Consumer Trends Shaping the Pet Care Market in 2024

What rapid trends are expected to draw attention in the coming year?

“Value Hackers,” “Delightful Distractions,” and “Wellness Pragmatists” are among the global consumer trends shaping the pet care market in 2024.

Value Hackers Faced with high inflation and rising costs, consumers are adopting cost-cutting behaviors, seeking creative ways to stretch their budgets. They are exploring alternatives such as using reward points for payment and shifting towards private labels and discount stores.

Manufacturers are responding to this trend by innovating loyalty programs, offering early-bird rates, referral initiatives, and complementary services. Retailers targeting price-sensitive consumers, like Felleskjøpet in Norway, are increasingly incorporating premium options within their private-label pet food and product lines.

Delightful Distractions Consumers yearn to escape the burdens of everyday life. Pets serve as their refuge for joy and relaxation. Businesses are adapting to support consumers with innovative products and services, helping them justify their purchases—our pets bring us happiness, so any distractions related to pets present an opportunity. Benefiting from this trend, treats and mixers for dogs and cats are among the fastest-growing pet care categories. Meanwhile, pet shops are increasingly offering pet services such as spas, salons, health and wellness centers, swimming pools, and studios, providing consumers with new experiences for their beloved pets.

Wellness Pragmatists Consumers are taking a pragmatic approach to their mental and physical health, a trend extending to the pet market due to increasing pet humanization. People seek healthy and functional pet foods, aiming to keep their pets fit, healthy, and looking their best. Wellness pragmatists are moving away from time-consuming, multi-step processes that require significant commitment. Instead, they seek simpler, more practical options that seamlessly integrate into daily routines and deliver instant results. Consequently, functional foods, especially pet food supplements, are on the rise, offering health benefits with the highest convenience. Companies are innovating with personalized, nutrient-rich pet meal plans tailored to pets’ age, health status, and lifestyle, providing the most effective tools to ensure pet health.