“Cloudy and stormy times ahead”

“2022 has new challenges: a new economic environment is evolving – cloudy or stormy times ahead.” This is how Heiko Bücker, senior vice president of product offer at Europe’s leading pet retailer Fressnapf, described the current development of the pet industry in his presentation at the International Pet Conference, which took place in Bologna on 11 and 12 October.

With 63 new stores and growth in excess of 15 per cent in four of its eleven country markets, Fressnapf has nevertheless succeeded in advancing its expansion seamlessly in the first eight months of this year as compared with 2021. During this period, the company’s strongest growth was in Poland, where sales increased by 50.1 per cent, followed by Ireland (+44.5 per cent) and France (+25 per cent). Sales growth in its home market of Germany, on the other hand, was lowest at 3.1 per cent.

All the figures cited include Fressnapf’s fast-growing online trade and its new stores. On a comparable store area or taking out the price rises occurring this year, sales growth would seem to be more modest.