A major new player?

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Starting out from Italy, where the company has its headquarters in Torri di Quartesolo, close to Vicenza, business is to be conducted in each country on the target list by a legally independent operating company. The headquarters are in charge of a number of strategic functions like purchasing management, marketing and the development of new openings. Zoodom currently operates 15 stores, most of them in Italy (in the provinces of Veneto, Lombardy and Marche), but also in Slovakia, Ukraine and Denmark. The company is planning a staged opening of branches in the principal European markets, and its presentation material indicates that 150 stores are envisaged by 2010. There are no plans to establish a franchise system. All stores will get their goods directly from the suppliers.
Corporate identity Zoodom wants to represent an innovative concept in the pet shop channel. The name Zoodom is composed of the trans-cultural prefix Zoo and the contraction “dom”, which recalls the Latin domus, or home in English. The system of Zoodom display modules has been designed to organise the vast range of products rationally and simply. Each store stocks the main brands of the pet sector offering products of medium-high quality. Zoodom aims to have a relationship with its suppliers based on real and loyal cooperation. Since Zoodom suppliers are considered partners, the retail company regards it as essential that involved partners have an international profile that can offer an appropriate service to all stores to be opened throughout Europe. The owner and financier backing Zoodom is a specialised fund which operates in the pet business. Speculation that accessories manufacturer Ferplast is the backer has been vehemently rebuffed by Zoodom managing director Mirko Urbani.Modern storesThe stores, with retail areas ranging in size from 800 to 1 200 m², are of modern design with wide aisles between the rows of shelving and appear tidy and well-maintained. All the stores have large parking areas and are in well-frequented locations in suburbs close to the cities, along the most travelled routes or within the larger retail parks. The range includes live animals as well as pet food, care products and accessories. Care has been taken to ensure that stores are manned by an adequate number of specialist staff, and the sales personnel are easily identifiable by their Zoodom staff clothing.The calibre of the sales staff is expected to be a key…