Food & accessories distribution

Introduction
Founded in 1988, the Pet City Group's main activity is the import and distribution of foods and accessories for pets all over Greece. At present, the company has a network of seven retail shops, five of which are privately-owned and two operate through franchising.

Pet City is the largest specialised pet retail chain in the Greek market with perfectly equipped departments which sell pet foods, accessories, aquariums, birds, and reptiles as well as a grooming salon, veterinary clinic and even a pet boarding kennel. For 2005, the company has plans to expand the network with the addition of three privately-owned shops and two operated through franchising.

Location Policy
All shops are located in the hubs of central arterial roads in Athens and other major Greek cities. Easy access, free parking, large signs and the use of attractive, innovative colors add to the uniform quality of the shops, increasing their ability to be recognised by customers.

Commercial Concept
Pet City shops stand out thanks to their friendly and warm atmosphere. The staff is available to help customers and always willing to advise them. The shops are established in premises of 500-1,500 m2, divided by category of pet and category of product.

The company's vision is to distinguish itself as a true pet speciality store; for this reason, three of the seven shops have an on-site veterinary clinic and a grooming salon.

Product Range
Pet City shops stock 10,000 articles for every type of pet. All of these products are based on promoting wellness in pets and contributing to a longer life. They offer a wide variety of all branded, specialised premium foods, as well as absolutely healthy livestock, all of which are supplied with all of the required certificates.

Product Presentation
The division of products by category of pet and sub-categories (foods, accessories, etc.) greatly facilitate the consumer's shopping ease. Once inside the shop, the customer can quickly finds the product he or she seeks with the aid of special signs placed strategically throughout the stores. There are many promotional activities which take place on a regular basis, in cooperation with the suppliers (distribution of samples, discount coupons, gifts, etc.), which help to introduce consumers to the new specialised products.

Private Label
30% of the articles sold are accounted for by Pet City's private label products. It is their policy to maintain a steady number of private label products, all of which are good quality products sold at an attractive price.

Client Loyalty Strategy
Greeks enjoy receiving gifts. This is why Pet City ensures that customers regularly get T-shirts, caps, straps and other "thank you" gifts. Another service is the issue of Pet City news. It is a quarterly magazine, distributed to the customers at no charge. The magazine includes news from the shops and tips for a better life with pets. There is also a readers' column to exchange views.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Due to EDI the company has an efficient logistic process in place to ensure that as soon as orders have been taken in the shop, a check will first be performed at the company's headquarters to determine if the item is available or if it is out of stock and a central order must be placed. Of course, bar codes ensure the accurate actual quantity of products in the central and shop warehouses.

Supply Chain Management
Each shop receives direct deliveries from the suppliers at least once a week, thus keeping a small stock of products which consists primarily of accessories. Large quantities, such as foods, are received at the central warehouse, and are distributed from this facility using a privately owned fleet of vehicles.

Trained Staff
The staff consists of young people, with a zest to work and love for pets. They are specially trained depending on the department in which they will be employed. The company organises seminars on a regular basis in cooperation with its suppliers to provide information on new products. However, as the most important thing to Pet City is to provide excellent service to its customers, it organises field training programs, with the objective of maintaining and improving prompt service to the customers.

  Source: PETS International Magazine