A dog's life: how the crisis affected pets. Import substitution on four legs. Sale of luxury, high-quality pet products

St. Petersburg pet business hopes for market growth

Back in early 2015, players in the Russian pet market predicted a massive closure of stores selling animal products. Then they referred to the increase in the purchase price of imported food and a decrease in consumer demand, which should have led to a drop in sales volumes in pet stores.

However, the worst forecasts did not come true - the pet market is still afloat. As reported CEO Union of Pet Business Enterprises Tatyana Kolchanova, speaking at the International Exhibition of Products and Services for Pets “Zoosphere”, the crisis did not hit this market as hard as expected. As for St. Petersburg, the pet market here has even grown by 10% since the beginning of the year, T. Kolchanova said.

However, neither she nor other experts could name the current volume of the pet products market either in St. Petersburg or in Russia as a whole. Previously, the subcommittee on entrepreneurship in the pet business of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation reported that at the beginning of 2014 it was approximately $4 billion (the share of imported goods in pet stores reached 90%). However, the chairman of the board of the Union of Pet Business Enterprises, Kirill Dmitriev, told RBC St. Petersburg that in fact it is almost impossible to calculate the volume of the pet market in Russia - primarily because of its closed nature. “Nobody publishes their sales and production figures,” he notes. “Perhaps so that no one knows how much they import and how much they produce themselves.”

Import substitution on four legs

Experts explain the fairly stable situation on the market by increasing prices for pet products. This mainly concerns food (85-90% of the entire pet market). The demand for all other goods and services is falling rather than growing.

According to the sales director of Ivanko ( retail feed) Bogdan Kishkin, prices for goods from some imported manufacturers have increased in price by up to 100%, Russian goods prices have risen by an average of 40-50%. Alexey Pokrovsky, a representative of the company Biosphere LLC (production, import and sale of goods for animals), in turn, noted that prices for some items have increased two to three times.

According to the general director of Zolotaya Rybka (supplier of animal products) Nina Gogunts, the crisis has played into the hands of many producers. Given the fall of the ruble and, as a result, the rise in prices of imported goods, people are trying to switch to cheaper goods Russian production. As a result, orders from some local manufacturers have doubled or tripled. Moreover, many meat plants choose canned animal products as their second line of business.

And this year the Ivanko company even launched several new lines of economy and mid-segment products under its own brand. In addition, the company opened its representative offices in the regions. The Biosphere company is also opening new stores (this year, in particular, four stores were opened in St. Petersburg).

According to K. Dmitriev from the Union of Pet Business Enterprises, the Russian feed market has grown by about 20%, while imported feed has fallen by 40%. Specialists of the Rodemax marketing agency confirm that for visitors to pet stores in Lately price is increasingly becoming the determining factor when choosing a product or service (see table below).

As for “import substitution,” its success cannot last long, pet market experts say. “The range of domestic feeds today is very small, so it is unrealistic to completely switch to domestic products,” says T. Kolchanova.

K. Dmitriev notes that, mainly, import substitution concerns the “economy” segment. “If we talk about “premium” and “superpremium” feed, then there is no such trend here, because there are no competitive Russian feeds. Behind good feed there is still a lot of science - recipes, technology... We don’t even have enough chicken to adequately produce high-quality feed,” he adds. K. Dmitriev himself believes that there should be no import substitution - the buyer himself is free to choose Russian or foreign-made feed, cheap or expensive.

Without a hairdresser

As for the market for all other pet products (clothing, toys) and the service sector, it is definitely shrinking, experts say. If earlier people wanted to buy a new collar for their pet and they could easily afford it, now they will think twice, says one of the market participants.

This year the demand for pet care services has decreased significantly. An expert of the European Association of Groomers in the poodle class, the owner of a grooming center in Moscow, Roman Fomin, told an RBC St. Petersburg correspondent that now there is indeed a decline in grooming. If they used to come to groom a dog six times a year, now they come only four times. R. Fomin reported that even salons with five to ten years of experience, which have a consistently large clientele, have noticed a decrease in purchasing power.

