Themed store on the Swiss-German border

Not just any old shopping centre, but the sought-after, busy Rhein-Center right at the point where the borders of Germany, France and Switzerland meet. The DM and Marktkauf outlets based there are among the three top-selling outlets in Germany, as Kölle Zoo managing partner Matthias Pohl is well aware. Occupying a 2 000 m2 retail area on the first floor of the mall, the new Kölle Zoo store faithfully embodies the themed pet department concept of the company, which runs 23 Fressnapf branches as well as its own 11 stores. In the entrance area, visitors can marvel at a 15 000 l koi pond and a 5 000 l show aquarium filled with Discus fish and Sterba’s corydoras. The reptile department is also worth seeing, boasting a huge selection of reptiles and amphibians as well as unusual invertebrates and rare species such as Fiji Iguanas (price of a pair: € 9 900). Imaginative presentation ideas Many of the presentation ideas, such as the rock walls, the decorative elements snaking across the ceiling, the variable layout of show aquariums and the small mammal enclosures framed in wood are already familiar from other Kölle Zoo stores. In Weil am Rhein they once again form a fascinating, integrated whole. The relatively new lighting concept has been developed further here. Making its debut in the new Kölle Zoo is a 130 m2 “Aqua Studio” – an area styled as a chic living space that showcases upmarket and extremely pricy aquariums. Another feature not seen before at Kölle Zoo is the dog boutique stocked exclusively with Hunter products. As usual, the store stocks a huge range comprising 15 000 products. It employs 25 staff, who work under the leadership of Matthias Levy. To attract young visitors to the new Kölle Zoo, the company launched a new idea in December: regular “expeditions” through the fascinating store led by veterinarian Dr. Fischer are offered for groups of nursery-age children and school classes.Download: Themed store on the Swiss-German border (PDF file)