zooplus
A German online retailer specializing in pet food, pet-care products, and accessories across Europe.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
zooplus is a German e-commerce retailer focused on pet food, pet-care products, and animal accessories. Founded in 1999 during the early expansion of online retail, the company developed from a German internet start-up into a pan-European specialist serving customers in approximately 30 countries. Its headquarters are in Munich, with additional offices reported in Madrid, Kraków, Vienna, and London, and logistics operations serving different regional markets. The company was established by Roland Honekamp, Cornelius Patt, Sven Rittau, Florian Seubert, and Philipp Freiherr von Wilmowsky. Hubert Burda Media supported the early business financially and remained an important shareholder for many years. Like many digital retailers founded around the turn of the millennium, zooplus had to develop through the difficult investment environment created by the 2000 dot-com downturn. By 2002, it had built a customer base of approximately 160,000 and recorded order volume of about €13 million, according to the cited historical account. zooplus expanded its product range and geographic reach during the 2000s and 2010s. It moved its registered office from Unterföhring to Munich in 2008 and went public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange that year. The company later became a long-standing SDAX constituent and entered the MDAX in September 2021. Its business model combined a broad online assortment, direct delivery to consumers, recurring purchases of food and litter, and the use of private-label brands alongside products from established manufacturers. The assortment includes dry and wet food, treats, veterinary and specialist diets, cat litter, cages, beds, toys, grooming products, aquatics supplies, and other equipment for cats, dogs, small animals, birds, fish, and reptiles. By 2023, the range was reported to contain approximately 15,000 items. zooplus also operates private labels including Briantos, Cosma, Purizon, Smilla, and Wolf of Wilderness. Product selection and pack sizes may be adapted to national market preferences. Online demand increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers avoided or could not visit physical stores and pet ownership rose in several markets. The company subsequently continued investing in its digital platform, assortment, loyalty proposition, mobile application, and subscription model. In February 2021, it announced the removal of accessories regarded as problematic from an animal-welfare perspective across its markets. The company underwent a major ownership transition in 2021. Zorro Bidco, controlled by funds advised by Hellman & Friedman, initially offered €390 per share. A competing offer associated with EQT-backed Pet Bidco helped produce a takeover contest, eventually resulting in a joint offer of €480 per share. Following the transaction, zooplus was delisted from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange; its shares ceased public trading in January 2022. The legal form changed from AG to SE in February 2022. Cornelius Patt, a long-serving chief executive who had led the company since 2006, was succeeded by Geoffroy Lefebvre in November 2022. Lefebvre left in late November 2024, and Lionel Desclée was identified as the incoming chief executive from September 15, 2025. zooplus is positioned as a specialist, convenience-oriented online pet retailer rather than a general merchandise marketplace. Its competitive proposition rests on assortment breadth, home delivery, recurring-order potential, private labels, digital customer services, and cross-border scale. The business competes with physical pet-specialist chains, grocery and general retailers, manufacturer-direct channels, and marketplaces such as Amazon.
History
zooplus was founded in Germany on June 28, 1999, by Roland Honekamp, Cornelius Patt, Sven Rittau, Florian Seubert, and Philipp Freiherr von Wilmowsky. The founders sought to apply the emerging internet-retail model to pet food and accessories, a category with frequent replenishment demand and a wide assortment. Hubert Burda Media provided financial support and became the company’s largest shareholder for an extended period. Early financing took place against the backdrop of the late-1990s technology boom, followed by the investment contraction associated with the dot-com crash. The business nevertheless developed a customer base and commercial scale. By 2002, it reportedly served about 160,000 customers and generated order volume of approximately €13 million. Employment reached 40 people by 2007. In 2008, the company moved its registered office from Unterföhring to Munich and completed an initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It entered the exchange’s Entry Standard without issuing new shares, later moving to the Prime Standard in 2009. Revenue and headcount expanded during this period, with reported 2008 revenue of €80.34 million and 2009 revenue of €127.71 million. During the 2010s, zooplus built a cross-border operating model. In 2011, Burda increased its holding above 50 percent, becoming the majority shareholder, before gradually selling its stake from 2015 onward. By 2012, zooplus was described as Germany’s second-largest pet-food retailer, behind Fressnapf, with an estimated domestic market share of about 10 percent. The company increasingly emphasized markets beyond Germany and tailored parts of its assortment to local demand. First-half sales in 2015 were reported at €344 million, 34 percent higher than in the comparable period. Competition intensified as large generalist internet retailers entered pet products. Amazon began selling pet food in Europe under its own brands in 2018, but zooplus continued to grow. Its reported total sales for 2018 were approximately €1.342 billion, representing 21 percent year-on-year growth. The company’s model was supported by its specialist positioning, extensive range, private labels, customer data, and the recurring nature of pet-food purchases. The COVID-19 period accelerated online retail adoption. Customers faced store closures or avoided physical shopping, while pet ownership and demand for pet products increased in a number of markets. zooplus reported a profit of approximately €7.8 million in the first half of 2020. The company also adopted an animal-welfare-related assortment decision in February 2021, removing certain accessories considered problematic from its online platforms across all countries. The most consequential corporate event came in 2021. On August 13, Zorro Bidco S.à r.l., controlled by funds advised by Hellman & Friedman, signed an investor agreement with zooplus and offered €390 per share. A competing offer linked indirectly to EQT Private Equity raised the valuation, and the bidders ultimately combined behind an offer of €480 per share. More than half of the shares were acquired, and zooplus entered into a long-term strategic arrangement with Hellman & Friedman. The shares were removed from the MDAX in December 2021, and the company ceased to be publicly traded in January 2022. The legal form changed from Zooplus AG to Zooplus SE on February 23, 2022. Cornelius Patt, chief executive since 2006 and one of the company’s founders, left the CEO role in 2022; Geoffroy Lefebvre became chief executive in November of that year. Under the subsequent leadership period, zooplus expanded its product range and continued developing loyalty, mobile, and subscription propositions. Lefebvre departed at the end of November 2024. Lionel Desclée was identified as the new chief executive from September 15, 2025. By 2023, zooplus was reported to ship to approximately 30 European countries and offer around 15,000 products. Logistics capacity was expanded with facilities in Bor, Czechia, and near Budapest, Hungary. The company remains a privately held European specialist retailer, combining third-party brands with private labels such as Briantos, Cosma, Purizon, Smilla, and Wolf of Wilderness.
