally delicious, seasonal dish for your favourite feline. Packed with freshly prepared turkey, succulent ham and juicy cranberries, this outstanding festive feast will have them purring in their seats.

‘The Tale of the Gingerbread Dog’, children’s story book, £6.95 - ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITY!

Settle down for some Christmas entertainment together with this daring story of two hungry dogs, a clever cat and a Gingerbread Dog. ‘The Tale of the Gingerbread Dog’ is a magical festive story with ingenious rhymes and charming pictures from Lily’s Kitchen. All profits from the sale of this beautiful book go to PDSA, who provide free veterinary care for the pets of people in need. A book full of merriment and joy, ideal for sharing with your own furry family.

The International Buyers’ Centre at Glee 2018, which for many years has provided a hub for overseas buyers attending the show, is being hosted again by the PetQuip and Gardenex  associations.  The Centre will have a new location this year in Hall 6 on Stand No. 6S18-T19, which is situated close to the hall entrance.  The Centre will provide a wide range of facilities and information for international visitors throughout the show.

The PetQuip association, a sister division of Gardenex, will also be providing business services to pet product suppliers and buyers on its Stand 19-S24 in the PetQuip Village section of the show.

The International Buyers’ Centre will be the venue for a programme of Gardenex-organised International Buyers Connect meetings which are scheduled to take place from 10-12.00am each day.  These will give Glee exhibitors the chance to hold 10 minute meetings with international buyers. To date, garden product buyers from the Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Estonia, the Netherlands, the Baltic States and Poland have confirmed that they will be taking part. The buyers will represent a range of distributors, mail order and online sales companies.  Gardenex members will receive the buyers’ company profiles and further details of how to apply in the weeks leading up to the show.  The meetings are available only to Glee exhibitors.

Following a visit by Gardenex to the Gardenia show in Poland earlier this year, eight members of   the Polish Garden Centre Association will also be visiting Glee 2018.

As well as meeting with international buyers and addressing their UK product sourcing enquiries, the Gardenex and PetQuip teams will be available throughout the show to meet with UK suppliers - both existing member companies and potential members - who are seeking advice on exporting and details of the wide range of business-generating services available from the two associations.

Companies visiting the IBC and the PetQuip stand will receive early notification of business initiatives, events and government grant funding opportunities for exporters over the coming 12 months.  Gardenex members visiting the Centre will receive a printed copy of the latest ‘Gardenex & PetQuip A-Z Guide to Exporting’, which is a useful and practical guide aimed specifically at garden and pet product suppliers.

The best news service every week.

Subscribe for free by clicking here

Electric shock collars for pets are to be banned in England.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the "punitive" collars "cause harm and suffering to our pets".

They are already banned in Wales and Scotland is also moving towards outlawing them.

The collars can be used to modify certain behaviours in animals, such as excessive barking, or straying beyond the boundaries of a property.

The pet's owner can administer a small electric shock via the collar when unwanted behaviour occurs.

Mr Gove said: "We are a nation of animal lovers and the use of punitive shock collars cause harm and suffering to our pets.

"This ban will improve the welfare of animals and I urge pet owners to instead use positive reward training methods."

A report published today by the British Retail Consortium, based on Met Office analysis of weather data, suggests that warmer weather in September could cost non-food retailers £80m per week.

The report, “Weather to Shop?”, indicates that temperature can have a significant influence on how much we spend on retail goods - but only at certain times of the year.

Met Office analysts compared BRC retail sales data with weekly temperature data and found that there was a clear relationship between temperature and increases in retail sales.

Its impact is strongest from mid-August to early October, where warmer weather delays the purchase of Autumn-Winter ranges. Over that period, for each degree warmer it is than the previous year, growth in sales is reduced by 1.1%, equivalent to around £40m per week.

This Summer has seen temperatures on average 2.0oC higher. If that trend continues into September non-food retailers will see sales £80m per week lower than they would have been otherwise.

In the long run, sales lost to unseasonable weather are largely recovered, once temperatures normalise; meaning that temperature fluctuations are not behind the downward trend in growth of non-food sales that we have seen since 2014.

However, warmer weather during the transition to Autumn can have a lasting effect on individual retailers. Both because it causes a shift in the type of non-food products bought and because weaker sales at the beginning of the season leads to more stock being sold at a discount later in the season, reducing profitability.

The study found that the relationship between sales and the temperature changes over the year. At certain times of year, such as in the Spring, warmer weather can help sales. At other times it can hinder them; while at sometimes of year, such as Christmas, factors other than temperature drive sales growth.

Impacts also differ across product categories. Clothing and footwear sales are particularly negatively affected by warmer temperatures in the Autumn, while women’s (but not men’s) clothing sales are boosted by higher temperatures in the Spring. Sales of furniture and home textiles benefit from cooler weather in the summer but are little affected by changes in temperature during the Winter.

Understanding the impact of the weather is crucial for retailers. While the weather cannot be controlled retailers need to be prepared to respond to unexpected weather patterns in their stocking decisions and marketing activities.

Rachel Lund, BRC Head of Insight and Analytics, said:

“While few in the retail industry would deny that the weather impacts how we shop, the fact that this study reveals that its impact can be large and changeable only serves to highlight some of the complexity retailers have to navigate in serving consumers. The ability to understand and respond to unseasonable weather is clearly crucial for retailers wanting to thrive in today’s extremely competitive retail market.

"However, we should also bear in mind that the weather does not shift long term underlying sales trends. Inflation has eaten into households’ budgets over the last two years, pushing spending towards essentials and away from discretionary items. That has particularly impacted Non-Food spending:  we’re forecasting that Non-Food sales will grow just 0.1 per cent overall in 2018, with the total market growing 1.5 per cent -  well below the 10-year average of 2.1 per cent. The reality is that the retail environment is likely to remain very challenging for some time to come."

