MyPetStory has been on the market since June 2021, but the year 2024 will surely be remembered as one of the most important for them. At the beginning of this year, specifically on January 17, the Polish brand MyPetStory began its expansion into foreign markets. In which countries can we use MyPetStory? What has changed? What are their plans for the future? We will discuss all of this with Piotr Łuczka, CEO of My Pet Story Sp. z o.o.

ZooBranża Magazine: For those who haven’t seen it yet, could you tell us about the possibilities offered by the MyPetStory app?

Piotr Łuczka: The MyPetStory app is designed for Pet Parents and Animal Lovers, but it’s also a B2B platform for the zoological and veterinary industry. We’ve created a single, easily accessible place where Animal Lovers, especially Pet Owners and Breeders, will find everything that matters most to them. With the free MyPetStory app, which can be downloaded to any smartphone, users can create a profile for their Pet (similar to Facebook); they’ll receive reminders about important dates, such as rabies vaccination and deworming; they’ll learn about the latest products for their pet; they can avail of special offers and discounts; they can join loyalty programs at nearby pet stores; they’ll learn how to care for their pets; they can help shelter animals in need; and they can participate in contests and events.

ZooBranża: You mentioned that MyPetStory is also a B2B panel for the industry. What exactly does that mean?

P.Ł.: The MyPetStory panel is the heart of the entire application and a place for B2B offers exchange for businesses. Our goal is for every pet store, veterinary clinic, grooming salon, and pet hotel, as well as manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors in Poland, and in the future, in other countries, to be registered on MyPetStory. Registration itself is free, and through it, stores will benefit from special offers prepared by manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers, all in one place.

MyPetStory is an application designed not only for pet parents and animal enthusiasts, but it is also a platform for the zoological and veterinary industry, facilitating sales in both B2B and B2C channels.

ZooBranża: Where did the idea for the MyPetStory panel come from? I don’t think there has ever been such a solution on the Polish market before?

P.Ł.: There hasn’t been such a solution, and it was precisely the pet stores, mainly brick-and-mortar ones, that inspired the creation of the MyPetStory app. For many years, I’ve been in contact with small neighborhood pet stores and heard that they need support, especially in digital channels. So, together with my late partner, Paweł Zarzyński, we decided to create an app that could use as their own, allowing them to invite Pet Owners in their area for shopping and create a loyalty program and promotional activities for a symbolic amount. Currently, I observe how the situation in the retail market is changing, and I know we’re heading in the right direction.

ZooBranża: So, integrating the app can strengthen a store’s position?

P.Ł.: Definitely. Our goal is for the store to regularly increase its reach among Pet Owners with the MyPetStory app and, consequently, increase sales. Registration is free and its location will be marked on the map with contact details, and app users will easily find it through the drive-to-store navigation service. As part of the subscription, which starts from 59 PLN net per month, the store gains many benefits, including a “coupon” package to regularly inform about news, discounts, promotions, and events in the store. One click allows them to publish any offer to all 100,000 MyPetStory mobile app users or to a precisely selected group of people, e.g., owners of specific dog breeds or people near the store.

With MyPetStory, stores can switch from traditional leaflets and loyalty cards into a smart all-in-one app, that can record the value and frequency of purchases by customer ID, offering an engaging customer shopping experience.

ZooBranża: What about manufacturers?

P.Ł.: The MyPetStory panel is also a great place for manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers. With the app, they can reach up to 100,000 Pet Owners, informing them about their news through personalized “coupons.” Additionally, there are B2B offers addressed to pet stores, veterinary clinics, grooming salons, hotels, and breeders, which provides great support for sales departments.

Since the beginning of this year, we’ve been offering our clients more opportunities, such as native articles created by experts, presentations, or events. A hit is personalized mailing to Pet Owners of selected species or breeds using their names. It achieves twice the “open rate” compared to regular newsletters.

At the beginning of this year, we launched international B2B cooperation in MyPetStory, thanks to which we help Polish manufacturers find distributors in other markets. Initially, we entered the Italian market, and every manufacturer as part of the cooperation can publish offers to local pet stores there.

ZooBranża: Does this mean MyPetStory is expanding into foreign markets?

P.Ł.: On January 17 of this year, the app was launched in the Italian market and we celebrate first success abroad. At the ZooMark trade fair in Bologna, Italy, the app receive second place in the PETVISION 2023 competition among products that fit current trends. In Italy, within the first two weeks, over 1000 users downloaded the MyPetStory app. We also established cooperation with one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the Italian market, Monge. In 2023, the MyPetStory company also participated in the PATS trade fair in Telford and Superzoo in Las Vegas. We also participated in the NCBR NAP Nevada Acceleration Program to better prepare for the American market under the guidance of mentors from Nevada. In turn, in May, the company will participate in trade fairs in Nuremberg, where the English and German versions of the app will premiere.

ZooBranża: That sounds great, what else do you plan for the future besides appearing in foreign markets?

P.Ł.: There are many plans and ideas, but we don’t want to reveal them here. One of our priorities at the moment is to acquire as many pet stores, manufacturers and Pet Parents as possible and provide an engaging community for them. We also want these to be long-term relationships, so we’re constantly improving MyPetStory and working on functionalities that affect the achievement of our clients’ goals.

ZooBranża: Thank you for your time and we wish you all the best forward!