Italian family business

Everything started more than 40 years ago, when Paolo Guidetti’s father and his cousin decided to found Zoo G Veterinaria, a distribution company of supplements, drugs and accessories for farm livestock (cows, horses, pigs, etc.). When the very first branch opened up in 1995 they decided to increase the range of products on offer by adding pet food. At the beginning, it was only a small area, dealing more and more with pet food, but without leaving aside the core business, the distribution of zoo technical products.
However, it was with the opening of the second branch in Reggiolo in 2005 that Pet Discount was founded: A pet store offering a selection of products and accessories for small to medium size animals. “In 2010, we decided to open a Pet Discount store also in Reggio Emilia. Luckily, we were successful, as we are still here despite the great competitors nearby”, Paolo Guidetti reports.
The shop in detail
Pet Discount in Reggio Emilia was created converting less than 250 m² of the warehouse into a very essential exhibition area. The shop offers a wide range of products for small to medium size animals. “Beyond food and snacks, we also have a good range of dietary products, over-the-counter drugs and accessories for all-round pet care”, Paolo Guidetti states. All products are displayed on shelves according to the type of product and to the type of pet they are for. Only big brands have their own space and do not follow these rules.
The company’s policy is to have skilled personnel able to provide all-round assistance to the customer, giving advice, listening to customers’ needs, proposing good solutions and therefore building up a human relationship with the clientele. It ranges from people with low to high spending capacity.

The competition
“When we started our activity here in Reggio Emilia, competitors were few and far between, customer loyalty was very strong and growth very rapid”, Paolo Guidetti states. Then, Arcaplanet and Maxi Zoo entered the market and so he started a consolidation phase. Pet Discount never lost the market share, most probably because the company doesn’t want to compete on prices. Paolo Guidetti even wanted to focus more on other things instead, like assisting the clients with expert advice and establishing a human…