Malcolm Lee, Weather Analytics Manager for the Met Office, said: 

“Analyses of this type can’t predict ‘boom or bust’ for the high street based on our weather forecasts, but can offer business insight into how weather has impacted on sales in previous years.

“This research shows that for certain product lines at certain times of year, sales growth is strongly influenced by the weather. However, there is much less evidence that total sales are impacted over the season as a whole; it is the profile of the spend in the season (such as early or late season shopping) that the weather impacts most strongly. This research enables weather intelligence to be used much more effectively in managing a retail business.”

An executive summary is here.

Pets at Home is reported to have discontinued the sale of dog treats containing kangaroo meat.

According to thelondoneconomic.com website, the pet retail chain were contacted by animal welfare charity group Viva! following reports that the treats were spotted on its shelves.

Pets at Home stocked two variations of the 100 per cent kangaroo meat strips which were marketed as grain and gluten-free, “natural” high-quality dog treats.

CEO Peter Pritchard is said to have responded positively, confirming that as the treats did not meet the company's ethical standards they would discontinue sales.

To read the full report click here

Pet shops and dealers in England will be banned from selling puppies and kittens under government plans. 

The proposals, which have gone out to consultation, will mean those wanting to buy or adopt a pet less than six months old will have to go to the breeder or a rescue centre.

A ban on licensed sellers dealing in dogs and cats less than eight weeks old is already coming in on 1 October.

Campaigners welcomed the announcement, but warned of "potential loopholes".

It is a victory for the Lucy's Law campaign, which has been calling for the ban to be implemented. 

The campaign was named after a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who was badly treated in the puppy farming system.

The ban aims to reduce the health problems associated which emerge when animals are reared in poor conditions.

There are no records of the number of puppies sold via third parties, but the animal charity Blue Cross has estimated it is between 40,000 and 80,000 per year in Great Britain.

The Department for Environment, Food and rural Affairs said fewer than 100 third party sellers - which includes some pet shops - are licensed in England.

Speaking in support of a change, Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: "People who have a complete disregard for pet welfare will no longer be able to profit from this miserable trade."

The move was welcomed by Paula Boyden from the Dogs Trust - but she warned that "potential loopholes" needed to be closed off for the ban to be successful. 

"We believe that to be effective, a ban needs to be supported by some key additional measures, such as regulating re-homing organisations," she said.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said the ban would "stop the suffering of many dogs and send a very strong message to puppy buyers that it is never OK to see a puppy in any environment other than the one it was born and raised in, and with its mum."

Marc Abraham, of the Pup Aid campaign, said: "Irresponsible breeders have for years used third parties to keep themselves hidden from the buying public and the proposed ban will make all breeders accountable."

Picture: Pupaid Twitter page

More stores should make their premises dog-friendly because it can boost business. That’s the view of a leading garden centre but if you are going to attempt it, make sure you do it properly.

Carolyn Spray, of Pentland Plants in Midlothian, Scotland, says: “I keep seeing garden centres saying they are dog-friendly but in essence all they do is slightly tolerate dogs to look good! Our entire garden centre is dog friendly, not just certain areas.

“We allow dogs everywhere. We welcome dogs with a biscuit at the tills and have a large pet section filled with toys, treats, beds.”

Here Carolyn explains why her garden centre business takes a serious dog-friendly approach:

“I have had dogs all my life and get really annoyed that, although it’s improved, there are still far too few places you can take dogs in the UK. I spend my life looking for places to take my Beardies with me and I’m off on a motorhome tour on the North Coast 500 round the top of Scotland in October and will try to take the dogs as many places as possible!

“There is absolutely no reason you can’t take dogs into shops and cafes, it’s entirely up to the owners to make that decision.
“I think lots of garden centres and other shops don’t realise you can have dogs in restaurants and cafes, just not in places like kitchens where food is actually prepared.

In our garden centre and cafe we have lots of dogs visiting on a daily basis and we love it! In the cafe there is an area for dogs, a play area for kids and that leaves plenty of space for those who want to avoid either or both!

“We understand that some of our customers are a bit scared of dogs or even allergic so it’s only fair to have designated areas.

“We sell lots of things in the cafe for owners to treat their dogs and believe me they do! We have Snuffledog beer, Barking Bakery cakes and cookies, Kelso and Titch biscuits and Petface bone shaped biscuits, Frozzys frozen yoghurt and we sell loads! How could you bring your dog out with you to a cafe and not include a wee treat for them?

“Our pet area is quite large and is filled with lots of different biscuits,  chews and treats, toys for outdoor and indoor play, beds, coats and all the accessories you need!

I guess a lot of what drives our pet department’s success is that I buy what I want and need for my dogs which is always a good way to run a business I think!  If the owner/ buyer is passionate about a product it really shows! I’m sure that being dog friendly has increased our pet department over the years as it’s always second or third highest turnover in our gift department!

“We continually talk about being dog friendly on social media and a lot of our new customers are word of mouth, which is the best way to find new customers I think.

“We have festive dog photography at Christmas where we have a lovely doggy photographer called Nadia from Yellow Dog Photography, and we create a festive backdrop for people to have photos of their dogs taken in front of. It’s grown in popularity year on year! I think last year’s event was the best so I’ve not idea how to better it this year!

“We held a selection of pet events at the garden centre this spring including basic obedience, trick training, brain games, reactive dog and agility. They were all sold out very quickly and we have huge waiting lists!

“We don’t have signs up saying “please pick up after your dog” because surely people who take their dog into a shop shouldn’t need to be told. There are occasional accidents but it’s easy cleaned up!”