Fressnapf expands urban concept as Europe’s pet retailers test new store formats

Pet retailers in the region are exploring ways to expand their physical presence. Recent developments in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands highlight how players are adapting their store networks to reach customers through different shopping formats.

Fressnapf | Maxi Zoo

The European pet retailer opened a second urban store in Germany last month, following the concept’s debut in Munich-Schwabing in August. The new location, which opened on 29 October, has 130 square meters of retail space.

The offering includes a selection of products for dogs, cats and other pets, expert advice, digital services and product highlights tailored to the local area.

Fressnapf | Maxi Zoo launched its urban store concept last year, opening its first locations in Paris and Copenhagen.

Since then, the retailer has continued to expand this format across Europe, adding a 233-square-meter store in Warsaw in June and another location in Lyon, France, earlier this year. In September, it opened a further store in Paris, marking its 500th location in France and its 3,000th across the group.

Expansion plans

The German pet retailer group plans to continue expanding the urban store network in key metropolitan areas across the markets it operates.

By the end of the year, additional locations are scheduled to open in Munich and Paris, while preparations are underway for the first urban stores in Vienna in 2027.

In Germany, Fressnapf plans to expand the concept beyond Munich to reach pet owners in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and other cities. “Our goal from the outset has been to expand convenient, neighborhood-based access to pet supplies in other German cities as well,” the company says.

How it works

The format caters to city living through a compact, modular design offering a specialized product range that includes smaller food packs and a wider snack selection, combined with personal advice and digital services.

“Customers value the convenience of having a specialist pet retailer in highly accessible urban locations, the curated assortment, and the ability to quickly complete their shopping missions. They also have a close relationship with our pet specialists, as some customers visit the store on a daily basis,” the retailer tells GlobalPETS.

Since its launch last year, Fressnapf has expanded the non-food assortment to include more premium, design-oriented and innovative products, including items developed in collaboration with start-ups.

The stores also feature dedicated pet health sections with veterinary and health-related products that are often difficult to find in neighborhood stores. Seasonal merchandising is another focus, with regularly updated window displays reflecting local customer interests and shopping patterns.

Other pet retail concepts

Arcaplanet

The Italian pet retailer has started rolling out its partnership with Bricofer Group, an Italian operator of DIY, home improvement and gardening retail chains, opening its first standalone store alongside a Bricofer outlet in Spilimbergo, 350 km from Milan.

The opening marks the first step in an expansion program announced earlier in the year, which includes 15 standalone Arcaplanet stores and eight branded shop-in-shop corners across Bricofer Group’s DIY and home improvement retail chains: Bricofer, Self and Ottimax.

The standalone stores will operate with dedicated product assortments, checkouts and Arcaplanet employees, while the shop-in-shop corners will feature branded pet areas managed by Bricofer Group.

The partnership also involves a gradual restructuring of the pet product assortment across Bricofer Group’s existing retail network, with Arcaplanet acting as its reference partner for the category. The companies aim to extend the store and corner formats across the wider network in 2027.

For Arcaplanet, the partnership provides an opportunity to accelerate expansion while optimizing investment. “Integration within Bricofer Group stores allows us to optimize investments across the territory and accelerate growth with privileged access to customers seeking not only convenience but also quality for their pets,” says Alessandro Strati, CFO and COO of Arcaplanet.

Jollyes

The British pet retailer Jollyes opened its first store inside an Asda supermarket in October, at Drakehouse Retail Park in Sheffield, 260 km north of London.

The 250-square-meter outlet offers a selection of raw and fresh pet food, natural treats, toys and accessories. The opening brought Jollyes’ UK network to 128 stores.

The company aims to more than double its store network over the next five years, increasing it from 123 locations at the beginning of its expansion plan to more than 250. It has identified more than 160 potential locations across the UK as part of this strategy.

Jollyes reported revenue of £169 million ($227M/€198M) for the financial year ended 31 May 2026, an 8.7% year-over-year increase.

Pet Service Holding

Dutch pet care company Pet Service Holding announced the upcoming opening of a second BudgetPets store in early December, following the launch of its first location earlier in the year in Bussum, 27 km southeast of Amsterdam.

The new location will be situated at the De Lely shopping center in Arnhem-Noord, approximately 121 km from Amsterdam. The store will have around 500 square meters of retail space.

The shopping center, which attracts around 1.6 million visitors annually, is home to retailers including supermarket chains Jumbo and Lidl, drugstore Kruidvat and discount retailer KiK. According to the company, the presence of these established retailers offers an opportunity to attract customers who already visit the center for their regular shopping.

Pet Service Holding expects the Arnhem location to generate at least €1.5 million ($1.73M) in annual revenue.

The company aims to establish 15 BudgetPets stores in the Netherlands during the first phase, before increasing the network to at least 50 locations, with Belgium and Germany being considered as potential expansion markets.

“Through the further rollout of this discount retail chain, our international expansion and the strengthening of our existing operations, we have set ourselves a strategic ambition to achieve consolidated annual revenue of at least €50 million ($57.5M) by 2029–2030,” says Ron van Veldhoven, CEO of Pet Service Holding.

The company plans to launch an online pet supplies store this month, offering nationwide delivery. Orders and store replenishment will be handled through its existing distribution near Amsterdam.