Pet Product Retail and Internet Shopping Trends, 5th Edition
In the wake of pet care (especially pet food) price inflation, affordability is in the limelight, with retailers and e-tailers focusing on value to attract shoppers and compete for customer loyalty. In the short term, the foremost opportunity for pet retailers will be to help pet owners navigate tough economic times by offering new products to facilitate DIY pet care, value-priced products including private labels, and flexible payment options. Related strategic opportunities discussed in this report include customer reward programs, automatic ordering services, and direct-to-consumer sales.
This report focuses on retail and e-commerce sales and pet product shopping patterns in the US. The analysis includes topline sales and channel quantification for pet foods/treats and non-food pet supplies, with separate focus chapters on pet food and on pet medications (excluding supplements). Veterinary channel product sales are noted in context, particularly for the pet medications category. Retail sales of pet products will reach $98 billion in 2024, although the 2024 growth rate is down from COVID-19 and inflation-fueled gains in 2021 through 2023. Breaking out retail sales by product sector, pet food/treats account for 69% of the total.
CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
Figure 1-1. National Map by State, Geographic Region, and Census Region
MARKET OVERVIEW
Table 1-1. US Retail Sales of Pet Products: Overall and by Pet Food/Treats vs. Non-Food Pet Supplies,2019 – 2024P and 2028P (billion dollars)
OPPORTUNITIES
CHAPTER 2: MARKET SALES OVERVIEW
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
MARKET SIZE AND GROWTH
Sales Growth at 3% in 2024
Table 2-1. US Retail Sales of Pet Products: Overall and by Pet Food/Treats vs. Non-Food Pet Supplies,2019 – 2024P and 2028P (billion dollars)
Table 2-2. US Retail Sales Growth for Pet Products: Overall and by Pet Food/Treats vs. Non-Food PetSupplies, 2019 – 2024P (percent)
E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar Retail Sales
Figure 2-1. Retail Dollar Gains in E-Commerce Sales of Pet Products, 2019 – 2024P (billions)
Figure 2-2. Retail Dollar Shares of Pet Product Sales: E-commerce vs. Brick & Mortar, 2019 – 2024Pand 2028P (percent)
Table 2-3. Pet Product Retail Sales and Shares: E-commerce vs. Brick & Mortar, 2019 – 2024P and2028P (billion dollars, percent growth, and percent share)
Pet Specialty vs. All Other Sales
Retail Channel Pet Product Sales and Shares
Table 2-4a. Retail Sales of Pet Products: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick &
Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (billion dollars)
Table 2-4b. Dollar Sales Growth Rate for Pet Products: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar,and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2020 – 2024P and 2028P (annual percentages and multi-yearCAGRs)
Table 2-4c. Retail Dollar Shares for Pet Products: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (percent)
Retail Pet Food Sales and Shares
Figure 2-3. Retail Pet Food Product Dollar Shares: E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar, 2019 – 2024P and
Table 2-5a. Retail Sales of Pet Food/Treats: Overall E-Commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick &
Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (billion dollars)
Table 2-5b. Dollar Sales Growth Rate for Pet Food/Treats: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick &
Mortar, and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (annual percentages and
multi-year CAGRs)
Table 2-5c. Retail Dollar Shares for Pet Food/Treats: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and
Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (percent)
Retail Non-Food Pet Supplies Sales and Shares
Figure 2-4. Retail Pet Supply Product (Non-Food) Dollar Shares: E-commerce vs. Brick & Mortar, 2019– 2024P and 2028P
Table 2-6a. Retail Sales of Non-Food Pet Supply Products: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (billion dollars)
Table 2-6b. Dollar Sales Growth Rate for Non-Food Pet Supply Products: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (annual percentages and multi-year CAGRs)
Table 2-6c. Retail Dollar Shares for Non-Food Pet Supplies: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (percent)
CHAPTER 3: COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
THE PET INDUSTRY OMNIMARKET
Omnimarket vs. Omnichannel
Figure 3-1. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with the Statement, “My pet product shopping patterns are ‘all of the above’”, 2024 (percent)
Figure 3-2. Level of Agreement with the Statement, “I Like the Idea of Getting Pet Products and Services at the Same Place”: Overall and by Generation, 2024 (percent of pet owners)
