From distributor to leading retailer

From distributor to leading retailer
30 Sep 2020

Plaček Group started in 1987 as a wholesale company in the Czech Republic. Over the years it  has developed into the leading wholesale and retail group in Eastern Europe.

Retail = experience

Plaček Group has 250 stores in Eastern  Europe and is still growing. In the past  14 months, it has opened 25 Super zoo  stores in the Czech Republic. In the fourth  generation of its Super zoo retail concept,  consumer experience is vital, as well as a  state-of-the-art look and feel. So there is  livestock in all the stores, and in Latvia and  Slovakia there are also veterinary clinics.   

Brick-and-mortar versus online

The group has one main focus: ‘there is only one customer’. So its activities are  based on an omnichannel approach.  Whether for offline or online, the prices,  support and customer promotions are  identical. Integrating these channels means  that all stores are also pick-up points (click  & collect). Having this platform in place  before COVID-19 started has resulted in a 25% increase in online sales during the past  six months.

Wholesale still important

Wholesale was the group’s original activity,  which later expanded into Russia (1991),  Slovakia (1993) and Latvia (2001). It has  since matured and is still vital for the group.

Milestones

  • 1987 Dušan Plaček exported the first tropical fish to Germany and Italy
  • 1991 Plaček s.r.o. wholesale company founded in the Czech Republic
  • 1996 First warehouse building and offices
  • 2003
  • Joint venture with Dutch partner Beaphar BV –  Beaphar Eastern Europe s.r.o.
  • 2004
  • Start of the Super zoo concept
  • 2007 Acquisition of Dino Zoo pet shops (Latvia)
  • 2007 Foundation of Hagen Russia (Moscow)
  • 2013 Start of wholesale activity in Poland
  • 2014 Acquisition of Kakadu pet shops (Poland)
  • 2015 E-commerce operations in Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovakia and Poland
  • 2019 Opening of the first mega pet store: Dino Zoo (Russia)

The future   

Plaček Group has proved to be a  flexible company that is open to new  opportunities, but customer orientation  is always key. After all, it is satisfied  customers that lead to profit! Every single day, improvements are devised for  every department – from sales to IT. The  company recently invested in logistics  that have created the most modern and  efficient warehouse system.