U.K. Pet Retailers
Face Familiar Challenges
For pet retailers in England, providing additional services
such pet boarding, microchipping, online purchasing and even
animal matchmaking may be the way of the future, according to
a survey by the Pet Care Trust (Bedford, England).
The survey of 4,000 pet and aquatic retailers covered topics
ranging from business rates to livestock throughput.
Live animals play a key role in England’s pet retail
sector, with three out of four respondents (74 percent) selling
live animals, according to the survey. Fish were the most
the commonly sold animals (sold by 62 percent of respondents),
followed by small animals (57 percent) and birds (52 percent).
Despite negative publicity in recent years, 15 percent of
respondents continue to sell kittens and cats, and 3 percent
sell puppies and dogs.
Like pet stores in the United States, pet stores in England
rely on a regular customer base. According to the survey,
they average 906 customers per month. The average transaction
is 13.89 British pounds ($25.94).
Respondents seem to be prepared to meet “duty of care”
standards outlined in the country’s Animal Welfare Bill:
82 percent of survey respondents already ask for proof of
age before selling a pet. A total of 77 percent said they
would be willing to keep a livestock sales register for all
animals except fish, while 27 percent would be willing to
keep sales records for all animals.
The survey shows that the pet sector has yet to embrace technology:
42 percent do not use any information technology programs
in their work.
For more information, visit www.petcare.org.uk. [July 2006
PET AGE]
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