The owner of two salons in St. Petersburg, Olga Kalashnikova, confirmed the trend outlined by R. Fomin. According to her, clients do not refuse services, but take large intervals between visits.

Doggy style swim

Despite the financial difficulties in the grooming industry, none of major players has not left this market, experts say. “The salons that were working continue to work, although they save money,” says O. Kalashnikova. IN next year the situation is unlikely to change dramatically, she notes.

At the same time, most pet market players hope that in 2016 the market will grow by about 15%. “The maximum fall has already been reached. Further, it seems to us, the market will level out, grow and stabilize. I would like to count on an increase of 15%,” says A. Pokrovsky.

K. Dmitriev from the Union of Pet Business Enterprises does not share the optimism of his colleagues. “I think that there will be no growth next year - there will be marking time. I hope that there will be no stagnation, because people have a very positive attitude towards their animals. But until we have cheap money, nothing will grow,” he noted.

Numbers

According to the marketing agency Rodemax, according to consumers, over the year the price level for animal products has increased by 30-50%. At the same time, the increase in prices affected all pet products and services. According to experts, the drop in sales in various segments ranged from 20 to 70%.

The vast majority (78%) of survey participants felt that their spending on goods and services for animals had increased. 17% of respondents noted that their costs remained unchanged, and only 5% of pet owners reported a decrease in spending on pet supplies and services.

From September 2014 to October 2015, the number of buyers making small one-time purchases, the amount of which does not exceed 500 rubles, decreased from 32% to 25%. At the same time, according to experts, the amount of a one-time purchase for various groups of goods ranges from 250 to 600 rubles.

Every fifth buyer (22%) monthly leaves in pet stores an amount not exceeding a thousand rubles. Approximately the same number (20%) of respondents spend monthly on animals from 1000 to 2500 rubles.

The third, conditional group of consumers (53%), consisting mainly of breeders and nursery owners, as well as those who, in addition to small pets, keep dogs and/or cats, spend over 2,500 rubles per month on their pets.

For 54% of survey participants, the number of purchases of pet products and/or use of services has not changed. 25% believe that the number of purchases/services has decreased. And only 21% of respondents increased the number of purchases. Some attribute the increase in purchases to the increase in the number of animals. Such answers are more typical for breeders, rodent owners and different types animals.

The "Pet Business" section contains materials on the production and sale of goods for pets, as well as the provision of veterinary services. Here you can find information on how to open your own pet store, animal hotel, veterinary clinic, petting zoo, dry food production workshop, training business and much more. The pet business is attractive for its stable demand for goods and services, since it is not customary to save on pets.

Investments from 700,000 rub.

The cost of the project, taking into account the purchase of equipment, registration and registration, and the creation of a website, will be 705.5 thousand rubles. The hotel can be expected to break even after 1.5 years of operation.

Investments from RUB 1,200,000.

The volume of starting investments in opening a veterinary pharmacy is 1,225,000 rubles. The payback period of the project is 20 months.

Investments from 250,000 rub.

Own a profitable cleaning business under the guidance of experts in the field. Ready-made technologies and secrets of successful work in the market. Support at all stages of business development.

Investments from RUB 16,630,000.

The net present value (NPV) of the project is RUB 38,628,985, which significantly exceeds the investment costs. Internal norm return (IRR) – 4.06%, which is higher than the discount rate...

Investments from RUB 12,700,000.

Investments in the project will amount to 12.7 million rubles. To implement the project will be involved own funds. The payback period will be 43 months. Term preparatory stage- 3 months.

Investments from RUB 1,660,000.

The cost of the project will be 1,660,000 rubles. Payback period – 11 months. The preparatory period will take 3 months. Reaching the planned sales volume from the moment the work began...

Investments from RUB 1,500,000.

Organizing your own animal shelter is a social and useful endeavor. However, you need to understand that maintaining a shelter almost never brings profit to its owner; this direction is unlikely...

Investments from RUB 950,000.

