Pet Network International (“PNI” or the “Company”), a portfolio company of A&M Capital Europe (“AMCE”), a London-based middle-market private equity firm with €650 million of assets under management, has acquired Zoo Group Stefanov (“ZGS”) and Zvjerinjak, two prominent omnichannel pet care retailers based in Bulgaria and Croatia, respectively.
Founded in 2009, ZGS has a leading position in the attractive and high growth Bulgarian pet care market, trading under the Dr. Stefanov banner, which is widely recognised across Bulgaria for its outstanding product selection and customer service. ZGS operates 29 stores across Bulgaria and a highly successful ecommerce platform. PNI will combine its current operations in Bulgaria, including 5 stores, with ZGS, and will consolidate the store estate under the Dr. Stefanov banner and focus on its continued omnichannel growth.
Founded in 2013, Zvjerinjak operates 6 stores in Zagreb and will substantially bolster PNI’s presence in Croatia’s capital city through the addition of several sites with established customer bases and limited overlap with the existing PNI store estate. Zvjerinjak stores will be converted to PNI’s Pet Centar banner.
Following the closing of PNI in September 2021, these acquisitions strengthen the Company’s position as a leading omnichannel pet care retailer across all of its five markets in Southeast Europe.
AMCE and PNI were advised by Wolf Theiss, Savoric & Partners and Dickson Minto as legal advisers, and Deloitte as accounting and tax adviser.
About PNI
Headquartered in Croatia, PNI is a leading omnichannel pet care retailer across five countries in Southeast Europe. PNI operates over 200 directly owned stores as well as eCommerce platforms in Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria, under the banners Animax, Pet Centar, Maxi Pet, Mr. Pet and Dr. Stefanov, selling pet food, treats, accessories as well as a growing offering of value-add services such as grooming and veterinary advisory services.
About A&M Capital Europe
AMCE is a pan-European, London-headquartered, middle-market private equity firm specialising in providing strategic and operational support to growing European businesses. AMCE Fund I currently has €650 million of assets under management, and Zvjerinjak and ZGS represent AMCE’s twelfth and thirteenth transactions respectively. More broadly, AMCE is part of Alvarez & Marsal Capital, a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over €4.2 billion in total assets under management across four investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally focused advisory firms in the world. For additional information, please visit A&M Capital’s website atwww.a-mcapital.com.
