Individually together

The Swedish retail group Djurens Värld was born out of a simple idea. In 1994 there were 15 stores in the south-west of Sweden that had jointly considered how they could further improve their own position in the Swedish pet supplies market. These deliberations gave rise to a loose purchasing syndicate, which made larger purchases from Denmark, Italy and Germany to get better prices and conditions from the suppliers. Once this syndicate bore its first fruits and more traders wanted to join the collective, Commersium, an economic association, was established. However, the retailers did not use this name in communications with their customers or on the facades of their businesses, but continued to use their own names. In 1999 they started to use the common name Djurens Värld, but it was not until 2005 that the name started to be used to show customers that the stores belonged together. The chain name was used in combination with the stores' individual names until 2012, when the stores gradually began converting to genuine Djurens Värld brand stores. "We now have 38 stores and ten of them are brand stores and the rest are in a process of conversion. The concept is not franchise and all stores are individually owned by shareholders in the company Djurens Värld," explains Cecilia Dannborg Wilson, chairwoman of the board. In total, around 100 people work within the chain and it is operated entirely by the board, which consists of six member stores. "The decisions for the chain are therefore very legitimate and well founded. We have a small, lean organisation so we can make fast decisions."
Part of the community
Most of the stores have been located in their respective communities for many years, some of them for as many as 40 years. "Our special chain is very stable and is growing continuously, with some new members joining every year," says Dannborg Wilson. And the figures prove her right, with the chain growing in recent years from 15 trading partners to 38. This makes it one of the three biggest chains in Sweden along with Arken Zoo (77 stores) and Djurmagazinet (50 stores). Djurens Värld is very cautious in its selection of new members. "It is important that new members fit into the concept and mentality, since they will be part of the soul and brand Djurens Värld. We are therefore quite careful in the process of including new members," says Dannborg Wilson. "As a shop owner you still make many major decisions yourself, but as we have grown together we think…