Page 5 - PET worldwide issue 04/2021

News

Mini-Animalis opens in Metz Further interest shown in Zooplus

The French pet store chain Ani- food and accessories, and no live After Hellman & Friedman, two ferent investors that would drive
malis has got the taste for small pets. Less than a year ago, Ani- further financial investors, EQT the share price further upwards.
retail areas in shopping centres malis was sold to family holding and KRR, have publicly declared A similar effect happened after
and has now opened a 188 m² firm Emefin, which also owns the an interest in acquiring the online the offer from investor KRR had
store in a Cora shopping mall in Spanish chain Tiendanimal. Stores pet supplies retailer Zooplus. The been released.
Metz. This is the third and largest of the latter are also located in “The outcome of discussions
Advertisement
instance of the small-format retail shopping centres on the other side is open at present. It is currently
concept in France. It sells only pet of the Pyrenees. not clear whether it will ulti-
.de mately lead to a public takeover
.de
... natural healthy! bid,” comments Zooplus regard-
PLMA honours 101 products ing the offers from EQT and KRR.
retailer revealed this in two dif- The board of the company had
36 retailers from 17 countries Nearly 600 products launched ferent press releases, according already agreed to the initial bid
are winners of the international last year were submitted for judg- to reports in various media chan- by Hellman & Friedman in mid-
“Salute to Excellence” awards of ing by 62 retailers from 23 coun- nels. On publication of the news August. Zooplus has also con-
the Private Label Manufacturers tries. Of the 101 awards presented about interest by EQT, Zooplus cluded an investor agreement
Association (PLMA). They were by PLMA this year, a total of 54 shares jumped briefly from 397 with Zorro Bidco, the interme-
honoured for innovative and high- went to retailers in Germany (23 euros to 427 euros, presumably diary appointed by Hellman &
quality private label products in awards), Ireland (17) and the Neth- because the shareholders hoped Friedman, to enter into a strate-
the food and non-food sectors. erlands (14). The remaining hon- for a bidding war between dif- gic partnership.
With a total of 23 awards for pri- ours were awarded to chains from
vate labels in the food and non- Southern Europe, Scandinavia, Bel-
food sectors, German retailers gium, the UK and Central Eastern Fressnapf merges country
came out on top. Europe.
subsidiaries

Fressnapf has merged its country will leave the Fressnapf Group
subsidiaries in Austria and Swit- on completion of the merger. A
FDA issues warning letter zerland into an Alpine Region small number of other positions

to Midwestern partner alliance with a joint man- that will be rendered redundant in
agement team and headquarters, their previous form by the merger
As of 9 August, the US Food and safety programme appeared in- according to media sources in the are also likely to be shed.
Drug Administration (FDA) was adequate to significantly mini- two countries. The merger was
aware of more than 130 pet mise or prevent salmonella in its also expected to entail personnel
deaths and more than 220 pet pet food. These conditions likely changes by September. Hermann
illnesses possibly linked to eating contributed to the illness or death Aigner, previously managing di-
brands of pet food manufactured of hundreds of dogs. rector of the Austrian country sub-
by the pet food manufacturer Mid- The FDA requested a writ- sidiary of the Fressnapf Group, will
western Pet Foods that contained ten response from the company take charge of the new Alpine Re-
high levels of aflatoxin. within 15 working days stating gion. He will be supported by a
Inspections of its four manu- the specific steps they had taken transnational, five-person man-
facturing sites revealed apparent to correct any violations. Failure agement team recruited from the
violations of the Federal Food, to adequately address any vio- previous top executives of the
Drug, and Cosmetic Act that were lations promptly might result in companies. Christian Malzach, The new Alpine Region will be headed
in future by Hermann Aigner, hitherto
shared across the sites. The FDA legal action, wrote the adminis- who was managing director of managing director of the Austrian
found that Midwestern’s food tration on its website. the Swiss subsidiary up to now, subsidiary of the Fressnapf Group.

PET worldwide 4|2021 5

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