Going down the professional route

The establishment of the Spanish chain Kiwoko was based on a bold plan: the founders wanted nothing less than to become the leading pet product retailer in Spain and a reference for speciality retail companies. The plan was balanced out by a suitably realistic attitude, however. “We know that the Spanish pet supplies market is rather underdeveloped compared with other markets, such as the German market. We have therefore adapted a lot of things from successful foreign chains in the creation of our pet store chain,” says Javier Osa, CFO and founder of Kiwoko. Osa says that the most difficult thing was to get people used to a new kind of shopping for their pets. Kiwoko has broken with some old traditions here, and so most of the 36 stores currently operating no longer offer cats or dogs for sale. Many Kiwoko outlets are instead instrumental in finding new homes for pets from pet refuges. Two store types – two concepts Customers can shop at Kiwoko in two different store concepts. One concept, so-called proximity stores in malls with supermarkets, concentrates on selling pet food and accessories and has retail areas of no more than 250 m², while the other concept comprises locations with a retail area of between 500 and 1 000 m². The larger “destination” stores or superstores offer a wider product assortment and many other services as well as an adoption service for animals from pet shelters. These outlets also have a veterinary practice offering customers basic services for their pets. In all there are twelve such specialist clinics in the various Kiwoko stores. One feature that is common to all stores is the range of premium products for pets. “It is important to us to sell quality to customers, which is why our shelves are filled with mostly super-premium brands,” says Javier Osa. To spread Kiwoko’s ideas and modern shopping for pets to the rest of Spain too, the company aims to continue with its aggressive expansion strategy. “We aim to open at least a new store every month,” declares Javier Osa. This should ultimately result in the operation of over 100 Kiwoko outlets in Spain by 2017. The crisis has arrived This goal is made more difficult for the Spaniard by the recession in Europe. “Spain has been hit hard by the crisis in Europe. I wouldn’t like to exclude the pet supplies market from this.” According to Javier Osa, the pet market is no longer growing and this could lead to problems for the Spanish pet supplies market. “On the one hand, it is…