Growing international significance

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"The future development of the market for garden pond products should be regarded as positive in the long term," according to information from the Vitakraft company. This positive trend is forecast in particular for those countries with a high proportion of houses with gardens in relation to the population figures, such as England, for example. Especially great potential is offered by countries in eastern Europe, where the garden pond density tends to be on the low side at present. Regional differences The Bulgarian wholesale company Miazoo, for example, markets pond products from the German company Sera. Proprietor Ivan Antonov recounts that the idea of garden ponds was practically non-existent in Bulgaria until a few years ago. Now the segment is exhibiting modest growth, according to Antonov, against the background that garden ponds are an expensive hobby in Bulgaria and demand is concentrated among consumers in urban areas. The Polish manufacturer Tropical, which offers a wide variety of food and care products for pond fish, says that the Asian countries in particular offer strong potential in the category of pond products. "They have good prices and a great knowledge of this topic," the company commented in response to a question from PET worldwide. The internationally oriented manufacturer Rolf C. Hagen is also extremely upbeat: "We see potential in every market. Each country offers a variety of opportunities depending on market maturity and climate," is the view of the Canadian company, which offers a leading brand name in water gardening: "Laguna" comprises an innovative and complete line of pond products, including pumps, filters, UV sterilisers, water treatments, fish food, lighting, and ornaments, all designed to make building and keeping water gardens beautifully simple. Laguna is a division of Rolf C. Hagen Inc., a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of pet supplies. Answering PET worldwide's question, the German DIY chain Praktiker commented that customers in eastern Europe in particular were still very hesitant with regard to these offerings. In general the situation was very mixed: "In Romania and Poland we had significant increases in sales last year, reaching into double figures in some cases," said a Praktiker spokesman. "In Greece, on the other hand, no ponds or pond accessories are marketed, nor are they offered in Turkey any longer due to a lack of interest." In…