Unconditional entered into a strategic partnership in the Adria region with the German Fressnapf, a leading European retailer

Unconditional recognized Fressnapf as a strong and reliable partner that will initially invest as a minority but strong shareholder in the expansion of the group in Croatia and neighboring countries.

– Our joint investment covering the markets in Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria is the next logical step towards achieving our vision, namely our passion and unconditional commitment to caring for all our clients: pets, their owners, B2B clients, and other pet professionals – stated Edvard Varda, the owner of the company that currently employs 300 employees.

Since its establishment in 1974 with one pet store in Split, Unconditional has grown into a company operating 30 pet stores in Croatia under the ZOOCITY brand and supplies over 1,000 pet stores, veterinary clinics, and farms in the region.

Varda is confident that the know-how, experience, and collaboration with the Fressnapf group will contribute to even better pet care, adding: „maintaining the success of the existing business model, as well as the extensive resources provided by the Fressnapf group, creates space for accelerated growth in pet care, as well as the business of our B2B clients in local markets“.

The consolidation of pet stores, establishing and strengthening leadership across the European market, and in perspective, strengthening the ecosystem for pet owners are central goals of the Fressnapf group.

– Edvard Varda is an exceptional entrepreneur with expertise and a local network of pet shops, leading a passionate team in the Adria region. After a very good experience in the partnership and distribution of our private label assortment, we are now intensifying our collaboration to achieve market leadership in Southeast Europe through accelerated expansion together. Edvard Varda contributes with well-developed local entrepreneurship and expertise in B2B distribution, while we contribute with our expertise in store formats, online and omnichannel concepts, and strong exclusive brands. We leverage the strong economic power of the Fressnapf group for joint and accelerated growth – emphasizes Fressnapf owner Torsten Toeller.

Fressnapf and Maxi Zoo are currently active in eleven countries with over 1,800 outlets and online stores employing around 16,000 employees, generating more than three billion euros in sales revenue, and plans to enter the Romanian market directly by the end of the second half of this year.

The Unconditional business model and the partnership with existing suppliers will remain unchanged in this joint venture endeavor. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the amount of investment and shares, and there are no legal changes regarding any existing obligations.

– Strong business growth, particularly the expansion of the retail network in Croatia and Slovenia, means hiring more than 100 new colleagues annually over the next few years, thus significantly contributing to local communities and providing employees with an excellent perspective for personal growth, impact, and achievement – emphasizes Varda.