Pet-Continent | Russia

A Russian legend

Pet-Continent works in close co-operation with over 20 European and U.S. partners. It covers the entire Russian territory and, since 2016, the Republic of Belarus.

The history of the Pet-Continent company is closely linked to that of the Triol Group of Companies (Triol GC). In 1993, when the Russian pet market was in its early beginnings, Triol GC founders Sergey and Andrey Kukushkin and Alexander Serov started to manufacture pet supplies in a typical Moscow apartment. Serov and the Kukushkins gradually became wholesalers and then importers and distributors. Developing and changing with the market, they progressed from homemade dog leads and collars to big trucks with cages and other European pet supplies within a couple of years. Serov’s daughter, Ekaterina Leonova, current CEO of the Pet-Continent Company, started her career in the pet business as a schoolgirl.

Unlike many other companies, Triol GC was unaffected by the Russian recession of 1998, as it had skilfully developed a new strategy that was totally independent from the currency exchange rate, embracing simultaneous co-operation with East and West, careful stock selection and composition as well as price control and trade credit for customers in the event of a sudden devaluation of the rouble. To this day, this strategy continues to provide reliability and financial stability. 

During the economic boom that followed, Triol GC’s turnover grew by 40-50%. When the company became the first Russian pet product supplier to launch its own brands in 2009, it became a true legend in the Russian pet market. Today, the group operates through two companies: Amma for trade with the Eastern market, and Pet-Continent for the West.

Young and dynamic

As an independent organization within Triol GC, Pet-Continent makes good use of all the opportunities and resources of this finely tuned financial and legal structure. Ekaterina Leonova heads a young team that she says is “the source of our work energy and creativity, our informal communication style, our interest in everything that’s new and progressive, our thirst for regular training, our high adaptability and our ambitious plans. Of course, we try to make use of the latest technologies, including those that affect management and marketing. Our slogan is: We’re proud of what we are; we’re always open for co-operation and ready to develop with you!”

Innovative brands and products

The Russian pet product market has become saturated over the last five to seven years and competition has grown many times over. However, Pet-Continent is holding its ground as a supplier of ‘interesting’ pet products. The company likes to promote new products and is fully capable of doing so. In fact, new brands appear in its product range every year. At the same time, the company has all the necessary experience, management and financial resources to work with the world-famous brands that are already firmly established in Russia.

Pet-Continent’s assortment currently includes 24 brands and 7,000 SKUs representing all the basic pet product groups. The product range is composed and upgraded with an eye to future market requirements. The company is always looking for new distribution deals with the best European and American manufacturers. When selecting products, Pet-Continent focuses on strong brands that are new to the Russian market and to targeted positioning.

Attractive market

The Russian pet supplies market remains one of the most dynamic and attractive markets, however, it is quite complex and under-researched. There are many modern, dynamic companies in Russia that work as successful agents for foreign manufacturers and Pet-Continent is one of them. “We will always be under the tutelage of our foreign colleagues,” says Ekaterina Leonova, “And today, we have something to offer in return. We can help guide them to find operational efficiencies in the Russian market.”