Franchise from the largest importer of Belarusian cosmetics. Rapid formation of a base of regular customers, low purchase prices for popular goods, lack of competition with federal chains.

Investments from 50,000 rub.

The dog training business is seasonal. The greatest demand for the services of a trainer occurs from spring to autumn. Payback periods range from 1 month (with minimum investment) to th...

Investments from 1,000,000 rub.

Such a business can operate in different formats: you can open a fairly large hotel with a shelter and a veterinary clinic, designed for a large number of different animals. But many companies work...

Investments from 200,000 rub.

Provided you have your own space, organizing a large pet hotel (45-50 beds) requires 300-400 thousand rubles. In the case of a small hotel, you can get by with 200 thousand rubles....

Investments from 400,000 rubles.

To open small salon beauty products for animals will require from 400 thousand rubles. You can, of course, get by with much less investment and receive clients at home. Reach the payback level...

Investments from 300,000 rub.

On average, to open a pet store with an area of ​​50 square meters. meters will require from 1.5 million rubles. Open a small counter-type store with an area of ​​10 square meters. meters is possible with 300-350 thousand rubles.

Investments from RUB 2,400,000.

The total amount for opening a veterinary clinic is 2 million 400 thousand rubles. At the same time, monthly expenses will...

Investments from 70,000 rub.

All costs at the first stage of work on the production of wheelchairs for animals will amount to about 70 thousand rubles. You can recoup the costs in the first 1.5-2 months...

Investments from RUB 440,000.

Earn monthly up to 148,000 rubles. Interactive vending layout railway with the function of issuing gifts. An interesting alternative to standard vending solutions.

PROBLEMS OF PET BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Problems of development of the pet business as a new industry in the Russian economy (from the speech of the executive secretary of the OPES Commission under the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Fund)

History of the Russian pet business

The development of the Russian pet business as an industry began about ten years ago. The 90s were years of rapid growth and " natural selection"in a new industry for Russia. Now the industry is completing its formation and is moving into a “mature” state, which definitely requires systematization.

Structure of the Russian pet business

The pet business is an industry that includes everything that is in one way or another connected with keeping companion animals (dogs, cats, and others). The structure of the pet business is presented in Diagram 1.

The modern pet food market in Russia is estimated at approximately 200-250 million dollars per year, while the Moscow market accounts for up to 110 million dollars per year. At the same time, the European feed market is estimated at 22 billion dollars (Figure 2). Thus, it turns out that Russia has approximately 1% of European sales as a whole.

Figure 3 shows how income from various categories goods.

It should be noted that the market for pet services in Russia has been actively developing in recent years. New veterinary clinics, pet stores, grooming salons, pet hotels and other facilities are opening. However, activities in this area in the constituent entities Russian Federation, unlike the agricultural market, has not yet been systematized.

Today in the Russian pet business the following characteristic features can be noted:

• The pet market is dominated by imported products (this is shown in Diagram 4). The share of domestic pet products is very small;


• The feed market is controlled by almost one company;


• Market structuring and division of functions between companies are weakly expressed;


• The position of the retail trade in pet products and the influence on the market of consumer preferences are very weak.

The pet business has reached a level of development at which it is necessary to systematize its market. Appeared and common interests, which professional associations are called upon to defend. Specialized professional publications have been created and are actively developing. Work has begun to popularize and promote the interests and brands of the industry in non-specialized publications and media.

One of the areas of pet business is the pet industry

The very concept of “pet industry” is based on the word “industry”. Our entire domestic pet business is based on industry, or the processing of raw materials for the production of consumer goods - goods for non-productive pets. The pet food industry essentially plays the role of a recycling component for meat industry, while increasing the efficiency of agricultural production.

