Bastian Beckers is actually a mechanical engineer. But he was happy to give up his former profession when the dog food business, which he initially ran with his mother “on the side”, became bigger and more successful. Just two years after its foundation, “Dogmondo” can look back on an impressive growth story in which JTL-POS and Zettle play a decisive role.
From garage sale to leading retailer of additive-free dog food
“It all started with selling food in our garage at home,” recalls Bastian. “My mother was a dog breeder. But when the puppies began to suffer more and more from food intolerances and allergies, she became intensively involved with industrial dog food and its composition.”
So Mama Iris quickly became a ‘food expert’ who, after her extensive research, was only able to advise desperate dog owners on one type of dog food: Namely, one without synthetic additives. This gave rise to the idea for “Dogmondo” (the name means “the whole world of dogs”). Bastian and his mother only want to sell 100% natural dog food. And the demand is huge! When the garage became too small, the mother and son team rented a 120 square meter store with its own storage space. Their own online store soon followed. They chose JTL-Shop, where Bastian and his mother now offer more than 1,500 products.
JTL: Hello Bastian. Thank you for taking the time for this interview as a busy young entrepreneur. Which JTL products do you use?
Bastian: Sure, of course! We currently use the JTL-Wawi merchandise management system, which we use to centrally control all other software solutions. We also have JTL-Shop5 for our online presence, JTL-WMS and JTL-WMS Mobile for warehouse management and JTL-Vouchers for selling vouchers in the online store and store. We also use JTL POS as our checkout software and Zettle from PayPal as a payment terminal.
The Dogmondo store comprises 120 square meters of retail space
JTL: Wow, that’s impressive! So you have quite a large range of our products in use.
Bastian: That’s right. And we are super satisfied! Dogmondo has grown so quickly that we needed technical support in many areas. We opted for JTL because the individual products complement each other perfectly and we were able to use the full range of functions straight away despite the low entry-level prices. It really is the perfect software for our multichannel business.
JTL: How did you find the setup of the entire software? Did you have any help with it?
Bastian: No, I took care of the installation and setup myself. With the help of the JTL guide and the JTL forum, it was done after a weekend. With JTL-POS and Zettle from PayPal, it was even quicker: we connected the checkout and Zettle payment terminal to JTL-Wawi in just one afternoon and were then able to invoice and accept payments immediately.
JTL: Were JTL-POS and Zettle the first checkout and payment systems you used?
Bastian: We were already using the Zettle Reader when we opened the store. However, I initially tried two other checkout systems, which I wasn’t at all happy with. We always had to first complete the invoice amount via the cash register, open the Zettle app and enter the amount manually. The checkout process took more than twice as long and there were often problems with the payment, so we had to cancel the receipt.
It was only through the link with JTL-POS that everything finally made sense. JTL-POS sends the outstanding amount and the payment request directly from the JTL app to the Zettle Reader and the receipt is printed automatically as soon as the customer pays.
In the meantime, we have already been approached by several customers and other store owners about the JTL POS and Zettle setup because it works so smoothly.
JTL: That makes us very happy! And we can hear that you don’t want to change in the future either.
Bastian: Absolutely! For us, there are many reasons to use JTL-POS and Zettle: Starting with the low acquisition costs with no basic fees for the Zettle Reader 2 and the streamlined design as well as the diverse expansion options of JTL’s software. This means that we can continue to grow in the future without having to worry about technical details.
Dogmondo also recently expanded its warehouse space
JTL: What are your plans for the future?
Bastian: We are currently on the verge of opening our second store. We have also expanded our storage space. As both our database and JTL Worker run on an external server, all our devices can communicate with each other, regardless of location. The JTL WMS Mobile devices with LTE connection also offer us this practical networking and flexibility. We can use them to pick and transfer stock directly in the yard, especially now that the new warehouses are being set up.
We have also launched a delivery service for BARF food, i.e. raw food, for the Viersen district, which we would like to expand in the future with the help of an app. And we are currently working on our own Dogmondo food brand, which we want to give a permanent place within our multi-channel retail.
JTL: That sounds really exciting. Bastian, we wish you every success and all the best!
Bastian: Thank you very much!
Register now at Zettle and order the Zettle Reader 2 for only 29€*.
*Price excl. VAT for one (1) Zettle Reader 2 per new registration. Regular price of the card reader 79 € excl. Offer only valid while stocks last. Terms and conditions apply. Zettle Dock sold separately. USB charging cable included in the price. A power plug must be purchased separately and is not currently offered by Zettle.
