For The PET Pros — at PetsuppliesIndustry, we deliver full-set insights and trend analysis for pet industry professionals.
Research Overview
The insights below draw on the Nielsen IQ (NIQ) report and other industry sources. NIQ’s research analyses global pet industry scale and regional trends with a focus on the China pet market — from consumption channels, pet-food demand shifts, explosion-product creation and more. The aim: to equip pet supply manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers with actionable product development and marketing direction.
Global Pet Industry Scale & Channel Dynamics
Market Size & Ownership Trends
Global pet industry annual sales are estimated at USD 66 billion (growth +2.1 %) (as per briefing).
Over half of global market value comes from North America; but Europe contributes more than 50% of growth (≈+52 %) in recent time.
More than 1 billion pets globally; by 2024 pet-owning households reached 56.1 % from 30.5 % in 2014.
Cat-owning households show especially strong growth; older households (especially in Europe) with disposable budget play a growing role.
E-commerce & Omni-channel Shift
Online sales of pet products continue to rise strongly; in major Western markets, online spend growth outpaces physical store.
NIQ reports 82 % of all pet-care spending now originates from omni-shoppers (those who shop both online & in-store). NIQ+1
In multiple markets, online shoppers spend about 2× the per-transaction amount of in-store shoppers (as noted in China-specific briefing).
Emerging digital discovery channels (short video, livestreaming) accelerate pet-product adoption, especially among Gen Z and Millennials.
China Pet Market – A High-Growth Opportunity
Channel Diversification & Digital Acceleration
In China, about 60 % of pet-food consumption happens via e-commerce; integrated e-commerce (e.g., Douyin/TikTok, Kuaishou) is increasingly influential.
Traditional comprehensive e-commerce platforms (e.g., Tmall/Taobao/JD.com) remain mainstream: one source shows they account for 41.2% of pet‐food e-commerce share (up +5.2 % yr/yr).
Short-video and livestream platforms in China show impressive growth: e.g., Douyin pet-food sales growth recorded +46.6 % in a recent period; some platforms show +59.7 % for niche brands.
Domestic home-grown brands increasingly leverage content-driven channels, while major foreign brands maintain dominance on traditional e-commerce in China.
For pet supply professionals and B2B wholesale platforms, this signals that:
Leveraging content + social commerce is critical.
Small-batch orders and agile marketing benefit newer brands targeting China.
Product positioning must reflect local channel dynamics and consumer behaviours.
Product Demand Shifts – Humanisation & Functionalisation
In China, pet-food categories are rapidly evolving: humanisation of pets leads to premiumisation, functional claims (“food as therapy”), and sophisticated formats.
Key segments showing high growth include: BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) up +87.5 %; senior-pet food (ageing support) up +493.8% (per briefing).
Wet-food formats for cats/dogs rose +51.5%; mousse / dessert-style pet foods rose +36.1%.
Snack/chew markets: skin/coat health (e.g., fish-oil cat-snacks), dental health chews (e.g., freeze-dried dental sticks +29.5 %) are growing. Dog snack side emphasises interactive scenes (walk-with-treat).
“Explosion product” strategy: copying human-food hot trends into pet food is gaining. For example: “aerated texture” products (cloud-mud packaging) up +460.8%; “flow-centre” cans up +2 822.8%. Ingredients like black truffle (+267.3%), electrolytes (+61.4%) migrate from human premium food to pet food.
For B2B suppliers and pet-store wholesalers:
Offering niche, premium functional products is a growth lever.
Small-batch orders with unique claims (anti-ageing, skin/coat, gourmet) align with China’s emerging demand.
Marketing value-added pet food (human-grade, exotic ingredients, ritualised formats) supports differentiation.
Strategic Implications for Pet Industry Professionals
For Manufacturers & Brands
Accelerate R&D for functional pet-foods (senior support, gut/brain health, skin/coat, clean ingredients) and premium formats.
Explore human-food trend migration into pet space: e.g., indulgent textures, exotic proteins, shared pet-human experiences.
Channel strategy: build direct-to-consumer (D2C) or social-commerce capability (especially in China) — in parallel with traditional e-commerce.
Packaging and sustainability matter: packaging claims such as recycled content, dye-free, sustainable seafood are growing important. Pet Food Processing
For Wholesalers & Retailers
Make sure your assortment covers: premium functional pet-food, humanised formats, snack/chew innovations, and e-commerce-friendly SKUs.
Enable online + offline integration: invest in omni-channel displays, livestream selling, social commerce partnerships.
In China and/or cross-border supply: smaller batch sizes, flexibility and niche product offering win over mass.
Localise marketing messages to Gen Z/millennial pet-parents: humanisation, ritualisation, sharing experiences.
For China Market Specialists
Recognise the rapid growth of social-commerce channels (Douyin, Kuaishou) for pet-products discovery and impulse purchase.
Target functional claims and humanisation as differentiators: e.g., anti-ageing cat food, mousse texture wet food, luxury snack with exotic ingredients.
Monitor competition between foreign premium brands (via classic e-commerce) and domestic agile brands (via content/social). For small pet-store buyers/wholesalers: positioning niche, cost-effective, and high-story SKUs is key.
Outlook & Forecasts
The global pet industry is expected to continue steady growth through 2025 and beyond; some forecasts suggest reaching USD 300 billion by 2030 in global scale. Accio
China’s pet-food market will remain one of the highest growth geographies; brands and suppliers able to combine content-driven digital channels, humanised formats, and functional claims will lead.
The online channel will gradually overtake in-store in many segments – but omni-channel remains essential.
The “humanisation” trend extends beyond food into accessories, toys, health & wellness, and digital pet services.
Explosion-product strategy: agile launches of trend-hopping SKUs (texture, format, ingredients) continue to create breakout growth — crucial for wholesalers and retailers to monitor.
Summary for Pet Industry Professionals
For the community of pet-industry professionals — whether you are a manufacturer, B2B wholesaler, small pet-store buyer or e-commerce merchant — the above trends underscore several actionable priorities:
Embrace online / social commerce as a core channel.
Add premium, functional, humanised pet-food and snack SKUs.
Leverage content and short-video platforms for discovery and launch.
Use flexible, small-batch supply chains to react quickly to trend changes.
In the China market especially, mix channel engagement (e-commerce + livestream/social), emphasise exotic/niche product claims and address Gen Z/millennial pet-parents’ preferences.
At PetsuppliesIndustry.com, we exist For The PET Pros — offering full-spectrum market news, trend insight and channel intelligence to support your strategic decisions.
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