Just ten years ago there were no ready-made pet foods in our country. Since the middle of the last decade, a new modern industry industries - food industry for non-productive pets. Its founder was the Mars company - one of the first foreign investors to come to Russia - which began in 1995. industrial production products for pets. The Mars company has built two feed production plants (one in Stupino, the second near Novosibirsk)

A complete diet for dogs and cats must be balanced in protein, carbohydrates, fats, macroelements, and microelements. It is quite difficult to prepare an appropriate diet at home. You can see from the stomach of a pet whether it eats from the owner’s table or a normal diet. The difference is huge. If the animal is fed dry food, the mucous membrane remains unchanged. And when they throw bones at him, or pour him cold soup, or throw porridge from the table, then the occurrence of gastritis in the animal is practically inevitable. Practice proves that many common diseases in animals recede if ready-made feed is used. Such animals have shiny fur, excellent bone condition, and a strong immune system. If food is used correctly and for a long time, beneficial changes are inevitable. At the same time, pets exhibit the behavior of a healthy animal - after all, physiological changes also occur.

World experience shows that in a stable economy, pet food becomes a commodity of everyday demand for pet owners. The growth in consumption of these products is a sign modern style life. Consumers are not victims of advertising; they make informed choices every day when purchasing food for their pets. It is impossible to concentrate modern high-quality products and food for these pets in only a few pet stores or specialized departments. Feed has long become a popular, everyday, mass, socially significant product.

In Russia, about one third of our fellow citizens keep pets, which in one case have become companions for lonely and elderly people, and in another - almost members of families. Science has proven the enormous social, psychological, and sometimes medical benefits of responsible pet ownership.

Development prospects

It is obvious that Russian market There are good prospects for pet supplies and services. Already today, according to the former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Agriculture Russia Alexey Vasilievich Gordeev, expressed in the press, the Government of the Russian Federation notes that zoo business is new promising direction in the Russian economy.

Many years of practice and experience show that pets bring enormous benefits in the development of children and adolescents, have a positive impact on the physical and psychological state of people of different ages, as well as disabled people and people with mental disabilities. The support that companion animals provide comes through the emotional comfort and normalizing effect of the relationship with a pet, which, unlike human relationships, remains unshakable. Therefore, a person tries to respond to the animal in the same way, taking care of it, trying to feed it with its favorite food and supplement it with vitamins, in order to maintain health, vaccinate it and, if symptoms of the disease appear, show it to a veterinarian.

According to experts, the market size of this industry may increase several times in the next 5 years. The large number of pets (dogs and cats, birds, rodents and others) living in Russian families and the fact that Russians are among the most enthusiastic pet owners in the world suggests great potential for the industry.

A good factor for the growth of the industry will be the favorable development of the economic situation in the country and the solution of a number of legislative problems and organizational tasks. Fundamental should be support for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the pet business from the state and local authorities, both legislative and executive. Since it is mainly small and medium-sized businesses that are engaged in the pet business. But this is a considerable layer of our society, and, I would say, its most active part.

Today, in Moscow alone, according to the independent research center ROMIR, in the apartments of Muscovites there are more than 1 million 800 thousand dogs and cats and about the same number of exotic rodents, birds, mammals, reptiles and aquarium farms. The total number of animals in need of pet business services today reaches 4 million. On the scale of the Central Federal District, this figure, in my opinion, fluctuates around 25-35 million. Serving such a number of non-productive animals - their treatment, feeding, providing care, providing ritual, hotel and hairdressing services requires significant development networks of pet business enterprises.

There are certainly few existing enterprises (animal facilities). If we consider Moscow as an example, then even there the statistical picture (for the month of August) does not look good enough: Registered pet stores, food departments for non-productive animals in grocery stores and pet kiosks - 435 (of which only 48 are specialized pet stores);

• Enterprises engaged in the production of feed, medicines for veterinary purposes, wholesale sales pet products and their import - no more than 20;


• Veterinary clinics, laboratories, shopping centers and enterprises providing veterinary services at home - 210 (of which 28 are private practitioners registered as PBOLE, state veterinary service enterprises - 101, private hospitals - 39, enterprises with only a control center and working only from home - 32, shopping centers providing a full range of services /treatment, sale of veterinary drugs and pet supplies/ - 10);


• There are about 8 thousand citizens employed in the pet business.

