Powering through its anniversary year

When Fressnapf celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, it launched a host of promotions. The effects were emphatic: the group ended the year with a 7.1 per cent increase in sales and gross sales amounting to around € 1.8 bn. It broke the billion-euro sales barrier in Germany for the third time in a row with sales of roughly € 1.12 bn. Growth increased by 6.3 per cent compared with the previous year and by 4.6 per cent on the existing store area. This was nearly twice as much as in 2014.

In eleven other European countries, the Fressnapf Group achieved gross sales of nearly € 667 mio, equivalent to sales growth of 8.5 per cent compared with 2014. On the existing retail area the company grew by 4 per cent in all. A significant rise in sales was recorded in all countries except Switzerland, with the highest figure of 78.9 per cent being reached in Poland, although Fressnapf is only just starting out here. Above-average sales growth was also seen in Italy (+28.4 per cent), Belgium (+27.6 per cent), Denmark (+13 per cent) and Ireland (+12 per cent), although this was attributable primarily to new store openings.
The online business in Germany was characterised last year by a change of service provider and a high outlay associated with this, as explained by Fressnapf boss Torsten Toeller at the company's annual press conference. In these circumstances he appeared entirely satisfied with the 2 per cent increase in sales achieved to € 43.9 mio (net). Growth in the fourth quarter was especially strong, resulting in an increase in sales of 18 per cent.

In 2015 the Fressnapf Group's core business was in Germany, where 868 of the 1 386 stores are located. Whereas the net number of stores in Germany, thus less eight closures, increased by ten in the previous year, the company opened 29 new stores in the same period in 2015. This year it intends to open 50 new stores abroad and ten new stores in Germany. Expansion will focus on Italy, France and Poland. Fressnapf predicts growth of 5.7 per cent in 2016 to € 1.888 bn. It expects sales in Germany to rise by three per cent to € 1.159 bn, while it is aiming for growth of 9.3 per cent abroad to € 729 mio. 

At the press conference, Toeller referred to the services that were newly introduced in 2015 as another growth driver. The Fressnapf boss…