VAFO Group bought Berlin DTC brand Pets Deli and plans to double its revenue by 2030

Pets Deli currently generates approximately €40 million ($46.1M) in annual revenue, and VAFO Group aims to double that figure by 2030, the Czech manufacturer said in announcing the acquisition of the Berlin-based direct-to-consumer pet food brand.

The 40 million euro base and what VAFO is buying

Pets Deli operates through a direct-to-consumer model and on Amazon, selling wet food, dry food, raw feeding options, snacks, and specialized supplements for dogs and cats. The brand was founded by Tania Moser and positions itself around healthy nutrition tailored to individual pets.

VAFO Group Chairman Pavel Bouška called Pets Deli "a strong brand, close to consumers, with a clear digital mindset and significant growth potential." The company said the acquisition fits its strategy to strengthen its position in Germany, where the German Pet Trade and Industry Association reported the pet industry recorded almost €7 billion ($8.1B) in total sales in 2025.

The deal gives VAFO a consumer-facing brand with established demand but no legacy retail relationships. Pets Deli's product portfolio will be integrated into VAFO's operations, with the stated aim of strengthening direct customer relationships and capitalizing on growing consumer demand for premium, health-focused pet nutrition.

The manufacturing integration timeline VAFO will not commit to

VAFO told GlobalPETS that the integration of Pets Deli's manufacturing and sourcing operations into its facilities will be gradual, and that it is too early to define a specific timeline. The company said its initial focus will be on identifying opportunities to complement and strengthen Pets Deli's existing range with products and capabilities already available within VAFO Group.

Given the brand's relatively broad product portfolio, the integration of production "will therefore be a gradual process rather than an immediate transition," the company said, allowing VAFO to assess how its manufacturing and sourcing capabilities can best support the brand while maintaining its existing portfolio.

Pets Deli Managing Director and COO Pascal Haenle said the acquisition means "better products" for customers, delivered "faster, and at a stronger margin, without ever compromising on the quality they trust us for." Haenle added that "VAFO gives us operational firepower we couldn't have built on our own."

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The European expansion plan and the markets VAFO has not named

VAFO said it will explore opportunities to expand Pets Deli into other European markets and territories where it sees strong potential, but that it is too early to name specific markets. "Our priority is to further strengthen the brand and identify the markets where its D2C model has the greatest potential for successful growth," the company said.

The acquisition follows VAFO's 2025 purchase of AZAN, one of Poland's largest pet food distributors, after a nearly 30-year partnership. That earlier buyout strengthened VAFO's distribution network across the Czech, Slovak, and Polish markets. In early 2026, VAFO restructured its operations into three distinct entities (VAFO Praha, VAFO Production, and VAFO Private Labels) to streamline operations and focus on reaching a revenue target of €1 billion ($1.2B) by 2029.

VAFO told GlobalPETS that it is continuing to evaluate M&A opportunities that make strategic sense for the company and can support its long-term growth.

Our read on the DTC-to-specialty bet

The plan to double revenue by 2030 means VAFO expects the brand to add roughly its current annual revenue again over the next four years. That growth could come from expanding Pets Deli's existing DTC and Amazon channels, from entering new European markets with the same model, or from adding specialty retail distribution that the brand has not prioritized to date.

The announcement does not show which of those three paths VAFO plans to prioritize, or whether the company intends to protect Pets Deli's DTC pricing when it begins selling through distributors and stores. A DTC brand entering specialty retail typically faces a choice: maintain DTC prices and risk channel conflict, or offer retail-exclusive SKUs at different price points. VAFO has not said which route it will take.

For an independent pet retailer, a proven DTC brand with established consumer demand may make a better or worse shelf partner than a legacy brand with existing retail relationships. The outcome depends on whether VAFO uses its manufacturing scale to hit specialty price points that pure DTC economics never allowed, or whether the brand's Amazon presence undercuts the store's margin before the product even arrives.

Watch for the first specialty distributor announcement and the pricing that comes with it. That will show whether this acquisition opens a new brand to your shelf or just funds a competitor's expansion.

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