Fressnapf continues to defy the financial crisis

Fressnapf is continuing to buck the downward economic trend this year too, increasing its sales in the first quarter of 2009 by 11.3 per cent to € 265 mio. In Germany, the pet supplies chain’s sales were up by 8.3 per cent to € 195 mio, while sales abroad increased by as much as 20.6 per cent to € 70 mio. Fressnapf’s like-for-like sales in the first quarter increased by 3.6 per cent: 3.8 per cent in Germany and 3.5 per cent abroad. For the year as a whole, Fressnapf is targeting an increase in comparable stores sales of 3.3 per cent. The company, which will celebrate the opening of its 1 000th store in Europe on 31 May, is looking to expand rapidly this year too, with over 80 new stores in the pipeline. This figure is expected to include ten stores of the XXL “shopping experience” format. Another German Megazoo store is expected to open in Hanover in the autumn, when Fressnapf is also planning to launch an online shop. The company’s plans include the opening of a further logistics centre in Feuchtwangen (Bavaria), from which deliveries are to be made to southern Germany and neighbouring countries.