The pet market - France (2024)

1.2 The global market

The global market

The global pet market is estimated to be worth $*** billion in ****, growing at a CAGR of *% between **** and ****. [***] This gives us the following estimates:

Global pet market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

1.3 The European market

According to Global Market Insights, the European pet market is expected to reach $** billion by ****.in ****, pet food generated **.* billion euros, while other market products and services accounted for **.* billion[***]

In ****, FEDIAF estimated that ** million households in the European Union owned a pet (***), representing around **% of the total population.

European pet population, by animal Europe, ****, in millions of animals Source: ****

Cats dominate the ranking with a total population of *** million, followed by dogs with *** million. Birdscome third with ** million.

The top ten pet product retailers in Europe Europe, ****, in millions of euros Source: Retail Index The chart above shows which European retailers are the most important on the market in terms of sales. Fressnapf, which also owns Maxi Zoo, is the market leader and the only retailer with a truly European reach.

Ranking of the ten European countries with the most dogs Europe, ****, in millions of animals Source: FEDIAF The ranking of the ten European countries with the most dogs in **** reveals a varied distribution of the dog population across the continent. Russia tops the list with **.* million dogs, followed bythe UK and Germany with ** million and **.* million respectively.Spain,Italy and France round out the top ten with similar figures, ...

1.4 Steady growth in the French market

The growth of the pet market can be described as structural, since it has been booming since at least the beginning of the decade.

Annual variation in pet market sales France, ****-****, in Source: ****

The data show a general trend of sales growth over the years. The years **** and **** recorded the strongest increases, with growth rates of *.*% and *. *% respectively, which can be attributed to various factors such as increased demand linked to containment and the COVID-** pandemic, as well as changes in consumer purchasing behavior.

These figures testify to the robustness and resilience of the French pet market, despite economic fluctuations and external challenges. Steady sales growth underlines the economic and social importance of pets in French society, and highlights pet owners' growing attachment to their four-legged companions.

Pet market size France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

In ****, we know that the French pet market sales reached *.* billion euros. The sales figures for previous years are estimated by taking this base and applying the sales growth rates shown in the previous graph (***). These are approximations based on publicly available data.

The French pet market is therefore doing very well, and reveals significant growth potential.

2.1 Strong animal ownership in France

According to FACCO data, there will be ** million pets in France in **** , compared with **.* million in **** and ** million in ****, as shown in the graph below. **.*% of households would have a pet in ****, and **.*% at least one dog or cat. [***]

Number of pets France, ****-****, in millions of animals Soiurce : Vie Publique, Facco

According to FACCO data, there would be ** million pets in France in **** , compared with **.* million in **** and ** million in **** according to Facco data, as shown in the graph above. Also, **% of French households will have a pet in ****, and **% of households will have at least one dog or cat. Nearly* in * households will own a cat, and * in * will own a dog. Even with a slight decrease in the number of pets in ****, this is a dynamic market with a significant number of animals. In fact, France is well placed in the European rankings for the number of pets owned in the country. In fact, in Europe in ****, France is the *th country with the most dogs, with *.* million, and the *rd country with the most cats, with **.* million. (***)

Pet population France, ****, in millions of animals Source: ****

In ****, fish will largely dominate the French pet market, with a population ...

2.2 Profile of pet owners

Gender, age, profession and standard of living do not appear to play a determining role in pet ownership, as the proportions of respondents in each category with a pet are relatively similar. However, it appears that the elderly, aged ** and over, and the well-off are less inclined to own a pet. Conversely, blue-collar workers are slightly more likely to own a pet than other occupations. [***]

On the other hand, place of residence is a decisive factor, as pet owners are more likely to live in provincial urban areas (***). City dwellers seem less likely to own a pet, which can be explained by the smaller surface area of their homes, the frequent absence of a garden, or the more sustained work rhythms of cities. In the Paris area, only **% of respondents claim to own a pet.

The graph below illustrates the importance of housing in the choice of a pet. Indeed, the French Pet Food Federation(***) shows that, out of a panel of **,*** French households, **% of dog owners and **% of cat owners own a garden.

Profile of dog and cat owners France, ****, in Source: ****

This is corroborated by an Ifop study from ****, which looks at the geographical distribution of dog and cat ...

2.3 French people's reasons for adopting a pet

The reasons for adoption and the criteria for choosing animals can vary from one individual to another.

Which of the following reasons do you think led you to adopt a dog or cat? France, ****, in Source: ****

The most common reasons include having grown up with one or more animals (***).

It's also interesting to note that some people adopt animals for social reasons, such as to feel less lonely(***).

Overall, these data highlight a variety of personal and social motivations influencing the decision to adopt a pet in France in ****, reflecting the diversity of people's needs and expectations of their pets.

Criteria for choosing dogs and cats France, ****, in Source : Ipsos WHILE there are many reasons to adopt a pet, there are fewer choice criteria, as a **** Ipsos survey shows. While the top * criteria for choosing a dog are breed, size and gender, adopting a cat is more heavily influenced by appearance, gender and ability to adapt to children .

2.4 Increase in the pet budget

Average annual expenditure by dog and cat owners France, ****, in percent Source: ****

Unsurprisingly, the animals requiring the most expenditure are dogs and cats. According to Ipsos, for dogs and cats, **% of owners spend between €*** and €*,***. Breakdown of the budget French people spend on their pets France, ****, in euros Source: ****

The biggest expenditure is on food, with an average annual amount of €***, followed by veterinary costs(***).

A significant proportion of the budget is also allocated to insurance(***).