It is obvious that pet kiosks and pet counters in grocery stores only partly solve the problem of providing the population with pet goods, they have a poor assortment and are not able to expand the range of their services.

From the above data it is clearly seen that the degree of development of pet business enterprises, their quantitative and qualitative composition, does not allow servicing such a business in full and at the appropriate level. large quantity animals.

I would like to note that the following pronounced problems still remain in the pet business today:

• Imperfection of the legislative and regulatory framework;


• Administrative barriers;


• Insufficient culture of consumption of pet products;


• Low level of income of the population;


• Misunderstanding government agencies the importance of the prospects for the development of pet business in Russia.

To solve them you need:

• Analyze regional and federal legislation affecting the interests of the pet business and bring it into compliance with current ones legislative acts Russian Federation;


• In order to study opinions and prospects for dialogue, hold meetings with the heads of enterprises and organizations involved in the pet business, consider their problems and constructive proposals;


• Strengthen the provision of targeted support to the most promising small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in the pet business;


• In order to improve the culture of consumption of pet products, involve the media in covering this issue and publish the opinions of experts ( veterinarians, dog handlers, felinologists, etc.);


• Provide assistance to new enterprises and organizations in finding premises, training and hiring personnel, and generally creating favorable conditions for their activities. Stanislav Stepkin Answer. Secretary of the Commission on Rational Natural Resources Management and Environmental Monitoring under the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District.

scheme 1

scheme 2

scheme 3

scheme 4

If you love animals, then you can easily combine your passion for “our little brothers” with successful business by opening your own pet store, pet supply store, or creating a pet care company.

It's truly a lucrative business: in 2004 alone, Americans spent $34.5 billion on their cats, dogs, birds, fish, horses and other pets. In 2005, this figure increased by another $1.4 billion and continues to grow every year, despite all sorts of global financial crises.

For many people, a cat or dog becomes practically a member of the family. Our four-legged friends love us unconditionally, bring us joy, help fill the void when adult children leave the parental home or a spouse dies, they give us a sense of well-being and even lower our blood pressure. Therefore, naturally, they are taken care of, paying hefty bills for food, toys, treatment, and so on. And some people care about their pets much more than their relatives!

Many successful entrepreneurs We started our business in this area precisely in order to help our furry pets and teach other people how to properly treat animals. For example, John Zambelli, owner of NaturesPet.com, an online pet food business in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, says he started his business to give animals a chance for a long and healthy life. healthy life. His company succeeds by selling high-quality and only natural animal food.

Well, it's all lyrics. And if you look from a practical point of view, the following areas are in greatest demand in this area today:

• dog walking/pet hotel;
• training;
• pet care/grooming;
• sale of food, clothing and other goods for animals;
• sale of elite, high-quality pet products.

Each of these businesses can be launched as Homebased, i.e. home business, with a small initial investment and without attracting employees, at least until that blessed time when you decide it's time to expand. Let's take a closer look at each of these five areas.

As a matter of fact, pet care and dog walking are still in their infancy in our country - there is not even a name for such professions, but, nevertheless, almost 3% of the population use or are ready to use these services; unfortunately, there are simply no more accurate statistics.

Dogs can be walked individually or in small groups, but we intentionally combined these two areas into one point, since almost no one is involved in pure dog walking. Usually this service is “overgrown” with additional tasks: feeding, cleaning, possibly giving medicine or giving an injection, “sheltering” the animal while the owner is on a business trip, and so on. Therefore, it is better to immediately think about what services you can offer for the convenience of your four-legged clients and their owners.

You can look after the animals during the day while the owners are at work or take care of them for a longer period. As you can see, it is quite possible to have a good time playing with a kitten or puppy and still make good money.

Training

Professional animal training, of course, requires special knowledge and skills. Moreover, any dog ​​trainer will tell you that you also need knowledge of psychology, because you will not only have to train the dog, but also train those people who live with it. But people, like animals, are different and you must be prepared for the fact that you will have to talk to them patiently, almost affectionately, but quite persistently and convincingly.

