Expansion of the big players

The pet supplies trade has grown strongly in the big cities above all in Brazil. This is demonstrated by the expansion of the big chains Cobasi and Pet Center Marginal in particular, but smaller players are also very active in the market.When people in the global pet supplies business talk about Brazil, then the comment is soon made that the country has the fastest developing pet supplies market in the world. This assumption is backed up by the huge pet population in Brazil, which was put at around 103.5 million in 2014. This fact was not unknown to the pet supplies trade in South America's biggest country, and so the trade has been pursuing a policy of rapid expansion for years. Unlike the situation in the much smaller countries of Europe, the coverage of the country by the big chains is by no means comprehensive. The two main pet superstore chains in Brazil, Cobasi and Pet Center Marginal, are opening new stores chiefly in the state of Sao Paulo, where both companies have a significant presence. The two big players are becoming increasingly active in other states, however, such as Rio de Janeiro and the Federal District. Moreover, they are no longer focusing on big cities in their expansion policy, but are also targeting medium-sized cities to widen the range of locations. This does not mean that the two pet store chains have carved up the entire pet supplies trade in Brazil between them. According to the experts, there are around 30 other smaller chains, all with between two and six stores in operation in the South American country, although these retailers are probably unable to catch up with the big chains. A host of pet hospitals also exists, which likewise sell products.

E-commerce is naturally a growing phenomenon, even in Brazil. Most pet products are still sold through pet shops, but e-commerce is on the rise. This may be related to the slow pace of the economy in Brazil at the moment, because the online shops here operate an aggressive pricing policy, as in Europe, which naturally appeals to the customers in the current economic situation. The competition from the supermarkets is smaller, even if these do sell pet food. An example of this is the supermarket chain Super Muffato with 50 stores in Brazil, which markets its own pet food brand in the economy and premium segment for dogs and cats under the Vida Pet label.