Career changes in e-commerce are often very personally motivated. This was also the case for Sascha Kostelecky when he saved a dog from certain death.
It all starts with a coincidence. Sascha Kostelecky rescues the male boxer Ernesto from imminent death in a killing station in Nitra, Austria, and takes him in privately. After a short time, he realizes that the dog has dramatic health problems and intolerances to the usual, conventional pet food.
In his search for alternative and healthy dog food, Sascha Kostelecky intensively examines the topic of species-appropriate nutrition for dogs. He quickly discovers that the supposedly high demand is not matched by an adequate supply for affected dog owners – neither online nor offline.
The business idea is born. Together with his girlfriend and current business partner Birgit Neubauer, he draws up an initial business concept for the dog delicatessen.
While still in the planning phase, the two were advised by the Viennese communications agency content creators to use the free merchandise management system JTL-Wawi and the matching store solution JTL-Shop to build up their business and be prepared for the future.
For Birgit Neubauer and Sascha Kostelecky, this combination seems ideal because they can now launch their online retail start-up without any major investments or risks.
Now an established address for dog lovers throughout Austria:
Der Hundefeinkostladen from Vienna
Web agency and JTL service partner based in Mannheim since 2014. go eCommerce holds all JTL certificates. Contact for consulting & strategy, template development, system integration and process optimization.
The dog delicatessen takes shape
The Kostelecky/Neubauer duo worked for almost a year on the concept and implementation with JTL-Shop and the merchandise management system JTL-Wawi. They developed a marketing strategy and took care of the company’s public image. In April 2013, tierLADENSinCity GmbH was finally founded and around two months later, in June 2013, the online store hundefeinkostladen.at presented its product range for the first time.
Birgit Neubauer is responsible for the entire installation and setup of the merchandise management system as well as the planning, implementation and content design of the store. Only the template for the JTL store was created by the content creators agency from Vienna.
From the very beginning, Birgit Neubauer and Sascha Kostelecky have pursued a dual strategy when selling their product range. The online sales on hundefeinkostladen.at are regularly flanked by a weekly warehouse sale. The fresh meat food products from their own Nesto’s brand in particular, but also wet and dry food from other manufacturers, are sold very well during these offline sales.
Direct contact with customers has always been important to us – which is why stock sales have been on our agenda from the very beginning.
The weekly container sales, in particular, are where newly qualified dog food expert Birgit Neubauer experiences time and again how important personal advice and direct contact with customers are.
Initially, the dog food store stocked 80 products in 190 variations, including nutritional supplements for dogs and accessories such as leads, collars etc. In addition to the weekly stock sale, the fresh meat food is delivered by delivery service in Vienna and the surrounding area after being ordered in the online store.
The dry food range and accessories, on the other hand, are sent by post throughout Austria right from the start.
The dog delicatessen also offers its delicacies in stationary stores
Online and offline sales are strengthened in equal measure.
Especially when it comes to products that require explanation and consideration of the customer’s individual situation, nothing can replace a personal conversation.
For this reason, just four months later, in October 2013, the stationary dog delicatessen was opened as a store in Vienna’s 21st district. The dog delicatessen now stocks 200 products in 450 variations.
The rapid development also surprised Birgit Neubauer. “Our expectations were exceeded – there was actually a huge demand for conscious, healthy and species-appropriate nutrition for dogs. We had inquiries from all over Austria, but for a long time we were only able to deliver our fresh meat food in and around Vienna.”
This gap in online delivery can be closed a good year later. Thanks to a special cooperation with the Austrian postal service, which guarantees delivery between 24 and 48 hours, it was finally able to deliver nationwide. The trick: if the frozen goods have a minimum weight of 12 kg, they remain frozen for up to 48 hours in special, well-insulated containers thanks to the self-cooling effect.
Expansion and improvement of functionalities in the JTL store
Birgit Neubauer describes herself as a perfectionist and is rarely satisfied with what she achieves. “There’s always room for improvement. After two years, I wanted to take our online store to the next level. I got professional help from JTL service partner go eCommerce,” explains Neubauer.
“I already knew Andrea Minolts beforehand and she knew our store and our business. I think you could say that Andrea and I are a perfect team. I had acquired a lot of expertise in JTL software over the past few years and Andrea, as a JTL Premium Partner, contributed her part to the collaboration”.
As part of a planned relaunch, the store template will be relaunched within three months and the structure and functionality of the store will be revised. The appealing design and the tried-and-tested look that is popular with customers will largely be retained. The store now has an even clearer, simpler structure, clearly arranged categories and a wide range of options for customers to filter products according to their needs.
Well and wittily designed marketing banners are also well received by customers
Focus on usability & service
“Of course, a particular focus is on usability. For example, we have introduced the option of repeat orders via one-click, which allows regular customers to quickly reorder their tried and tested food,” explains Sascha Kostelecky.
Vouchers for the online store as an ideal advertising medium in the offline segment
In addition, the store is now much better equipped for use on mobile devices. Another new feature is a configurator, which makes it much easier to select suitable dog collars, for example, and makes the shopping process much friendlier for customers.
Rising demand and controlled growth
The signs at Hundefeinkostenladen.at are still pointing to expansion. The reorganization and adjustments to the store and webshop have been successful and have significantly increased popularity and demand. Today, the Hundefeinkostladen stocks around 500 food products in 900 varieties, plus around 2000 additional products in the accessories section.
The Nesto’s own brand in particular provides variety in the food bowl with sophisticated mixtures, and there are now also products for cats in the range. Together with nutritionists and trainers, the dog delicatessen is constantly developing into a competence center for dog owners and lovers.
Continuous expansion of the product range also strengthens customer loyalty
Birgit Neubauer and Sascha Kostelecky are certain: without JTL software, they would never have started the Hundefeinkostladen project. JTL software offers small retailers in particular ideal opportunities to get started with the free merchandise management system JTL-Wawi and the Community Free Edition of the modern JTL store, which is also freely available.
Looking positively to the future: the employees of the dog delicatessen
The architecture of the software offers optimal ways to grow step by step. If you need more, you get more – both from the JTL product world and from the services offered by the competent service partner network.
“I was a career changer at the time, without any knowledge of e-commerce. The JTL products are so intuitive to use and logically structured that even a layperson like me found it easy to get started in the world of merchandise management and the store,” summarizes the current dog food expert and successful online retailer.
Now that the LS-POS POS system for JTL-Wawi has been successfully introduced in the stationary store by service partner Luwosoft, the next steps are on the agenda. In the coming year, the conversion of the shipping processes to the warehouse management system JTL-WMS is planned in cooperation with go eCommerce. At the same time, several additional stores are to be added in Vienna and throughout Austria. We wish you every success!
Tasks
System decision software
Strengthen user-friendliness & usability
Linking online & offline sales
Solutions with JTL
Software solutions from a single source for all professional e-commerce requirements
Excellently designable, responsive store template for your own website
Integration of LS-POS as a POS solution with JTL-Wawi
Achievements
Cost-effective and flexible entry
Satisfied customers with a high level of identification
Paraller stationary & online sales via central merchandise management
