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Nestlé Purina has opened its first pet food processing plant in China, located in Tianjin, close to Beijing. The factory is expected to produce some 20 000 tons of pet food a year. Before building this first domestic plant, Nestlé cat and dog food sold in China was imported from the United States.The Slovenian firm HP Hobby Program has a new distribution partner for Austria, Germany and Switzerland: the Pet and People company based in Gröbming/ Austria.The German speciality chain Fressnapf has launched its new Mega Pet selling concept in Walterdorf, near Berlin. The company intends henceforth to open themed pet product stores with a retail area in excess of 2 000 m² across Europe under this brand name.The Italian pet product chain L’Isola dei Tesori has acquired the Bologna-based speciality chain Dog & Cat, which has 14 stores. L’Isola dei Tesori now operates over 40 stores throughout Italy following this acquisition.On 1st February the German pet product chain Landfuxx opened its 100th store in Schwarzenbach/Saale. The company operates local supplier stores in mostly rural areas with ranges for pets, gardening and DIY, plus home and family.
 
Sizoo in BarcelonaNow last autumn’s furore over the change in dates for Sizoo (as reported extensively in PET in Europe) has subsided, the organiser, Fira de Barcelona, has announced details of the show. When the doors of the Montjuic Exhibition Center open from 20th to 23rd September, over 120 Spanish and foreign exhibitors will present their wares in an exhibition area of approx. 31 000 m2. Around 450 internationally known brands will be represented. The organiser stresses that roughly half of the exhibitors will be from abroad, thus reasserting Sizoo’s claim to be Spain’s leading speciality fair, according to Fira de Barcelona’s assessment. Most of the foreign exhibitors are coming from Italy, followed by China, Great Britain, the USA, Benelux, Germany, France, Portugal, Brazil and India. Around 12 000 trade visitors are also expected, 35 per cent of them proprietors of pet stores. www.sizoo.com
 
Clocking up extra salesThe British company Supreme Petfoods has taken inspiration from the longer, lighter days to warm up profits for its retailers as well: for the spring, the company is increasing the margins available on all of its key products. This is achieved by revising its prices and aligning specialist pet food with grocery standard price points. The key result has been a price reduction for…