Figure 3-3. Level of Agreement with the Statement, “I Like the Idea of Using a Smartphone App to Manage/Keep Track of Pet Services”: Overall and by Generation, 2024 (percent of pet owners)
Figure 3-4. Level of Agreement with the Statement, “I Like the Idea of Having a Single Smartphone
App for Pet Care, Including Pet Products and Pet Services”: Overall and by Generation, 2024(percent of pet owners)
Pet Industry Reset
Wellness as Omnimarket Driver
Keeping Up with the Kingpins
Figure 3-5. Share of Pet Product Customers With a Household Income of $150,000 or More: By Leading Retailers and Channels, 2024 (percent)
THE COMPETITION TOOLBOX
Consumer Priorities in Choosing Pet Retailers
Table 3-1. Especially Important Considerations in Choosing Where to Buy Pet Products, 2024 (percent of pet product shoppers)
Affordability in the Limelight
Figure 3-6. Agreement with the Statement, “For Pet Care Products, I’m Price and Affordability
Conscious”: By Generation, 2024 (percent of pet owners)
Sales as Bargaining Chips for Customers
Figure 3-7. Agreement with the Statement, “I Will Gladly Switch Brands to Use a Coupon”: By
Generation, 2024 (percent of pet owners completely or somewhat agreeing)
Table 3-2. Sales and Promotion Psychographics: By Generation, 2024 (percent of adults overall and pet owners completely or somewhat agreeing)
Navigating Pet Product Price Inflation
Figure 3-8. Share of Pet Owners Facing Significant Challenges Due to High Cost of Pet Food: By Generation, 2024 (percent)
New Success with Store Brands
Table 3-3. Store Brand Usage Rates by Dog or Cat Product Category: By Generation, 2024 (percent of
category purchasers)
Table 3-4. Selected Psychographics Related to Store Brands: Adults Overall vs. Pet Owners, 2024(percent)
Rewards Programs, Store Brands, and Customer Loyalty
Illustration 3-1. PetSmart Treats Loyalty Program
Illustration 3-2. Petco palsrewards
Autoship, Subscribe & Save
Figure 3-9. Share of Online Pet Product Shoppers Who Use Automatic Subscriptions: Overall and by Pet Product Type, 2024 (percent)
Home Delivery, BOPUS, and Curbside
Figure 3-10. Delivery Options Used by Online Pet Product Shoppers, 2024 (percent)
Direct-to-Consumer
Figure 3-11. Share of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Shoppers Purchasing DTC by Pet Product Type, 2024(percent)
Flexible Payment Options
Table 3-5. Use of “Buy Now, Pay Later” Plans Among Pet Owners, 2024 (percent)
AI Making Its Mark
Illustration 3-3. Companion AI Canine Enrichment System
The Retail-ization of Vet and Pet Care Services
Table 3-6. Most Important Sources of Pet Care Information: By Generation, 2024 (percent of pet owners)
CHAPTER 4: FOCUS ON PET FOOD
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
PET FOOD SALES AND SHARES
Retail vs. Veterinary
Table 4-1a. Retail Sales of Pet Food/Treats: Overall, Retail Sector, and Veterinary Sector, 2019 –
2024P and 2028P (billion dollars)
Table 4-1b. Compound Annual Growth Rates for Pet Food/Treats: Overall, Retail Sector, and Veterinary Sector, 2019 – 2024P and 2024P – 2028P (percent)
Retail Sector: E-commerce vs. Brick & Mortar
Figure 4-1. Retail Pet Food Product Dollar Shares: E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar, 2019 – 2024P and2028P
Figure 4-2. Pet Food Dollar Shares by Leading Brick & Mortar Channels, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P(percent)
Table 4-2a. Retail Sales of Pet Food/Treats: Overall E-Commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick &
Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (billion dollars)
Table 4-2b. Dollar Sales Growth Rate for Pet Food/Treats: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick &
Mortar, and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (annual percentages and multi-year CAGRs)
Table 4-2c. Retail Dollar Shares for Pet Food/Treats: Overall E-commerce, Overall Brick & Mortar, and Brick & Mortar by Channel, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P (percent)
CHANNEL SHOPPING PATTERNS
Topline Trends by Leading Channel and Retailers
Table 4-3. Pet Food Shopping Patterns by Channel, 2019 – 2024 (percent of pet owners)
Table 4-4. Pet Food Shopping Patterns by Leading Retailers, 2022 – 2024 (percent of pet owners)
Table 4-5a. Pet Food Shopper Draw of Leading Channel and Retailer Classifications, 2022 – 2024(percent of pet owners)
Table 4-5b. Pet Food Customer Base of Leading Channel and Retailer Classifications, 2022 – 2024(thousand households)
Retail Shopping Skews for Cat-Only Owners
Figure 4-3. Pet Food Retail Shopping Skews Among Pet Owners with Cats but not Dogs, 2024 (index)
Shopping for Pet Food Across Channels and Retailers
