The Biggest Pet Store You’ve Never Heard Of

It’s no secret that in recent years, our pets have become more than just an extension of our family, but part of our actual family.

This growing bond has brought innovation and a boom in products and services catered to our four-legged family members, and we wanted to tell the stories of not only our best friends but of the people driving this industry forward.

There’s never been a better time to enter the pet market!

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When you think of the world’s largest pet store, a few places that may come to mind might be - Florida, Texas, perhaps a flagship store in NYC, or perhaps somewhere closer to the equator like Brazil where exotic animals are more abundant. Few, if any, would think of Duisburg, Germany. Firstly, because this is the first time you’ve probably ever heard of Duisburg, but secondly, well, refer to point 1.

Zoo Zajac is the world's largest pet store with a retail area that is 13,500 m² (140,000 square feet). It is located in Duisburg, Germany, and was founded back in 1975 by (wait for it) Norbert Zajac. Unfortunately, Norbert passed away last year at the age of 67, but according to a company statement, his wife will continue running the store.

From a young age, Norbert Zajac had a passion for animals. He initially began his entrepreneurial journey by breeding and selling birds. By the age of 8, he was already breeding and selling hamsters in his West German neighborhood. At 13, he became Germany’s youngest parrot breeder.

Over time, he expanded into selling other types of pets, including reptiles, small mammals, and aquarium fish. He started to grow and expand the business as more requests were coming his way. It seemed only natural to him, that after a couple of stints in the steel industry and a brief period in the army, the 20-year-old opened his first pet store in Duisburg in 1975.

Over the decades, Norbert developed the small pet store into an empire. In 2005, the size of his store earned him a spot in the Guinness World Records.

Zoo Zajac reportedly sells 3,000 species, and a staggering 250,000 animals, ranging from the mundane to the exotic, are sold there. Sloths, armadillos, jellyfish, peacocks, snakes, turtles, exotic fish, and birds of all kinds live side by side. Additionally, there are more than 1,000 aquariums, 70 pond tanks, 500 terrariums, 40 aviaries, a cat enclosure, and 150 small mammal enclosures. They also, reportedly have a sloth named "Frida" who roams the halls - slowly.

Norbert was very well known in Duisburg and knew how to market himself in the media. Local camera crews and German media were regularly interviewing him in the store. Zoo Zajac’s YouTube channel currently has 300,000 subscribers and over 900 videos. Most (if not all) of the videos have Norbert as the star of the show as they created a little National Geographic-ish channel discussing the many animals that are being sold there. They also have 1.7 million likes on TikTok, and just under 40k on Instagram.

While it was difficult to find revenue sources that are public, according to Zajac, back in 2009 the shop had 200 employees, and a revenue of 15 million Euros.

Zajac was famous for his epic tours of the pet store, which would sometimes last for up to five hours, which is about how long it takes to drive from Munich to Milan.

Apart from its extensive range of pets, Zoo Zajac also offers a wide range of pet supplies, including food, accessories, and specialized equipment for various animals.

However, just like most prominent figures in most industries, Norbert himself was not without controversy, especially among animal rights activists who repeatedly criticized Zoo Zajac for selling rare exotic animals and puppies. Zoo Zajac is in fact the only pet store in Germany to sell dogs.

Critics of owning exotic animals argue that exotic animals often have specific habitat and dietary requirements that are difficult to replicate in captivity. Their physical, psychological, and social needs may not be adequately met, leading to stress, poor health, and behavioral issues. Additionally, the exotic pet trade can contribute to the decline of wild populations, as animals are often sourced through illegal and unsustainable means. The exotic animal trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually. Poaching plays a significant role in this trade, as rare and endangered species are targeted to meet the demand for exotic pets.

German law requires individuals to meet specific criteria, such as providing appropriate housing, care and obtaining permits for certain species. In the United States, regulations regarding exotic animal ownership vary between states. Some states have strict bans on certain species, while others have laxer regulations or permit systems.

