Plenty of new stuff in the East

The first pioneers in getting large-format pet stores off the ground in countries like Russia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic were companies from the West. DIY store operators like Hornbach or Obi and speciality chains like Fressnapf took the decision a few years ago to enter the market in the leading eastern European countries. Pet Center, run by the wholesale company Gimborn Czechia, was also one of the pioneering firms that started up in the early 1990s with modern pet stores. Pet Center is now the clear market leader in the Czech pet supplies trade and also has outlets in neighbouring Slovakia. The pet market in eastern Europe actually harbours great potential. Admittedly, countries like Russia, Poland and Hungary suffered a serious setback thanks to the global recession, and even the pet sector could not entirely escape its effects; but this doesn´t change the fact that living standards in central and eastern Europe are approximating ever more closely to those of western Europe. This includes a growing readiness on the part of people living there to spend more and more on their pets. As demand increases, so does the supply of goods available - and since this plethora of pet products cannot be displayed in cramped, old-fashioned corner shops, the number of state-of-the-art speciality stores is growing too in many eastern European countries. Shopfitting firms such as Akva Stabil of Sweden are benefiting from this: "Last year we grew strongly in eastern Europe in particular. The demand there for modern shop fittings is huge," explained managing director Per Lausen when he spoke to PET worldwide. Store chains in Poland A rapid rate of expansion is the aim of Polish pet supplies chain Kakadu above all. The company, created by a merger of three privately owned retail firms to form one large trading group, currently operates over 30 branches, the majority of them in the capital Warsaw. Zoo Afryka has also emerged as one of the leading pet supplies chains in Poland. It has five shops located in modern shopping malls and/or close to large hypermarkets across the country. Zoo Afryka stocks an extensive range of pet food, care products and accessories as well as selling pets, including ornamental fish, reptiles and birds. Another important player in the Polish pet supplies trade is Zoo Natura with 13 stores at present. The privately run company has its own outlets in all the larger cities, and it aims to open three new stores a year. A host of chains in…