A changing market

"The last ten years have been very turbulent, both for our com­­pany and for the entire pet sec­­tor in Bulgaria," recounts Anton Antonov.He is the second gene­ration of the family to run the company together with his father, company founder Ivan Antonov.Before the recession between 2008 and 2010 hit Bulgaria, Miazoo sold pet accessories first and foremost. As it had focused from an early stage on high-quality products that also carry a higher price tag, Miazoo felt the full impact of the recession.

To make up for this, the father and son team strengthened its range of treats and wet food, especially from Animonda. Up to that point, this was a product group that only had a very small share of the pet supplies market.
Prior to 2011, Miazoo had concentrated on supplying pet store chains and other retail organi­sations in the country's capital, Sofia. Anton Antonov now began to deliver to smaller pet supplies businesses too. This move was successful, and in 2014 Miazoo opened a second warehouse in Sofia and took on new staff.It also took another look at its in-house production and invested in extending its production lines. A new series of premium-quality collars, leashes and harnesses was introduced. Anton Antonov views this as an opportunity to stem the tide of cheap products from the Far East, which are sold primarily online and put considerable pressure on the classic pet supplies market. Miazoo's range of private label products also includes a premium-quality cat litter and shampoos from Bulgaria.
Recently the Polish wet food brand Piper was added to the product assortment. Miazoo has also been distributing products of the English firm The Company of Animals for a year now. Other exclusive brands of the wholesale operation are Savic, Karlie Flamingo, Beaphar, Sera and Animonda.

"With our products we cover almost the whole country, dis­tributing in the six biggest cities. More than 50 per cent of our sales are in Sofia," says Anton Antonov. Here Miazoo supplies pet chains with four to eight stores, medium-sized family-owned shops, small shops (less than 30 m²), veterinary clinics and wholesalers. "Most of the shops are small, between 20 and 60 m²," adds Antonov.
The Bulgarian pet supplies market has grown in the last seven years, with the average retail area also increasing in size. 
Many new shops have opened in shopping malls, where a high level of purchasing power is concentrated. The customers are also better informed and…