In an effort to boost its foothold in European markets, U.K. pet food maker Burgess Pet Care has announced the takeover of Germany's Bunny Nature.
"We have acquired Bunny Nature, a well-established German small animal nutrition brand with strong international reach" Burgess Pet Care said in a statement. "This marks our largest international deal to date and a major step forward in our global growth plans — growing our international business five-fold overnight."
The Yorkshire-based pet food producer called the acquisition "a significant milestone" in its development.
The takeover "brings together two science-led businesses with shared values in animal health and nutrition under one group, creating new opportunities to grow, innovate and reach more pet owners worldwide," according to the U.K. business. "Importantly, Bunny Nature will continue as a distinct brand, with its leadership team and customer relationships unchanged."
The value of the acquisition was not disclosed in the statement.
Burgess Pet Care says that its portfolio includes a wide range of pet food products for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, gerbils, rats, ferrets and other small animals.
"Burgess is an independent family-run business based in Thornton-le-Dale," according to the British company. "We are one of the U.K.'s leading animal food manufacturers, catering for the country's top nine most popular animals."
Bunny Nature is based in Melle, a city located in the Osnabrück district of Germany's state of Lower Saxony.
Bunny Nature said it is a company that was founded out of love for animals. "Our objective was and still is to produce the ideal healthy food for small mammals, corresponding exactly to their original habitats and the needs of the animals," according to the German brand.
Bunny Nature's product range includes basic nutrition for rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and small rodents, as well as snacks, hay, accessories and other products, as indicated by data from the brand.
Finnish pet care business acquires Gaston stores, eyes partnership with Swedish retailer
Finland's pet care specialist Musti Group has announced that the company is in talks with Swedish retailer ICA to form a long-term partnership following the transfer of ICA's Gaston stores to the Finnish business.
"Following a strategic review, ICA is transferring the three Gaston stores in Uppsala, Västerås and Norrköping to Sweden's largest pet retail chain, Arken Zoo, fully owned by Musti Group," the company7 said in a statement. "At the same time, discussions have been initiated regarding continued cooperation."
The Finnish company said that the Gaston brand was launched in October 2024 as a pilot project designed to test a specialized retail concept and enhance the "understanding of how ICA can best meet the needs of pet owners. Following the evaluation, ICA has decided not to continue operating the concept itself and will instead transfer the stores to Arken Zoo, an established player with extensive experience in the pet market."
Alongside Arken Zoo's takeover of the Gaston stores in Uppsala, Västerås and Norrköping, Musti Group has initiated a dialogue "regarding a long-term collaboration between ICA and Arken Zoo, through which the companies can jointly develop the offering and explore additional locations where complementary pet retail concepts can be established near ICA stores, creating attractive shopping destinations," according to the statement.
Earlier this year, Musti Group reported double-digit growth for 2025 as the company's annual net sales increased to €508.9 million (US$601.7 million), up 14.4% compared with a year earlier. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the firm's net sales expanded by 14.6% to €140 million, with the strongest quarterly increase posted in the Norwegian market, at 17.6% sales growth, followed by Sweden at 7.1% and the Finnish market at 3.2%, according to company figures.
Musti Group is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. The company is an offshoot of Sonae Group, a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Portugal.
French pet food industry reports steady results for 2025
France's pet food industry association FACCO has released its 2026 market report, saying that a total output of around 1.844 million metric tons was manufactured by local companies last year. Of these, around 52% were sold in the French market, and the remainder was exported to various destinations abroad.
In 2025, French pet food production totaled around €4.8 billion (US$5.5 billion), according to data FACCO collected from its member entities.
With the aim to upgrade and expand their manufacturing capacities, local pet food industry players invested around €225 million in R&D and their production facilities, the report said.
Supermarket chains remain the main channel for both cat and dog food sales, at 68% and 51%, respectively. Pet food stores capture 23% and 34% of these two product categories, while online sales represent 21% and 28% of the total, respectively, as indicated by figures from the association.
