Pet-friendly success: REWE pushes ahead with Germany-wide rollout of stationary ZooRoyal stores

Cologne, February 28, 2025 – From e-commerce to specialist stores: two and a half years after the opening of the first pilot store in Norderstedt near Hamburg, ZooRoyal has passed the test in stationary retail. All four specialist stores got off to an extremely successful start and have shown a continuously positive development since the opening, significantly exceeding expectations. REWE plans to gradually roll out the specialist pet store across Germany from 2026. The company is already intensively searching for suitable locations in all REWE regions. The aim is to initially open ZooRoyal stores in urban regions, which will be operated by independent REWE retailers.

The pet supplies trade is growing continuously – both online and in stores. ZooRoyal is already an established player in the pet supplies trade. Together with our partners, we now want to take the next step and complete our omnichannel strategy, says Peter Maly, REWE Group Management Board member and COO REWE. ZooRoyal will soon be available to our customers everywhere: online, in the food retail sector, in hardware store and in in specialty stores.

At least one pet lives in 45 percent of German households. According to forecasts, total sales in the German pet industry are set to rise to 8 billion euros by 2030. For REWE Group, pet supplies retail is a strategic growth area. The long-term plan is to open a high double-digit number of ZooRoyal stores.

Positive results from the pilot markets in the Hamburg area

With over 25 years of experience in (online) pet retail, ZooRoyal is an established brand in the industry. Since April 2022, ZooRoyal has opened four brick-and-mortar pilot stores in the REWE North region, welcoming pet lovers in Norderstedt, Hamburg-Niendorf, Hamburg-Stellingen and Elmshorn.

Over the past two years, the company has tested product ranges, store layouts, service offers and advertising materials in order to develop the ideal concept for the national rollout. With success: customer frequency has risen steadily and sharply since the openings. Regular surveys also confirm the high level of customer satisfaction with the product range and store design. In the future, the product range will continue to vary from store to store in order to meet the needs of local customers.

The stores operate according to the cooperative principle: they are managed by independent REWE-Marktplatz retailers who have extensive retail experience. The figures show that customers increasingly trust specialist retailers when it comes to pets – and rightly so. Our pilot stores in the Hamburg area have impressively proven that ZooRoyal is also successful as a REWE Group brand in brick-and-mortar stores, says Marcel Bersch, Managing Director of ZooRoyal Petcare GmbH. We are delighted that the rollout is now starting and that pet lovers will soon be able to experience our ZooRoyal stores right on their doorstep.

Modern feel-good markets for animals and humans

With ZooRoyal, we have rethought the specialist pet store. Our aim is to turn shopping into a modern shopping experience for all the senses, explains Marcel Bersch. This can be felt as soon as you enter the stores: a colorful guidance system adapted to the online store leads customers directly to the desired department – dogs, cats, aquariums or birds/small animals. An innovative air filter system neutralizes odours and thus ensures a unique feel-good atmosphere in pet stores.

The range includes over 15,000 items for pet food and accessories, including exclusive brands and regional products. A special highlight is the “snackbars”, which are reminiscent of the fruit and vegetable section of a REWE supermarket and offer unpackaged treats for pets. In addition to the shopping experience, ZooRoyal offers numerous additional services such as dog washing stations, grooming, vets and launderettes for pet accessories.

In the aquatics section, aquascaping tables, which customers can use to design individual aquariums, and water filling stations for osmosis and seawater are impressive.

Modern technology for convenient shopping

ZooRoyal relies on digital solutions such as self-checkout tills, Scan & Go and the ZooRoyal Club, a digital benefits program that will also be available in stores in the future. The employees in the stores – all experts with years of experience – guarantee optimal advice for pet lovers and their companions in all phases of life.rn By opening more ZooRoyal stores, we are also strengthening our e-commerce business, the shop-in-shop formats and the entire own brand in the long term, explains Peter Maly.

* IVH/ZZF 2023

High-resolution images from the ZooRoyal-markets is available for download at mediacenter.rewe.de.