Zoo Royal aims to grow internationally

The German number three in online pet product retailing is stepping up the pace. It claims to have more than doubled its sales in 2014 compared with the previous year. It has significantly expanded its marketing activities, launched TV advertising campaigns, increased its team from 20 to 68 employees and is investing continuously in modern technology. 
Zoo Royal seeks to be on a par with its strongest competitors Zooplus and Fressnapf.  Changes have taken place in the management too. Jörg Burtsch­eidt has been appointed as a further managing director of the company and together with Jürgen Grohs forms the operational double-spearhead of the online retailer. Burtscheidt is responsible for the marketing, IT and internationalisation portfolio. Prior to this appointment he spent four years running the business at the German lastminute.com group. Meik Rosendahl also recently joined the company as head of purchasing and strategic category management, having previously been at the wholesaler Degro. He has extensive experience in the pet supplies sector.

Zoo Royal aims to exploit the plentiful synergy effects available to it as a company in the Rewe Group to additionally enhance the positive development of the online store. Selected Rewe stores are currently being equipped with terminals, therefore, so that customers can order pet products online from Zoo Royal while doing their daily shopping. Jürgen Grohs, one of three managing directors of Zoo Royal, perceives great opportunities in such initiatives for growing the target group of pet owners further and making the hobby appealing even to people who have never set foot in a pet shop.
"We should succeed in doubling our sales compared with last year in 2015 too," says Grohs confidently. But for all the faster pace of expansion, time will be devoted this year to restructuring the range. A detailed analysis was undertaken last year of just what the customers want and what they would rather not have, and the product range is to be slimmed down somewhat in the next few months from the 17 000 articles currently on offer.

Grohs regards Zoo Royal as "speciality retail on the Internet", and this message is to take priority in communication. The company doesn't want to be the cheapest, but the one that is at the customer's side following a purchase if the latter isn't sure how to use the product. A big in-house customer service department has been set up to advise customers on all…