Tom & Co. expands further

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Tom & Co., a company in the Delhaize Group, aims to open another ten stores this year. If it could find a suitable location in France, it would also open a further store there in 2009. The company opened its first French outlet close to Lille at the end of 2007 and is currently testing the market there. Greater service As well as continuing to expand, the company is intent on improving the quality of its stores by extending its service offering and introducing innovative additional ranges. These include interesting niche products for solving consumer's problems with regard to looking after their pets. In the last year, for example, Tom & Co. has introduced approx. 30 cleaning products for the rapid removal of pet hair or stains into its range and has placed them close to the point of sale in its stores. It also aims to present the organic and natural pet food products that it stocks arranged together on a common shelf area in the future. After previously selling live pets exclusively in its Tom & Co. Animal Centers with retail areas of between 600 m² and 1 000 m², the speciality chain has now extended this feature to the classic Tom & Co. outlets too. Ornamental fish, small mammals and birds have been added to the range. Enlarging its private label programme is another aim of Tom & Co. The company offers two different private label lines: "Pet's Budget" in the low-priced segment and "Tom & Co." in the medium- and high-priced segments. Approx. 100 items come under the umbrella of these two brands, and this figure is expected to increase. The trading group is currently working on a relaunch of tinned dog and cat food, which will be sold under the "Tom & Co." line. To increase its margins further, Tom & Co. is looking to boost its accessories range. Accessories now account for 35 per cent of the company's sales in the dog segment and as much as 40 per cent with regard to cat products. Tom & Co. places great emphasis on ongoing training of its franchisees and their staff. At its head office, the company organises regular training seminars focusing on product knowledge, sales techniques and business management. Special seminars covering the small mammal and aquarium categories are likewise offered. New website To develop its communication with customers further, Tom & Co. recently redesigned its website. One new feature is the so-called Club Tom & Co.; dog and cat…