- 2025
Lionel Desclée becomes CEO
[1]Lionel Desclée is identified as taking over the chief executive role on September 15, 2025.
- 2023
Logistics and assortment expansion
[1]New logistics facilities open in Czechia and Hungary, while the reported assortment reaches approximately 15,000 items.
- 2022
Conversion to SE and delisting
[1]The company becomes a European stock corporation and its shares cease public trading.
- 2021
Takeover agreement and bidding contest
[1]Hellman & Friedman and EQT-associated bidders compete to acquire zooplus, culminating in a joint €480-per-share offer.
- 2018
Reported sales exceed €1.3 billion
[1]zooplus reports approximately €1.342 billion in total sales while Amazon expands its European pet-food activity.
- 2011
Burda becomes majority shareholder
[1]Hubert Burda Media increases its stake to 50.04 percent.
- 2009
Move to the Prime Standard
[1]The company transfers its Frankfurt listing from the Entry Standard to the Prime Standard.
- 2008
Frankfurt listing and move to Munich
[1]zooplus lists on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and relocates its registered office from Unterföhring to Munich.
- 2002
Early customer and order growth
[1]The business reaches approximately 160,000 customers and reported order volume of about €13 million.
- 1999
zooplus is founded
[1]The company is established in Germany by Roland Honekamp, Cornelius Patt, Sven Rittau, Florian Seubert, and Philipp Freiherr von Wilmowsky.
Products and positioning
Pan-European specialist online retailer offering broad pet-product selection, convenient delivery, private-label value, and recurring-purchase services.
Pet food
Dog and cat food
The core assortment includes dry food, wet food, treats, snacks, and specialist diets for dogs and cats. zooplus sells products from external manufacturers as well as its own brands, and can adapt pack sizes or selection to national market preferences.
Pet food and care
Small-animal, bird, fish, and reptile supplies
The platform serves animals beyond cats and dogs with food and care products for rodents, birds, fish, and reptiles. The category supports zooplus’s specialist positioning and broadens the range available through one online destination.
Pet supplies
Pet accessories
Accessories include beds, toys, leashes, collars, harnesses, grooming products, cages, habitats, aquarium equipment, and other animal-care goods. In 2021, zooplus removed selected accessories considered problematic from an animal-welfare perspective.
Private label
zooplus private-label brands
The private-label portfolio includes Briantos, Cosma, Purizon, Smilla, and Wolf of Wilderness. These brands cover different animal types, price points, and nutritional positions, giving zooplus additional control over assortment and differentiation.
Digital retail service · 2022
Digital loyalty and subscription services
zooplus has developed a loyalty proposition, an updated mobile application, and subscription or recurring-order functionality. These services are designed around the regular replenishment cycle of pet food and other consumables.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017E-commerce service-quality recognition
Germany
zooplus ranked first in the Institute for Retail Research Cologne study titled Success Factors in E-Commerce, based on customer assessments of usability, assortment, value, service, payment, and delivery.
Outcome. Top-ranked among the 79 participating online shops.
Brand decisions
2022
Expand digital retention and recurring-purchase servicesStrategyBackground
Following the ownership transition and leadership change, zooplus sought to deepen customer relationships and increase the usefulness of its digital platform.
Action taken
The company broadened its assortment and introduced or updated a loyalty program, mobile app, and subscription model.
Aftermath
These initiatives reinforced the company’s focus on recurring pet-care purchases and digital customer retention.
2021
Remove selected animal-welfare-sensitive accessoriesStrategyBackground
The company reviewed products regarded as problematic from an animal-welfare perspective.
Action taken
zooplus removed the relevant accessories from its online platforms across all countries.
Aftermath
The decision formed part of the retailer’s assortment and responsible-commerce policy.
2021
Accept a private-equity takeoverM&ABackground
zooplus became the subject of competing acquisition offers from groups associated with Hellman & Friedman and EQT.
Action taken
The bidders ultimately joined behind an offer of €480 per share, leading to a change of ownership and a long-term strategic agreement.
Aftermath
The company was delisted and became privately held in January 2022.
Takeover offer per share. €480 (2021)
Recent events
Reported
GXO announces multiyear contract and fulfillment center for Zooplus[3]
GXO announced a new multiyear contract with Zooplus and said it is designing and building an automated fulfillment center in Bor, Czech Republic, for the retailer. Operations at the new center were expected to start in the third quarter.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
KKR terminates takeover offer discussions with zooplus[4]
KKR terminated discussions regarding a potential voluntary public takeover offer for zooplus. zooplus said KKR had decided not to pursue the discussions further in light of recent developments.
Sources4 sources
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