ROCKVILLE, MD — According to consumer goods market research firm Packaged Facts, retail sales of pet products in the US were approximately $55 billion in 2019, a 5% increase from 2018 driven primarily from e-commerce and pet specialty chains, such as Petco, PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus.

However, Food, Drug and Mass (FDM) retailers are also driving gains in this area, as the traditional pet retail structure continues to break down and more brands meet pet owners wherever they shop. This includes wholesale club stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, grocery chains and supermarkets and massive retail giants such as Walmart and Target.

"Today's pet industry is benefitting from a variety of factors and trends, but most notably this is a market ripe with intriguing paradox and much of that paradox stems from the performance of mass market stores," says David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts.

E-commerce further complicates the matter by adding a convenience factor and undermining the previously held sense of exclusivity and expertise held by pet specialty outlets. Additionally, as more and more premium pet products are sold online and in FDM stores, pet specialty may no longer hold the upper hand.

The rise of e-commerce in the pet retail space has come at a cost to brick-and-mortar revenues, Packaged Facts says. Steep gains in market share among online platforms occurred in 2019 at the same time that market share among pet specialty stores declined.

The market research firm details these trends in its newly published report, “U.S. Pet Market Focus: Mass Market Channel Shoppers.” 

Keep up with the latest pet food trends on our Trends page.