"We don't want to be the cheapest"

The Dobey store in the Dutch city of Breda opened at the end of 2014. It is located in a recently fully renovated shopping centre in the city of around 180 000 inhabitants in the Dutch province of North Brabant. On entering the new store, one is immediately struck by the changes in layout that have been made in the new store concept of the Dobey/Faunaland chain. For example, the shelf heights in the new store have been reduced to below head height, giving the 250 m² retail area a very open, airy appearance. This impression is reinforced by the bright colours used in the wall design. "The new concept for our 'dierspecialist' shops is connecting both the Dobey and Faunaland formulas, but above all is a completely customer-focused proposition," says Gertjan Willems, retail director at Dobey/Faunaland.

The new concept includes having a small veterinary practice located in the stores, which now number 125. "The vet not only dispenses medical advice in the practice, but can also carry out small procedures on the animals," says Niels Horrevoets, a manager at Dobey/Faunaland. This service is now working very well, and the store naturally also benefits from the synergy effects created by the practice. "The pet owners who visit the store to see the vet are of course directed towards over-the-counter pharmaceutical products or special foods in our store. In return, we naturally recommend the practice in store if we hear that customers have any medical problems with their pets. Plans are also in hand to have special consultancy days in cooperation with the vet. For example, we have already organised special vaccination evenings for puppies."

A new strategy has also been developed for the new concept with regard to the product range and live pets offered for sale. The retailer is focusing on a small range of pets consisting inter alia of small mammals, because these still sell well in the Netherlands. The product range has been similarly restricted. "We are concentrating in particular on offering non-food articles," says Niels Horrevoets. "We do very well with these and the selection that we offer brings us higher margins than the food segment." And these margins are necessary, because e-commerce is making it hard for even the major chains in the Netherlands. "Of course, the Internet has made everything much harder and so we have decided to leave the sale of food at the lowest prices to the online stores. But then it is up to us to…