Table 4-6. Cross-Shopping Patterns for Pet Food Products by Leading Channels and Retailers, 2024(index)
Competitive Context
Figure 4-4. Changes in Spending Patterns on Pet Food, 2023 vs. First-Half 2024 (percent of pet- owning households)
Table 4-7. Level of Agreement with Statement, “I’m Concerned About Rising Prices for Pet Food”: Pet
Owners Overall and Dog vs. Cat Owners, 2024 (percent of pet product shoppers)
Figure 4-5. Level of Concern About Rising Prices in Consumer Categories, 2024 (percent of pet
owners)
Table 4-8. Changes in Pet Product Shopping Patterns Due to High Prices and Inflation, 2024 (percent of pet product shoppers)
PET FOOD SHOPPER DEMOGRAPHICS
Customer Demographics: Leading Channels and Retailers
Table 4-9. Prime Demographics for Pet Food Shopping: By Leading Channels and Retailers, 2024(index)
Table 4-10a. Pet Food Shopper Demographics: E-Commerce, Mass
Merchandisers/Supercenters/Supermarkets, and Pet Specialty, 2024 (percent)
Table 4-10b. Pet Food Shopper Demographics: Overall, E-Commerce, Mass
Merchandisers/Supercenters/Supermarkets, and Pet Specialty, 2024 (thousands)
Table 4-10c. Pet Food Shopper Demographics: E-Commerce, Mass
Merchandisers/Supercenters/Supermarkets, and Pet Specialty, 2024 (index)
Table 4-11a. Pet Food Shopper Demographics: Walmart, Chewy, Amazon, PetSmart, and Petco, 2024(percent)
Table 4-11b. Pet Food Shopper Demographics: Walmart, Chewy, Amazon, PetSmart, and Petco, 2024(thousands)
Table 4-11c. Pet Food Shopper Demographics: Walmart, Chewy, Amazon, PetSmart, and Petco, 2024(index)
CHAPTER 5: FOCUS ON PET MEDICATIONS
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
PET MEDICATION SALES AND SHARES
Veterinary vs. Retail Sectors
Figure 5-1. Pet Medication Dollar Shares: Veterinary Sector vs. Retail Sector, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P
Table 5-1a. Pet Medication Sales: Overall, Veterinary Sector, and Retail Sector, 2019 – 2024P and2028P (billion dollars)
Table 5-1b. Dollar Sales Growth Rates for Pet Medications: Overall, Veterinary Sector, and Retail Sector, 2020 – 2024P and 2028P (annual percentages and multi-year CAGRS)
Retail Sales Trends: E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar
Figure 5-2. Retail Dollar Shares for Pet Medications: E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P
Table 5-2a. Retail Sales of Pet Medications: E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar, 2019 – 2024P and 2028P(billion dollars)
Table 5-2b. Retail Dollar Sales Growth Rates for Pet Medications: E-Commerce vs. Brick & Mortar,2020 – 2024P and 2028P (annual percentages and multi-year CAGRS)
Competitive Context
Figure 5-3. Share of Customers Purchasing Prescription Pet Medications Online in Last 12 Months,2024 (percent of Rx pet medication purchasers)
Figure 5-4. Draw Among Prescription Pet Medication Customers in Last 12 Months: Selected Online
Pet Pharmacies, 2024 (percent of Rx pet medication purchasers)
PARASITICIDE CHANNEL SHOPPING PATTERNS
MRI-Simmons Flea Control Product Data
Topline Trends by Leading Channel and Retailers
Table 5-3. Flea Control/Parasiticide Shopping Patterns by Channel, 2019 – 2024 (percent of categorypurchasers)
Table 5-4. Flea Control/Parasiticide Shopping Patterns by Leading Retailers, 2022 – 2024 (percent ofcategory purchasers)
Table 5-5a. Flea Control/Parasiticide Customer Base of Leading Channel and Retailer Classifications,2022 – 2024 (percent of category shoppers)
Table 5-5b. Flea Control/Parasiticide Customer Base of Leading Channel and Retailer Classifications,2022 – 2024 (thousand households)
Parasiticide Shopping Patterns for Dog vs. Cat Owners
Figure 5-5. Pet Healthcare Products Considered Most Important: Dog/Not Cat Owners vs. Cat/Not Dog Owners, 2024
Table 5-6. Flea Control/Parasiticide Shopping Patterns by Leading Channels and Retailers: By Dog/Cat
Ownership Classification, 2024 (percent and index)
Shopping for Parasiticides Across Channels and Retailers
Table 5-7. Cross-Shopping Patterns for Flea Control/Parasiticides by Leading Channels and Retailers,2024 (percent)
FLEA CONTROL/PARASITICIDE SHOPPER DEMOGRAPHICS
Customer Demographics: Leading Channels and Retailers
Table 5-8. Prime Demographics for Flea Control/Parasiticide Shopping: By Leading Channels and Retailers, 2024 (index)
Table 5-9a. Flea Control/Parasiticide Shopper Demographics: Overall, Veterinary, E-Commerce, MassnMerchandisers/Supercenters/Supermarkets, and Pet Specialty, 2024 (percent)
Table 5-9b. Flea Control/Parasiticide Shopper Demographics: Overall, E-Commerce, Veterinary, Mass Merchandisers/Supercenters/Supermarkets, and Pet Specialty, 2024 (thousands)
Table 5-9c. Flea Control/Parasiticide Shopper Demographics: Overall, Veterinary, E-Commerce, Mass Merchandisers/Supercenters/Supermarkets, and Pet Specialty, 2024 (index)