Austrian snacks are popular

Negative media coverage, for example regarding fighting dogs, is a concern for Andreas Popper, Commercial Councillor and Chairman of the Austrian Specialist Retailers’ Association within the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO). ‘This is being blown out of proportion and is doing our pet trade a world of harm.’ Popper believes the trade needs to take stronger countermeasures and focus on the positive effects of the human-animal relationship, for instance on social media.

Temu, Shein and the like are a huge problem for the trade. With all this over-regulation, Europe is effectively undermining itself. Austria, like Germany, has such high standards compared to everyone else that they hardly stand a chance of surviving in the globalised world, says Popper. Ralph Leitner, managing director of Dogsworld in Neufelden, did not see the situation quite so bleakly. ‘I don’t want to complain: our family business started 25 years ago and things have been on the up for 25 years.’ Admittedly, there is a lot of red tape with thousands of requirements, which is particularly difficult for small businesses, but the pet trade as an industry is still doing quite well, says Leitner. ‘Customers are willing to spend money if they receive proper advice and products.’

It helps that, as the general importer for Belcando in Austria, he represents a successful, high-quality brand. He also sets himself apart with handmade dog crates and tags, which no one else in the country offers, and, since last autumn, with a dog competence centre: this features training courses outdoors and in a sheltered hall – which was already fully booked over the winter – along with physiotherapy rooms, meeting rooms and a dog wash.

‘Austrian snacks go down very well here,’ says Saeed Rafatipour, manager of Das Futterhaus in Asten. The same applies to frozen goods, bedding and hay from the region. For cats, Leonardo is his best brand, ‘and the margin is right too,’ he admits. ‘Lucky Lou from Pets Nature sells very quickly and doesn’t sit on the shelves for three weeks – that’s good for us retailers.’

Rafatipour admits that the overall retail situation is somewhat bleak. ‘But our…