The four locations in the greater Hamburg area have shown the strength and potential of ZooRoyal's brick-and-mortar concept. From the summer, a new speciality store in the NRW state capital of Düsseldorf will herald the next stage of national expansion. The first location outside the northern region will continue the success story and at the same time show how ZooRoyal is consistently developing the store experience.

"For us, the stationary rollout of ZooRoyal is much more than the opening of a single location," says Jürgen Rölle, Managing Director of the REWE Region West sales department. "It epitomises what we are all about: thinking ahead together, learning from each other and advancing new ideas step by step. Behind this concept are dedicated teams, a lot of experience and the common will to successfully develop ZooRoyal further, including in the bricks-and-mortar stores. We are very much looking forward to the first ZooRoyal speciality store in our region."

The concept for Düsseldorf expresses the strategic direction ZooRoyal is moving in: closer to customers, with a stronger focus on animal health and even more emotional brand communication. "We have learnt from the stores in the north what works well - and where we can do even better," says Marcel Bersch, who is responsible for the brick-and-mortar business within the ZooRoyal managing directors.

Photo: ©Lea Heldt The modernised store design is intended to appear high-quality, warm and more typical of the brand. In the product range, animal health and well-being will take centre stage even more strongly in Düsseldorf. "Our aim is to promote pet happiness, provide guidance and be an inspiration and guide for pet owners in their everyday lives. In order to make this a tangible experience for our customers in Düsseldorf, we have spent the last few months working a lot on the concept and the further development of our services," emphasises Marcel Bersch. However, the Managing Director doesn't want to reveal too much about the new concept just yet. "But I can promise you this: A visit will definitely be worthwhile for all animal lovers in the greater Düsseldorf area."

And what happens next?

The rollout does not end in Düsseldorf: further locations in various regions are being planned. Updates on the rollout of the ZooRoyal speciality stores, exactly which locations will follow and how construction is progressing in Düsseldorf - all this information will follow in the coming months.