Family celebration in Tarp

Around 600 new products were the focal point of the house fair at the start of June. However, their presentation, the unveiling of warehouse and logistics expansions and the extensive accompanying programme were just one part of the whole. For Trixie General Manager Volker Haak, the house fair means above all that "we can take time to talk to the customers, consolidate contacts and engage in an exchange that covers all departments. This breadth is far from being achieved at an Interzoo, for example." The customers also express very similar sentiments.

Around 85 per cent of the company's sales derive from products for dogs and cats, but Trixie is moving forwards in all product ranges. Even the oft-berated bird segment is constantly being developed further. The company's own terrarium brand Reptiland is also making good progress, especially with independent pet product retailers in Germany.
Volker Haak proudly reports in this context a 98.9 per cent delivery ratio in the so-called 'standard programme'. However, it is not just the impressive delivery ratio but also the consistency of the in-house and field service that is responsible to a large extent for the company's popularity. Nearly 400 people are employed at the Tarp site, plus another 50 or so in the field service.

The signs point to growth, not just in Germany but also in exports to around 80 (!) countries. Since recently, customers abroad now account for more than half of Trixie's overall sales. Up to 400 pallets are made available on a daily basis for export.
While Trixie works primarily with strong export partners in each country, six export markets are now supplied directly and have their own field sales teams. The biggest recent advances in sales have been in France, England and Benelux. "Due to our already very strong position in the German pet market real growth potential for us is only available abroad currently," says export department head Boy Tadsen. A field sales team was created lately in the Benelux states, and the French market is also looked after locally by its own regional sales manager. Growth is now being experienced again in Ukraine, Belarus and even in Russia following a sharp decline in the region since 2013, due not least to the crisis in Ukraine.