Pet goods sector: trends and possibilities

We are completing the series of reviews of new sectors and special expositions of the MosHome 2024 exhibition. Find out the current trends in the pet products market and what products can be presented at the exhibition

Key numbers

NielsenIQ research shows that 72% of Russians have pets: 82% of pet owners care for cats, 44% for dogs and 13% for fish. In recent years, the number of pets in families has increased (especially during the Covid-19 pandemic) and today the pet products and care industry is actively developing.

The group of pet goods in the Russian offline and online FMCG market of is one of the fastest growing: until February 2023, in 12 months, its dynamics amounted to almost 30% in monetary terms. Against the background of the general stagnation of the FMCG market, pet goods also showed +2.3% in terms of sales in volume terms. However, between May 2022 and May 2023, physical sales of the market's formerly fastest-growing category, pet treats, fell more than 9%, but grew by 3.9% year-over-year in monetary terms.

At the beginning of 2023, there was a decrease in demand for pet products amid the rush period of 2022 purchases for future use, so experts note that demand is simply returning to normal values. According to Zooinform, at the end of 2022, the volume of the market for pet food and pet products was estimated at 330 billion rubles.

Pet goods market trends

Online sales increase

The online sales channel for pet products has today become closer to specialized pet stores than to FMCG retail chains. It remains the most dynamic in the industry: growth rates reached +35% year on year, and feed is the most popular product. At the same time, the average bill for pet supplies online is almost 2 times higher than in offline retail. However, this is not always related to the price level and may be due to a unique assortment that is not available in mass market networks and the convenience of the online format.

Assortment reduction

A characteristic feature for the entire FMCG market in 2022 also affected the pet products market: for example, in the cat food segment in the first quarter of 2023, the number of product items decreased by 5% compared to the same period in 2022. It is worth noting that the double-digit growth of private labels of retail chains in most FMCG categories does not apply to the pet products industry: stagnation or even a decrease in the role of private labels in dog food is noticeable. The reduction in assortment also affected marketplaces: according to Wildberries, as of May 2023, the assortment in the pet products category decreased by about 15% year on year.

Strengthening the role of local brands

After the popular foreign brands exit the market, goods and food from foreign suppliers and Russian brands that are still unfamiliar to consumers appear on the pet products market. Local brands also received an additional incentive for development in order to offer an alternative to the products of departed players. For example, in the period 12 months to February 2023, among the top 25 cat food brands, the highest sales rates were shown by locally produced Russian goods (+115% in monetary terms). At the same time, the dynamics of foreign import brands decreased by 42% over the same period, which is due to the complexity and rise in cost of logistics chains and import restrictions.

Popularity of marketplaces

According to the inSales platform, pet products are among the top 5 products for sale on marketplaces or in an online store in 2023. At the beginning of 2023, sales for pets on Ozon almost doubled, and on Wildberries increased by 88% compared to the period January-February 2022. Wildberries also note that about 69% of sales come from Russian feed.

At the MosHome 2024, a new sector for pet goods will be presented by manufacturers and suppliers of products in the following subcategories:

• Pet food
• Snacks
• Accessoiries
• Pet care
• Pet medicines

In just 4 days, more than 20,000 visitors will see your products, you will be able to expand your base of potential customers and expand your sales geography. Personal contact will allow visitors to ask questions and quickly make a purchasing decision.

* Sources: nielseniq.com, insales.ru, dp.ru, kommersant.ru, forbes.ru, retail.ru, zooinform.ru