Unfortunately, there are no exact statistics on the number of dog handlers in our country, since this profession does not require a license. But, based on the fact that the dog handlers association includes approximately 5,000 people, and there are more than 50 million dogs in Russia, there is room for activity!

Pet care and grooming

Here the word “care” does not mean walking or feeding animals, but a kind of “beauty salon” that provides various services for four-legged clients: from bathing and ear cleaning to a model haircut. A groomer is much more than just a hairdresser. He must not only change appearance shaggy client, but also to make him feel better physically and psychologically, for example, to be able to calm a frightened animal with touch. In addition, it is often the groomer who is the first to notice the condition of the animal’s skin, the presence of ear mites or other medical problems that need to be addressed to a veterinarian.

To succeed in this field, you need not only to be able to handle scissors, a comb and brushes, but also such qualities as patience, resistance to stress and goodwill are absolutely necessary.

The demand for good groomers has been consistently high for several decades, and the “upper bar” of income is almost limitless.

Sale of food, clothing and other products for animals

This idea can be implemented in different ways: it can be a regular kiosk, a monumental stone store or a virtual Internet business. Many pet owners today are willing to spend a lot of money to buy the best for their pets, including food, treats, toys, furniture and so on. There are quite a few pet stores open today, and your task is to find your “niche” in this business, that is, to make sure that you become the leading seller of specialized goods in your city or region.

For example, it could be special products for sick animals (diabetes and kidney problems are quite common diseases in four-legged animals) or you could make special treats, you could specialize only in leashes and collars or warm clothing. Or maybe you want to sell food for exotic animals such as snakes? There are many options and the choice is yours, it all depends on the characteristics of your region, availability and size starting capital and on the premises you choose for the store.

Sale of luxury, high-quality pet products

All people try to pamper their pets whenever possible, but since Hollywood stars began carrying their beloved dogs in designer handbags, a whole industry has emerged for the production and sale of luxury pet products.

These include silk blankets, custom-made beds, cashmere coats, pearl collars and rock crystal tiaras, luxury strollers and designer clothes.

Such a store can be made both retail and virtual. Retail trade it makes sense to open in a prestigious area of ​​the city, in an exclusive mall or at an expensive popular resort, otherwise you simply will not be able to attract wealthy clients to your boutique. You can, of course, open it in any locality. But the first and only condition that you must comply with in both cases is that the quality of your goods must be high-quality, otherwise you will not see success.

“Pet business in Russia” versus Russian pet business?

“Don’t disgrace the Russian pet business!” – under such a screaming title an article was published in the magazine “Zoo Business in Russia” No. 2/48/2008, in which an unknown author (since the article was unsigned) sharply criticized the International Exhibition “Zoo Russia 2008”, which took place at the end of February 2008 in Moscow.

We, the organizers of the exhibition - the exhibition company "Asti Group", read with interest the text of this work by an unknown author, trying to find some constructive proposals on the situation on the pet business market in general, as well as recommendations for exhibition companies that organize similar events in Russia and the world as a whole. However, apart from the call: “Don’t go there!”, the author does not have any more interesting thoughts. Accordingly, we, like most readers, have legitimate question: “Where are you going?”

I would like to dwell on this topic in more detail and understand where to go Russian manufacturers products and services for the pet business to demonstrate your products, meet pet owners, see your competitors, negotiate with wholesalers, and just find yourself in the circle of like-minded people, partners in the pet business?

