PetQuip is organising a meet-the-buyer event to bring trade purchasers from Belgium, Denmark and Sweden into direct contact with British suppliers of pet care products. This is a great opportunity for you to hold one-to-one meetings with overseas buyers looking for new products from the UK. It’s also a hugely cost-effective way of getting your goods and services in front of an international audience.

We have three companies for you to meet on this occasion: a garden centre operator from Belgium, a wholesaler from Denmark, and a retail chain from Sweden.

To request a meeting with one or all of them, please complete and return the linked application form by Wednesday 9 March. We will contact you soon after with confirmation of the meeting slots that have been allocated to you.

Format of the day

The event begins at 8.30am with meet-the-buyer sessions each lasting about 25 minutes. They will continue through the day, with the last one being at around 4.30pm. Each meeting will give you an opportunity to present your company and products to the buyer on a one-to-one basis and to supply brochures and other information.

Participating trade buyers

Aveve

www.aveve.be

With an annual turnover of €1 billion and 1,600 employees, Aveve is Belgium’s leading agricultural and horticultural trading group. Aveve also operates Belgium’s largest garden centre chain, with 205 outlets in Flanders, 36 in Wallonia and a further six in The Netherlands. While most of these garden centres are franchised, 53 are company owned. Since 2005, 55 per cent of Aveve’s retail outlets have been newly built or completely renovated and further investment is in the pipeline.

Aveve garden centres specialise in three product categories: garden, pet care and home baking. The rural Aveve outlets, which have an average size of 400 square metres, sell lawn and garden care products, pottery, animal and pet care supplies, and everything for home baking. The larger, 1,250 square metre Aveve Plus stores, located in city areas or retail parks, also offer garden furniture, barbecues, lawnmowers and plants.

Aveve’s buyers for pet care are attending and are looking for innovative accessories (they are less interested in food).

Meldgaard Engros A/S

www.engrosfoder.dk www.meldgaard.com

Established in 1999, Meldgaard Engros A/S is today a leading Danish wholesaler of pet care products. The company initially focused on pet food but has now expanded its range to include equipment, accessories and care products for dogs, cats, small mammals, caged and wild birds and aquarium fish; a total of over 4,000 items. It already works with leading suppliers such as Versele-Laga, Zolux, IPTS, Aquarieland, Pointer, Foolee, Sunny-Pet, Catry, Tropical and many more.

Meldgaard Engros supplies independent pet shops and pet retail chains all over Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Its modern warehouse and logistics system mean it can supply retailers in any part of these countries within 48 hours. Meldgaard Engros is part of the Meldgaard group which also has interests in refuse collection, recycling, transport and hydraulics. It has 7,488 square metres of warehousing and more than 500 employees.

The buyers from Meldgaard Engros are looking for equipment, accessories and care products for dogs, cats, small mammals, caged and wild birds to add to their range.

Djurens Värld

www.djurens-varld.se

Djurens Värld is a Swedish cooperative chain of 34 independently owned and operated pet shops.  Its target is to grow to at least 40 outlets by the end of 2011. Member stores benefit from central purchasing, joint marketing (there is a Djurens Värld customer club with magazine), training and the exchange of ideas and advice. The product range includes food, care and accessories for dogs, cats, small mammals and birds and also encompasses aquatics. Djurens Värld sells some lines under its own brand name and, in conjunction with a Swedish designer, has recently launched an exclusive collection of leashes and collars for dogs that are available as a limited edition exclusively at Djurens Värld.

The buyer from Djurens Värld is seeking accessories for dogs, cats, small mammals and birds. She is not looking for dog or cat food. She is particularly interested in companies that can offer private label merchandise as she wants to add more items to the Djurens Värld own brand portfolio.

The venue