ZZF Forum 2020: The pet industry on the way to digitalisation
"Stay interesting and relevant: How the pet industry reaches people with smart solutions" was the motto of the two-day specialist event for pet retailers, system centres, manufacturers, pet groomers and other service providers. The pet market is becoming increasingly complex: new technologies, new legal regulations and, above all, the changing purchasing behaviour of customers are also causing a rethink in the pet industry. The factors that will help specialist zoological businesses remain relevant to their customers were therefore hotly debated.
Smart solutions that can be used to reach people in the future were presented in numerous talks. Forward thinker and retail expert Volker Wissmann, Online Software AG, showed how multimedia marketing can work in retail. He brought many practical examples with him. "Selling with digital media is possible," he said and tried to build a bridge between technology and the pet industry in his presentation. "The use of new technologies in the zoological sector, such as the use of voice assistants at the information desk, must be viewed critically in terms of its benefits, but remaining stuck in existing structures when the environment is changing significantly at the same time is not promising," explained Wissmann.
Retailers must be open to new ideas and examine which new solutions can also be adapted to the pet industry. As an example, Volker Wissmann presented the model animalwelfare.tv where customers at the point of sale are given an insight into the husbandry and living conditions of farm animals via live TV. An example that shows that digital solutions can also be used to convey emotions.
The ZZF forum for the pet industry is the most important annual trade congress for pet retailers, pet chains, wholesalers and manufacturers of pet supplies. It provides training and is an ideal communication platform: around 150 market participants from the trade and manufacturing companies take part every year. The next ZZF Pet Industry Forum will take place from 2 to 3 March 2021.