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Business Roundup

• Retailer of the Year - Natural Pawz, the Texas-based 24-hour pet chain was recently named 2023 Retailer of the Year by Pet Business.

• New Partnership - Montana Dog Food Co. has partnered with AFCO Distribution & Milling in order to expand its distribution.

• Spot now opens doors - Boston Dynamics four-legged robodog recently got an update. It can now open doors all by itself. Giving a whole new meaning to “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

• New launches - Frankly Pet launched a new peanut butter flavor of its Collagen & Protein Beefy Chew Sticks for dogs. 360 Pet Nutrition launched a new Freeze Dried Raw Complete Meal Chicken Formula.

• iPet - Apple’s new IOS 17 now recognizes your pet’s face as well.

• Gecko (not Geico) - This guy turned a passion for Geckos from a hobby into a profitable business.

• Zoom shake shake shake the Room - Zoom Room the indoor dog training gym announced its expansion, making its CFO the largest franchise owner.

• Doggumentary Thai-m - A brand new type of cinema experience was just unleashed in Thailand, the first ever pet-friendly cinema.

• Organic? Oui - Organic pet food demand is on the rise in France.

Biz 101

We know this week’s topic has been in high demand so feel free to drop us a thank you email anytime. But, without further ado, “let’s talk about tax baby, let’s talk about you and me, let’s talk about...” Ahh the 90’s.

Anywho, taxes:

• Tax bill - We touched on this in an earlier post. The gist of it - don’t forget about your tax bill. What do we mean by that? well, you may be filing your taxes only once a year (perhaps more, these rules are country-specific) while you have been earning some money the entire year. It’s really easy to forget about this and spend everything you earn on that new hamster wheel. Well, don’t. Get in the habit of putting a certain portion of your profit every month to the side. Don’t know how much? Google your country or state tax rates and use that as a proxy (we normally assume about 20%, but that’s just us).

• Tax-free allowance - Tax-free what?? can I get that in extra-large?? You and we wish. Different countries and different states might have a minimum threshold to pass before you start to generate a tax bill. Keep tabs on this number and your earnings. If you are coming to the end of a tax year and are close to crossing that threshold, it may be worth holding on to doing some sales until you are into the next year

• Tax-credits / grants - some countries and states may actually have some generous credit programs or incentive plans to encourage entrepreneurship. Can you take advantage of those? In some cases, the tax woman (or tax man, whoever is friendlier) may even send you some cash to help you cover your operating expenses.

A parting thought - Tax is one of the areas which can be very technical and very rule-driven. We are obviously not tax experts and so you should most definitely seek support/advice from an accountant in your country who can help you do the right thing. Tax authorities take their sweet time getting back to you with an audit, so make sure you do things as correctly as possible with all the necessary documentation.

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• Bad Boy - Listen to this rendition of “Bad Boy” by Jolene a Yellow Naped Amazon parrot.

• Dogs = longevity - If you want to live longer, get a dog according to Ada Daniel who just celebrated her 108th birthday. She says “I’ve always preferred dogs to people.”

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• Barkour - This sweet Pitbull pup wanted to be with her friend, and no wall, no matter how high was going to stop her.

• Turn of events - this family walked by an adoption site thinking of adopting a new dog, only to find the dog they lost a few months ago was right there, miracles do happen.

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If you want your pet (dogs, cats, hamsters, baby dragons, etc) featured, send us a picture with their name, age, breed, and a 1-2 sentence story to [email protected] and we’ll do our best to feature your pet.

Meet Lilu: Lilu is a 5-month-old Toy Poodle. She lives in Tel Aviv so naturally she likes frolicking on the beach, swimming in the sea, and chasing a random street cat once in a while. She loves her toys, she loves hugs she has an insatiable appetite for anything with meat. She does not like naps!

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Finally, Why did the dog sit in the shade?

Because it didn't want to be a hot dog!

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