Pet products in your range: a market that grows regardless of the economy

Key data in brief

• Global pet care market: about USD 207 billion (2025), forecast around USD 284 billion in 2033 (CAGR approx. 5.9%) — Euromonitor International, Grand View Research.
• Europe is home to around 306 million pets, and one in two households has an animal (FEDIAF, 2024).
• The European pet food market is about EUR 29.4 billion a year; accessories and services add another EUR 25 billion — both segments recently grew about 9% a year by value.
• The Polish pet market grew from about PLN 3.4 billion (2018) to about PLN 5.6 billion (2021) and keeps growing about 8% a year. Over 40% of Polish households have a dog or cat.
• The fastest-growing category is animal health-support preparations — formally fortified feed (complementary feed).

The pet care market grows faster than most FMCG categories

According to Euromonitor International, the global pet care market reached about USD 207 billion in 2025, and Grand View Research forecasts growth to nearly USD 284 billion by 2033. In the US — a market that usually leads European trends by a few years — pet spending reached USD 158 billion in 2025 and will rise to USD 165 billion in 2026 (American Pet Products Association).

Europe is keeping pace: over 300 million pets, at least one in 49% of households (FEDIAF), and pet food alone worth nearly EUR 30 billion a year. Poland is one of the region's most dynamic markets — the sector's value grew by more than a third in four years and is set to grow about 8% a year.

Why doesn't this market know a crisis? Pet humanization

Behind the growth is pet humanization: the animal has become a fully-fledged family member. According to Euromonitor, 68% of Gen Z and 69% of millennials treat their pet as a family member — and these are the generations entering the peak of their spending power.

The consequence is simple: people don't cut corners on their pets. More than half of owners put spending on their pet ahead of their own discretionary spending. It's a category exceptionally resistant to a slowdown — a consumer will give up restaurants before switching to cheaper dog food. Humanization also changes the basket's structure: the market now grows faster by value than by volume. Owners don't buy more — they buy better and pricier. The “prevention over cure” philosophy has become the category's main driver, and health-support preparations post the strongest growth of the entire pet care market over the last five years.

Who should add pet products to their offer?

The market no longer belongs to pet shops alone. Each channel has a solid case to add the pet category:

• Feed producers — extending the portfolio with premium and health-support products. A customer buying basic feed buys joint, immunity or skin-and-coat preparations anyway — just from someone else. Basic feed is high-volume, low-margin; health-support products sell at several times the margin.
• Online shops and marketplaces — e-commerce is the fastest-growing channel (43% of market value in the US, nearly 60% in China). High repeat-purchase rates build LTV and enable subscription models. An own brand is a way out of the price war.
• Retail chains and supermarkets — a customer with a pet has a bigger basket. With over 40% of households owning a dog or cat, the pet shelf has become a first-need category. An own brand captures the premium growth.
• Pharmacies — the most underrated channel. Owners increasingly look for pet preparations where they buy health products for themselves. Joint, immunity, skin-and-coat and digestion preparations fit a pharmacy perfectly, and there's practically no competition there.

Fortified feed: the product to start with

Of all pet products, the best ratio of potential to entry barrier belongs to fortified feed, colloquially called a “pet supplement”. It's worth clarifying the terminology: under EU feed law, the term “dietary supplement” is reserved for humans. Products of this type for animals are formally complementary feed. Consumers still search for them as “dog supplements” or “cat vitamins”, but the label and documentation must carry the correct classification — which nicely shows why a partner who knows the regulatory requirements matters.

Why this category in particular?

• Fastest growth in all of pet care — faster than basic feed and accessories.
• High margin — a premium product bought for emotional and health reasons.
• Repeat purchase — supplementation is cyclical, building steady revenue.
• Channel versatility — it works in e-commerce, on marketplaces, on the supermarket shelf and in the pharmacy.
• Low logistics barrier — small size and long shelf life.

How to launch your own product without building a factory? Contract manufacturing

The biggest entry barrier isn't demand but production: the formula, raw materials, certifications, registration and feed-law requirements. That's exactly the barrier contract manufacturing removes. The private label model lets you launch fortified feed under your own brand without investing in a line, a laboratory and a regulatory department — the manufacturer handles the formula, quality and compliance, while the brand owner focuses on sales.

At Onesano we run contract manufacturing under GMP, HACCP and FSSC 22000 certifications, with flexible MOQ, lead times from 6 weeks and full regulatory support — from formula to correct classification and labeling. We use our own functional raw materials, including postbiotic Yarrowia lipolytica yeast, which lets you build a real advantage in composition, not just on the label.

Frequently asked questions