André Muller: “The specialist trade must become more active”

PET in Europe: With less than 1.5 per cent of the overall pet market, the garden pond segment in France is rather insignificant. What are the reasons for this?
André Muller, managing director of Sera France.
André Muller: The garden pond sector has been neglected for a long time in France. It is only in recent years that the garden centres have discovered this segment and have increased their activities in an effort to encourage their customers to create a pond. I believe that the garden pond segment will grow in the next few years.
The new set contains all the equipment required for the pond.
PET in Europe: What can the specialist trade do to focus greater attention on garden ponds?
André Muller: The pond sector could be of major importance to the trade, as it helps to compensate for the months when sales in the aquatics trade are poor. In my opinion, however, specialist businesses need to devote more retail space to ponds. Customers will only become interested in creating a pond in their own garden if they see beautiful ponds laid out in garden centres and stores. The trade should also expand its product range in this segment. It is especially important to include products that offer a large margin in the range, such as water treatment agents, remedies and vitamins. The specialist trade thus demonstrates its competence in the pond sphere and commends itself to customers as a specialist.
Sera’s information brochures on the pond are very popular.
PET in Europe: Which sales channels are doing the most business in the pond sector?
André Muller: The garden centres now have a market share of over 50 per cent, although the DIY stores are gradually gaining ground, as the example of Mr. Bricolage shows. Companies in the agricultural trade such as Gamm Vert are also starting to move into the pond sector, as are the pet businesses. It would be a significant move if more companies were to expand their activities in the sphere of pond construction too. Thus it would make sense if garden centres or pet businesses worked with pond builders and were able to act as a single supplier, so to speak, with regard to everything from construction to maintenance of the pond.
PET in Europe: Is there a North-South divide in France when it comes to ponds?
André Muller: No, I don’t believe that. We work with a large number of specialist companies in the South of France that do very well in the garden pond business, although the largest number of pond owners is to be found in the Paris area.
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