This year overall revenue for the pet care products and services market is expected to surpass $100 billion. As consumers continue to endure the pandemic and recession, pet owners are spending more time at home with their pets. As a result, the bond between owners and their pets is deepening. Owners’ desire to maintain their pets’ health and pamper them with high-quality products will keep the pet market slowly growing through the recession. Pet services, however, may struggle to recover from lockdown era closures and a less essential role in pet ownership.

• The impact of COVID-19 on the overall pet market.

• Predictions for the current recession’s effect on pet supplies, food and services.

• Examples and opportunities for brands to market to pet owners.

• Owners’ attitudes toward owning and paying for a pet.

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

• Pet owners: adults aged 18+ who own a cat or dog but may also own other animals

• Cat owner only: adults aged 18+ who own at least one cat and do not have pets of other species

• Dog owner only: adults aged 18+ who own at least one dog and do not have pets of other species

The market segments include the following:

• Pet food: Food and treats for household pets, including cats, dogs, small animals (eg hamsters, rabbits), fish, reptiles and birds. Food for dogs and cats may be dry, wet/canned, semi-moist or in the form of treats.

• Pet supplies: Supplies for household pets including cats, dogs, small animals (hamsters, etc), reptiles, fish and birds; horse care items are not included. Supplies include, but are not limited to, litter/deodorant, rawhide dog chews, dog/cat supplies (ie grooming, collars, leashes, toys, bedding, feeding equipment and over-the-counter flea and tick treatments) and non-dog/cat supplies (ie indoor aquariums and aquarium accessories and bird feeders).

• Veterinary services: Routine exams, surgical and nonsurgical treatments, lab services, prescription foods sold through veterinary services providers, etc. Includes only products and services provided by veterinarians who predominantly or exclusively treat companion animals.

• Pet services: Grooming, boarding, training, etc. Includes pet service revenues at veterinary offices and pet stores, in addition to businesses primarily offering pet services. Service estimates are based on retail sales only and do not include private transactions, such as freelance dog walkers or pet sitters.

Market size figures do not include the sale of live pets, either through pet stores, breeders or other channels.

This Report builds on analysis presented in Mintel’s America’s Pet Owners – US, August 2019 and the 2012-2018 Reports of the same title. Readers may also be interested in Mintel’s Pet Food – US, July 2020 and Pet Supplies: Incl Impact of COVID-19 – US, July 2020 Reports.

The first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the US in January 2020. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic, and on March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency in the US. 

Across the US, state-level stay-at-home orders rolled out throughout the months of March and April, remaining in place through May and in some cases June. During this time, referred to as lockdown, nonessential businesses and school districts across the nation closed or shifted to remote operations.

During re-emergence, all 50 states have relaxed stay-at-home orders and allowed businesses to operate with varying levels of social distancing measures in place. The continued spread of COVID-19 infections has driven some states to slow down or reverse course on reopening plans. Mintel anticipates the US will remain in a state of flux through 2021, until a vaccine is available.

This Report and the segment forecasts within assume that:

• Unemployment will average 11.5% in 2020 before incrementally improving over the next five years to reach 6.2% in 2025, per Congressional Budget Office projections from May 2020.

• US GDP will decline 5.1% in 2020 and increase 4.8% in 2021, followed by continuous increases of 4-5% through 2030, per CBO’s July 2020 projections.

• PCE will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 and will steadily increase at a rate of 2-3% annually through 2030, per CBO’s July 2020 projections.

• The non-institutional civilian population aged 16+ and the number of US households (total occupied housing units) will both grow from 2020 to 2030, but at rates of less than 1% annually, per CBO’s July 2020 projections.