Success as an independent retailer

Marta Farell is the young co-owner of Morera-Zoo and represents the third generation of the family to run the store. Her father, Josef Farell, started the business in 1980. In 1996, Morera-Zoo moved to its current location in the centre of Sabadell, opposite a popular indoor market featuring a wide range of food shops. The store has a retail area of roughly 300 m², a small grooming studio and a 250 m² warehouse. The latest addition is the very new veterinary clinic of 100 m², offering a complete vet service with surgery and x-ray.

At first glance, Morera-Zoo is just a normal pet store with a wide range of dog food varie­ties on its shelves, inclu­ding many small brands that cannot be found in the big chains. It also retails cat food and a basic range of products for small animals and birds, aquariums and rep­tiles. Live pets do not play a key role and only a small selection of fish and reptiles is sold.
What is striking at se­cond glance is the large sales team: at least five people are always circulating on the sales floor. "They are all very committed. They have pets of their own and focus above all on providing advice and service," Marta Farell tells PET worldwide. This is reflected in the sales figures, as the store sells primarily premium food varieties about which owners seek advice. Premiumisation at Morera-Zoo extends to the bird and small animal sphere as well as dogs and cats, especially through top German brands such as Bunny and JR-Farm. "Most of the customers that come to us are well informed but are prepared to be advised further," says Marta Farell.

It comes as no surprise that dog food accounts for around half of the business's overall sales, while cat food only contributes 15 per cent. The entrepreneur expects to see significant growth in the cat food segment in particular in the near future, however. She cites the growing number of single households in Spain as a reason for this.

Grooming studios are a traditional adjunct to pet stores in Spain, and this is the case at Morera-Zoo too. The studio accounts for roughly ten per cent of overall sales, although the trend went downward due to the recession. "Since the recession customers have been cutting back, unfortunately on the grooming of their dogs…