In the last financial year the Fressnapf group exceeded the 2 bn euro sales mark for the first time: 2.1 bn euros corresponds to a growth of 6.3 per cent, like-for-like growth amounts to 2.7 per cent compared to the previous year. 105 new locations were added. At the end of the year 2018 there were 1 564 Fressnapf and Maxi-Zoo stores. "In the stationary sector our growth is above average compared to the national competition, we have gained market shares and we have got customers from food retailing excited about specialist trade," says Torsten Toeller, founder and owner of the Fressnapf group, during the annual press conference. Last year over 12 000 people were employed by the Fressnapf group, from over 50 nations. Thus, the number of employees grew by ten per cent. By the end of this year the Fressnapf group wants to have created almost 1 000 additional jobs throughout Europe. This particularly applies to the around 100 new locations in Europe.
Online sales (Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, Switzerland and Austria) increased by 18.5 per cent to an overall 90 mio euros. "Online is where we record the largest absolute sales growth. We have significantly improved the margin and have thus created an important leeway to push the online business," explains Dr Hans-Jörg Gidlewitz, chief executive officer of the Fressnapf Group. This year, the online shop is to be rolled out in two other countries.
The Fressnapf group's largest sales driver in the past year were the 663 international stores: 799 mio euros correspond to an increase of 10.1 per cent. The leaders here were Poland (19 mio euros; +62.6 per cent), France (157 mio euros; +19.7 per cent), Hungary (62 mio euros; +15.6 per cent) and Italy (118 mio euros; +11.2 per cent). In Germany the 901 Fressnapf stores generated 1.3 bn euros - an increase of four per cent.
In the coming year Fressnapf will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in Germany.
