Iskaypet expands to Portugal

The Iskaypet Group already owns the Spanish pet shop chains Kiwoko and Tiendanimal as well as the veterinary chains Kivet, Clinicanimal and Vetsum. More than 2 000 people are employed in around 200 shops. Iskaypet is owned by Emefin, the company of a Peruvian family group. 32 locations were added to the Iskaypet Group with the takeover of the Ornimundo stores in the middle of March. Ornimundo belonged to the wholesale company Propet in Alfena, owned by father and son Moura da Silva and Jorge Moura.

Moura da Silva opened his first pet shop in the surroundings of Porto in November 1994. Although only covering a few square metres, it was a success from the outset. The business relocated shortly afterwards to a nearby shopping mall, also increasing its retail area to 200 m². From here, rapid progress was made. The experienced pet product trader had a good nose for his stock range and now began to import pet products. In 2014, Jorge Moura returned to his father’s company. He had already been active in the pet supplies sector, having worked previously at Nestlé and a leading Portuguese pet food producer.

The wholesale business Propet was established in 1999. When Jorge Moura joined the business, pet food was also incorporated into the wholesale portfolio. At the company’s head office in Alfena, close to Porto, 18 employees now man three warehouses covering a total area of 3 000 m². Over 6 000 SKUs belonging to roughly 24 brands are listed. The wholesale business even offers imported ornamental fish for sale, along with birds and small animals from local breeders. Around 30 000 fish are kept in over 220 aquariums. These are offered to all retail customers, while the birds and small animals are sold exclusively in the company’s own Ornimundo stores. The business supplies 500 customers on a regular basis.

Jorge Moura now wants to expand his wholesale business significantly more and also has his sights set on the neighbouring Spanish market. He is sure that his former specialist retail chain Ornimundo will also have a good and secure future in Portugal under the umbrella of the Iskaypet Group.