Euromonitor pet care expert discusses global pet specialty channel

In a videocast, Emily Woon, head of pet care research at Euromonitor International, discusses the pet specialist channel in pet care, with an analysis of the three largest pet specialty retailers: PetSmart, Petco and Germany-based Fressnapf.
The pet specialty channel accounted for more than 50% of all pet care sales in 2010 and outpaced grocery stores in pet care sales, according to Woon. Woon said this is because pet owners are indulging more on purchasing premium products for their pets, which are only sold at specialty outlets, and also prefer the pet care advice they can receive at pet specialty stores that they would not otherwise get at a grocery store.
Woon also said that smaller pet shops are more popular in developing nations, such as Romania, Bulgaria and India, where these shops account for 60% of sales in the local market. She attributed this to the stores' convenient locations in local neighborhoods and small-scale retailers being able to adapt and customize products more easily, to meet pet owners' needs. Pet superstores, according to Woon, are more important in developed markets like the United States, where these pet specialty retailers account for 20% of overall pet care sales. Larger pet specialty retailers are more popular with US consumers because these stores carry a wide range of products, from branded petfoods to private labels, and offer services like dog training and grooming.