Experts in pet business

 Janusz Jankiewicz founded his aquatics company in 1984 (see report in PET worldwide 7-8/2011). The pet supplies chain Aqua-El Zoo was established two years ago. Two years before that, Aqua-El had taken over the shop of a former customer. Bogumil Jankiewicz, son of the company’s founder, thought for some time about the idea of the company running its own retail chain, especially as this is not unusual in the countries of central and southern Europe. “For a general supplier like us, it is surely not a mistake to be able to draw on one’s own retail experience, directly and in the quickest way,” says Bogumil Jankiewicz. The industry expert was then offered the opportunity to acquire a small outlet in a shopping centre close to the company’s headquarters south of Warsaw at just the right time. This is where the first valuable experience of the retail trade was accumulated. Rapid development The young entrepreneur showed that he meant business with his pet store chain by acquiring a further 17 stores spread across the country in just two years. Many of them were shops that were already in existence, while others were completely new stores. Eight new locations are to be added by the end of next year, and a total of 100 Aqua-El Zoo shops throughout Poland is to be attained by 2020. “One very short-term objective is to turn the entire chain into a franchise model,” says Bogumil Jankiewicz. All the stores are currently looked after by the headquarters of the parent company in Warsaw. This is the responsibility of eight staff. Four so-called regional advisers also travel around the country, and part of their brief is to look for new locations and check out new offers. Until recently every store handled its own orders and stock control, but the installation of SAP software means that this is now organised centrally and goods deliveries are directed from Warsaw. 200 m² – the ideal size The 18 stores operating to date have retail areas ranging from 90 to 750 m². One feature common to all is that they are located in large shopping centres. Bogumil Jankiewicz considers around 200 m² to be the ideal retail area for his shops, however. He believes this is the ideal compromise between costs for rent, maintenance and staff as well as for the size and variety of the range on offer. A full range of products is offered for dogs, cats, aquariums, small mammals and birds. A selection of products for anglers is also included as standard in the portfolio of an Aqua-El Zoo shop…