This issue has been worrying the Asti Group company for a long time. And, as time has shown, our concern was not in vain. In 2007, a situation arose in the pet business market (all exhibition companies and specialized media remember it), when entrepreneurs, instead of participating in professional exhibition events chose not to participate in any of them, since only for April 2007 four events were announced with almost the same theme - “ZooRus” at the All-Russian Exhibition Center, “Zoo Russia” at Crocus Expo, “Vetexpo” at the same Crocus and International Veterinary Congress, which traditionally also includes an exhibition. Outraged participants in the pet market turned to us with a request to understand the situation and agree among themselves on the organization of exhibition events and the timing of their holding. Therefore, on March 23, 2007, on the initiative of the Asti Group company, a meeting was organized and held at the Subcommittee on Entrepreneurship in the Pet Business of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the topic: “Exhibition activities in the pet business in Moscow,” where the question was raised about the need to hold a single exhibition in Moscow, the frequency of exhibitions, the exhibition site, the organizers, the attitude towards participation in animal exhibitions, and it was also decided to conduct a survey of participants in the pet business market, entrepreneurs and wholesalers about what events they want to participate in, at which exhibition site, in what time frame , which exhibition company to work with, etc. Before studying the opinions of market participants and the wishes of everyone working in the pet business, it was proposed to declare a moratorium on exhibition events. Unfortunately, only the Asti Group company fulfilled these requirements and did not hold the exhibition in 2007. At the same time, our company announced the postponement of the exhibition “Zoo Russia 2007” (press release dated April 10, 2007), understanding that the opinion of entrepreneurs and analysis of the results of a survey of participants in the pet business market is important for determining the strategy for holding events in this difficult industry, revising concepts, etc. It seemed ineffective to us to ruin the pet business by holding a fourth event in the same April.

Here are excerpts from publications on this topic:

“Companies involved in the pet business must choose an exhibition organization”...
zooweb.ru/page/136/news/1434/

“On March 23, a meeting of the subcommittee on entrepreneurship in the field of pet business of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry took place. It was dedicated to questions exhibition activities in branch. Representatives of exhibition companies, founders and organizers of exhibitions, and entrepreneurs took part in the meeting. The need to discuss the issue of holding a single exhibition of pet products and medicines for animals in Moscow was caused by the fact that in recent years a situation has developed in this business that cannot but worry entrepreneurs.”

What do we have today? An exhibition in St. Petersburg “Zoosfera” and two exhibitions in Moscow “ZooRus” and “Zoo Russia”.

I would like to say a few words about the exhibition “Zoo Russia 2008”. Having taken time out in 2007, we entered the pet business market in 2008 with new concept holding the exhibition "Zoo Russia 2008". Taking as a basis the opinions of the participants of the meeting at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, which, for the most part, boiled down to the following: “It is important that at the exhibition everything is in one project - pet products, veterinary drugs, cats, dogs, other animals, events for representatives of the pet industry and veterinarians,” we offered the market new project, which consisted of two exhibitions at the same time: professional - ZooRussia Professional and ZooRussia Pet Show, which were dispersed over time (on weekdays - professionals work, and on Sundays - events and shows with animals for the general public). And the expectations were justified. The international conference of practicing veterinarians “PraktiVet”, which was held as part of ZooRussia Professional, attracted many specialists from Russia, the CIS countries, Europe and the world. And if the author, instead of photographing empty press stands, had looked into the conference room at this time and listened to reports that were equally interesting to both breeders of purebred dogs and practicing veterinarians: “Issues of international certification of the absence of genetic eye diseases,” Drs. Ron Ofri, Israel and “Problems of Gynecology and Canine Reproduction”, Dr. Simon Goldman, I hope that the conference materials published in the journal “Pet Business in Russia” would be more useful than the author’s own opinion.

But here are specialists from Moscow city and regional veterinary clinics, veterinarians from various regions of Russia, Yekaterinburg, Mordovia, Novosibirsk, Perm, Primorsky Krai, Rostov region, St. Petersburg, Tver region, Latvia and Israel, as well as students from the Moscow State Academy veterinary medicine and biotechnology named after. K.I. Scriabin, Moscow Agricultural Academy named after. K.A. Timiryazev, Center for Biology and Veterinary Medicine of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and Moscow state university applied biotechnology listened with great interest to reports on various directions diagnostics and treatment of pets with concrete examples from the lecturers’ own practice, they adopted the experience of foreign partners.

At the end of the conference, all participants received certificates International conference practicing veterinarians "PraktiVet", since the reports and lectures were intended to improve the skills of practicing veterinarians and introduce them to world experience.

