Stylish household products, headache-free logistics
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Pengo is a trading company which distributes stylish kitchen and dining room products, as well as home furnishings, leisure goods, storage products, and gifts and seasonal goods. A large proportion of Pengo’s revenue is generated through glass, porcelain and ceramic tableware, cooking pots and pans, plastic food storage containers, and cutlery and kitchen knives.
The portfolio also encompasses decorative products such as vases and display pieces, candle holders, clocks and photo frames, household storage solutions for the wardrobe and bathroom, and summer, winter and Christmas seasonal specialties.
“Pengo designs and imports articles from all over the world,” explains CEO Federico Pengo who, together with his brother, leads the company, which was founded by their father in 1955. “We have developed strong partnerships with all of the most important European and Far Eastern manufacturers. We have become a leading player in the household goods trading sector through our extensive knowledge and experience in meeting the needs of different distribution channels from high-quality retailers to discounters. Our vast portfolio of over 20,000 products allows us to offer goods to suit every price range.”
Pengo’s deep understanding of the retail market has led to the company not only sourcing products from international suppliers around the world, it also adapts the packaging to improve style and functionality, often in accordance with specific client requirements.
“Packaging customization is an important part of our marketing activity,” stresses Mr. Pengo. Pengo supplies a wide range of different retail outlets. Around 60% of its customer base is made up of large supermarket chains such as Auchan, Carrefour, PAM and COOP. A further 30% of its 110 million EUR annual turnover is generated through traditional household shops, and the remaining 10% through sales to hotels, restaurants and the gastronomy sector.
For customers looking for more extensive customization, Pengo not only offers a packaging design service, it is also able to work with clients to develop full and exclusive commercial product ranges, complete with tailored packaging and, if required, with a customized brand name.
We have become a leading player in the household goods trading sector through our extensive knowledge and experience in meeting the needs of different distribution channels. Federico PengoCEO
Pengo also supports its clients in other aspects of marketing too. The company offers customers graphical assistance to create eye-catching brochures and catalogues to support their promotional activities and advertising efforts. It also provides in-store support in terms of optimizing the positioning of goods at the point of sale.
For many of the smaller shops, and indeed the individual stores belonging to the large chains, storage is a constant issue: too many products and too little space. Pengo solves this problem for its customers with its comprehensive logistics service.
“We offer our customers extensive warehouse capacity so that they do not need storage space for the products we supply,” Mr. Pengo elaborates. “With our own in-house fleet of 50 large trucks, we can deliver directly to individual stores flexibly, reliably and punctually.”
Over the decades, Pengo has continually expanded its production, storage and transport capacities. Headquartered in Bassano del Grappa in northeastern Italy, in the last few years, two new subsidiaries have been established: in France, Pengo took over Barbier and in Spain it founded a new company under the name Pengo Spazio Casa. Both are fully equipped with warehouse, marketing and transport logistics capability.
In total, Pengo operates more than 80,000 m² of high-tech warehouse space for its Italian and international clients. “We have always invested in up-to-date and innovative IT to optimize our business and logistics processes, so that we can provide a superb, all-round performance to our customers,” notes Mr. Pengo.
While the majority – up to 70% – of Pengo’s customers are Italian, the company is also experiencing considerable success not only in Spain and France, but also in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. “We are market leader in Italy in our specific sector. In France too, we are recognized as an important market player, and in Spain we are present in the household goods sector,” underlines Mr. Pengo.
So what has been the key to success for this renowned family business? “With our extensive experience, we have gathered significant expertise,” the CEO points out. “We instinctively know which of our suppliers’ products will best suit particular customers, and which distribution channels are preferred by each distinct consumer group. Our customers and partners really appreciate the quality and reliability of our logistics service. In summary, I would say that our product and market knowledge, our strong relationships with partners and clients, and our straightforward way of doing business are our key strengths.”
Mr. Pengo and his brother took over the business from their father more than 40 years ago, and over the years they have seen the company develop beyond recognition. The Pengo Group now employs a total of 330 staff. “We invest heavily in employee training,” says Mr. Pengo. “We have tried to create a great environment, where work is fun and our staff can enjoy working out the best solutions to the day-today challenges.”
As for the future, the main focus is continued progress. “We are very motivated to improve our efficiency and business processes,” Mr. Pengo sums up. “High on our current agenda is further investment in IT to enhance data management processes and optimize our logistics service for even greater customer satisfaction.”
