Online U.S. Pet Product Sales at $2 Billion

Internet sales of pet products are on the upswing. Market research publisher Packaged Facts estimates that online sales account for approximately 4% of the $44 billionU.S. market for pet products in 2014—around $2 billion at retail. Internet sales of pet products are projected to grow between 10% and 15% annually through 2018, substantially outpacing Packaged Facts’ projections for overall pet product retail sales growth. 

Driving internet sales of pet products is the trend whereby more retailers and marketers are turning to the Internet as a sales medium beyond brick-and-mortar; competition for the pet medication business; and the surge in social networking websites and online advertising aimed at pet owners. In addition, the success of the Internet in the pet arena is due in part to the tendency of pet owners to be Internet friendly notes David Sprinkle, Packaged Facts research director.

The Internet is especially well-suited to «info-centric» pet products, including premium and niche items, offering myriad opportunities to communicate detailed product information via websites, email, chat groups, blogs, social networking, and online advertising.

According to Packaged Facts’ April/May 2014 pet owner survey, 41% of pet product buyers agree they use the Internet to find information about pet care services, and 39% agree they use the Internet to help choose which pet foods to buy.  Another way pet owners use the Internet: according to the survey, 16% of pet owners used an online pet finding service for their most recent dog acquisition, and 10% for their most recent cat acquisition. Overall, more than 5 million dog or cat owners use the internet to purchase pet products, up 77% from 3 million owners in 2010.

Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, consumer packaged goods, and pet products and services.