The same active interest of the participants was evident at the seminar on the topic: “Tetra’s innovative developments for aquarium fish and hydrochemistry”, where Tetra (Germany) consultant Bartlomiej Latos spoke in detail about aquarium fish food produced by Tetra. And the photo of empty press stands (see the magazine “Pet Business in Russia” No. 2/48/2008, p. 6) only says that these publications have a professional approach to working at exhibition events and skip a seminar, conference, cat show or agility , which took place at these hours in other parts of the hall, the specialized press was not at all interested in.

The results of the marketing survey of exhibition participants pleased us and gave us confidence in the correctness of the strategy chosen by our company.

CATS & DOGS, Head of Promotion Department Yulia Pototskaya

For the first time at Zoo Russia. Many visitors, many negotiations, the third day was especially busy. Good organization, we have a wonderful bright stand and we are very visible at this exhibition, but how this will affect business will be clear after marketing research. Now we will analyze the effectiveness of our participation. Thanks to the organizers of “Asti Group” for the excellent work!

Hemiline LLC, project managers Alexey Meshkov and Alexander Chubarov

Presented at the exhibition for the first time, we produce disinfectants for animals and cleaning premises. Our consumers are farms, poultry farms, nurseries, veterinary clinics, as well as pet owners. The exhibition is organized much better than other specialized Russian exhibitions. Our expectations were more than met - we worked a lot with visitors, many representatives from the regions - Central Russia, the Urals, Siberia.

TIT BIT, regional manager Daria Sekletina

This is our first time participating in Zoo Russia; previously we only worked in St. Petersburg at the Zoosphere exhibition.

In the Moscow region, at our own enterprise, we produce treats for pets - dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents. Our customers are specialized stores, wholesale companies. On the first day of the exhibition there were not enough specialist visitors, but then there were more. They came up regional representatives from Vladimir, Perm, Omsk, Cherepovets, Far East. A number of contracts are planned. We don’t know exactly about future participation – we need to evaluate the effectiveness. The organization of the exhibition is good, it is convenient to work.

VETMARKET, leading manager Alexandra Burtseva

We are regular participants in the exhibition and this is the third time we have exhibited our products at Zoo Russia. We are distributors of foreign and domestic manufacturers of high-quality food for small animals and veterinary medications from the Czech Republic, Latvia, USA, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland and other leading global manufacturers. We are interested in regional wholesalers and veterinary clinics, but there were not as many of them as we would like. Although there was interest in our products from the regions - these are Volgograd, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don and others. The exhibition is well organized, but I would like more specialists.

Norma LLC, chief sales manager Ksenia Raevskaya

We are participating in this exhibition for the first time. We are engaged in clothing for animals, we produce it ourselves, our products are of great interest. I liked the festive atmosphere. There were many visitors, both pet owners and representatives of specialized stores. The exhibition was organized at a good level.

Kennel Club "Capital", vice-president Vasily Margelov

We returned as a participant to this exhibition. I think that the exhibition is successful for us, there are many visitors, there is a lot of interest in our products - professional cosmetics for animals. In addition, our stand presented food from the Zoo Gourmet company. Regional representatives from Siberia, the Far East, the Urals, and the South of Russia came up. The impressions from the organization of the exhibition are the most favorable.

There is only one conclusion: for our company, which professionally organizes and conducts Russian and international exhibitions since 2001 and has experience in organizing major international events, for example, the May exhibition VIV Europe 2008 (400 companies, 41 countries, 30,000 sq. m of area, including Crocus Expo), the opinion of the participants, the effectiveness their work at the stand, the choice of our company as an organizer and their trust in us. Professionalism and the desire to bring any project that our company undertakes to the international level, self-confidence are the key to the success of our business. And the fact that entry to the exhibition is free for specialists is the merit not of Crocus Expo (as stated in the same article in the magazine “Pet Business in Russia” No. 2/48/2008, p. 6), but of Asti Group. By the way, at almost all of our exhibitions specialists have the opportunity to attend events for free by registering on the website online, at the registration desk in the exhibition pavilion, or by receiving an invitation card by mail.