“With our new specialist store, we have created a place in Düsseldorf where animal lovers can find inspiration, get advice and find everything they need for their pets’ wellbeing: A wide range of specialist products with a strong focus on health, modern shop design, personalised advice and excellent services make a visit a special experience for both people and pets,” says Marcel Bersch, managing director of ZooRoyal.

Jürgen Rölle, manager of the sales department for REWE Region West, also emphasises the importance of the location: “We are delighted to be opening the first ZooRoyal pet shop in our region and to have secured Simon Bacher, an experienced and dedicated business manager, for the site. North Rhine-Westphalia is a major market for pet supplies, with a large number of pet owners. Following the successful launch of the specialist shops in northern Germany, we are now building on this success in Düsseldorf.”

One of the key focuses of the new store, which covers over 1,400 square metres, is animal health. In a dedicated ‘Health World’ area covering approximately 200 square metres, pet owners will find products and information on all aspects of their pets’ wellbeing – from joint and digestive health, through skin and coat care, to supporting the immune system and dental health. From 2027, a Medivet veterinary practice will move into the specialist store.

The store team combines in-depth specialist knowledge with many years’ experience in the pet retail sector. Whether it’s aquatics, the cat section or the Fur Spa: staff provide personalised advice on care, nutrition and equipment, and are on hand to offer customers personalised guidance.

The aim is to develop tailor-made solutions for pet owners and to provide a holistic service. That is why ZooRoyal is expanding the traditional specialist retail concept to include numerous services that turn shopping into an experience: Among other things, customers can expect snack bars for dogs and cats offering unpackaged treats, a ‘FellSpa’ with a dog grooming salon, a self-service laundry for bulky items such as dog beds, a dog washing station, as well as a photo spot and an engraving station.

ZooRoyal thus combines products, advice and services in a single location, strengthening its position as a specialist retailer in the pet sector.

The range comprises more than 15,000 items covering pet food and accessories for dogs, cats, small animals, birds, reptiles, horses and fish. Exclusive brands are also available. The pet food section includes not only conventional wet and dry food but also personalised dietary plans and supplements, BARF and fresh food, as well as vegetarian and organic products.

The extensive aquatics department features a display aquarium, sales aquariums, a freshwater section with freshwater fish, invertebrates, pond fish and plants, and a saltwater section with fish and invertebrates, as well as technical and decorative accessories. Customers can design their own aquariums at special aquascaping tables. Water stations for osmosis and seawater are also available.

Also particularly worth highlighting is the expanded cat experience area with its large range of scratching posts. Here, cat lovers will find an even wider selection of products, organised more clearly according to needs: the range extends from resting and sleeping areas, through play and training accessories, to grooming and enrichment items.

The upgraded shop design ensures optimised customer flow and improved wayfinding within the store. The ZooRoyal colour-coded guidance system leads customers directly to their chosen themed area: dogs, cats, aquatics, birds/small animals, FellSpa or the health section.

The new experiential specialist store is run by Simon Bacher, an independent REWE retailer. Bacher already runs a REWE store in Haan and will be taking over another site in Düsseldorf in the future.

He brings his passion for animals directly into the concept: he lives with his family on a traditional farmstead with a dog, goats and chickens. “Animals have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I combine these experiences with my expertise as an independent retailer. I know how important personal advice, trust and the right care are. Together with my team, I’m bringing exactly that to the new ZooRoyal pet shop. Our aim is to create a place for our customers where both animals and people are equally well looked after,” says Bacher.

REWE executive Simon Bacher (centre) and Marcel Bersch, managing director of ZooRoyal (right), together with Clemens Bauer, director of REWE E-Commerce. Photo: ©Michael Breuer ZooRoyal is celebrating its opening from 16 to 18 July with a range of activities, including goodie bags, a wheel of fortune, a quick-sketch artist for personalised animal portraits, a dog pool to cool off in, and food and drink. In addition, Dr Stefan Knoop will be available to answer questions from animal lovers during an open consultation session. He is a practising vet and has been running his own veterinary practice for 20 years.