As the Ifop report points out, spending has risen sharply in **** compared with ****. Indeed, in ****, the food budget was €*** , which represents an increase of €*** in ****. What's more, on average, the French will spend €*** all-inclusive per year on their pet in ****, whereas in **** this amount stood at €***, an increase of €***.

Average monthly expenditure on pet food France, ****, % Source : IFOP Very few respondents spend more than €** per month on pet food. The majority spend either less than ** euros per month, or between ** and ** euros per month.

On average, the French spend €** a month on pet food.

2.5 Pet owners sensitive to their animals' well-being, and increasingly humanize them

How do you rate your dog or cat? France, ****, percentage of respondents Source: ****

The new demand trends are driven by a common phenomenon: owners are placing ever-greater importance on their pets. According to an Ipsos study, **% of dog and cat owners in **** consider their pet to be a fully-fledged member of the family. This figure rises to **% for dog owners and **% for cat owners.

What contributes most to your pet's well-being? France, ****, in

The above data shows that the most common practice contributing to the well-being of animals is feeding them , cited by **% of respondents, closely followed by spending time with them(***) are also important activities for the animal's well-being.

These results highlight the most important activities for pet owners in terms of well-being, underlining the importance of food, social interaction and exercise for the happiness and health of their furry companions.

Another market revealing this humanization of four-legged companions is that of dedicated funerals. Demand for individualized funerals for dogs and cats has tripled since the early ****s. The director of a company managing pet cemeteries and crematoria reveals that it has risen from *% to **%. [***]

3.1 Segmentation and main brands

Segmentation by pet family

The pet market is largely dominated by the dog and cat markets, which share over **% of market share. The cat department in particular is and will remain the majority of sales in the pet market, generating sales of *.* billion euros by ****. [***]

However, New Pet Animals (***).

Market share of pet market segments France, ****, in Source: ****

Cats occupy the largest market share, with **%, followed by dogs with **%. Other animals, such as backyard pets, aquariums, small mammals, farmed birds and wild animals, represent more modest market shares, varying between *% and *%. Finally, terrariums and ponds have the lowest market shares, each with only *% and *% respectively.

These figures reflect the predominance of cats and dogs in the French pet market, with a clear difference from other types of animal.

Change in sales vs. N-* by pet segment France, ****, % (***) Source : LSA The dog and cat segments show the strongest increases, with growth of *% each, indicating sustained demand for pet-related products and services. By contrast, the aquarium and terrarium (***) segments recorded sales declines, with variations of -*% and -**% respectively. Overall, sales variations by segment reveal dynamics specific to each market, reflecting consumer trends and purchasing behavior in the French pet sector in ****.

Product ...

3.2 The emergence of new players: the connected objects segment

Market players

Whatever the market segment concerned, start-ups using new technologies to serve pets and their owners are multiplying, offering a particularly varied range of products and services: lost pet searches, intelligent toys, collars and other accessories, automatic food dispensers and so on.

Players in this particular market include :

Players specializing in the market for connected objects for pets: french companies CamToy, incubated at Station F, Catspad, Weenect ; Californian companies PetCube, Tomofun, Dogtra, Pet Wireless; South Korea's Purrsong; Italy's Kippy; Austria's Tractive; China's Petkit... High-tech players expanding into the pet segment: Chinese electronics giantXiaomi the British operator Vodafone; the Taiwanese group Acer, with the acquisition of specialist Pawbo; Invoxia and Weenect, producers of GPS trackers; Players in the pet market who are developing a range of connected objects: pet shop chain Maxi Zoo ; food giant Mars Petcare with the acquisition of Whistle.

Source: ****

In total, according to Global Market Insights, the Pet Tech market will be worth $* billion worldwide by ****, and will grow at a CAGR of **% between **** and ****. The smart collar segment will be worth $* billion in ****. We can imagine a segmentation of the domestic market similar to that of the global market, which would be divided as follows:

Breakdown ...

3.3 The rise of pet shops and the digitalization of the market

Distribution channels

The pet market is divided into * main distribution channels: pet shops, food superstores (***). Sales by distribution channel France, ****, in Source :Panel Promojardin - Prom'animal and partner data. Processing by Les Echos Etudes Food superstores (***) dominate the market with a **% share of sales, followed by garden specialists with **%. The Internet also accounts for a significant share, contributing **% of total sales. Pet shops and DIY superstores have smaller shares, each with **% and *% respectively. These figures underline the importance of traditional distribution channels such as DIY stores and garden specialists, as well as the growing importance of e-commerce in pet product sales. Preferred ways of acquiring a dog or cat France, ****, in % Source: ****

Adoption via a private individualis the most common method, chosen by **% of respondents. Next,adoption from a shelter, notably the Société protectrice des animaux (***), is also popular, with **% of respondents favoring this option.

On the other hand, buying from a kennel and a pet shop account for smaller shares, with **% and *% respectively.

Sector leaders As the pet market is a young one (***), there are few organized networks. The main networks are part of larger foreign groups, such as Maxi Zoo, owned by European market leader Fressnapf, or Animalis ...

3.4 A market impacted by inflation: abandonments on the rise

Have you ever given up on buying or adopting a pet because of the expense? France, ****, % Source: ****

The survey conducted in France in **** reveals that **% of respondents have given up on buying or adopting a pet in the last twelve months because of the associated expenses, while **% made this decision more than a year ago. On the other hand, a large majority of **% of participants say they have never given up on acquiring a pet because of costs.

However, it's important to note that even a relative minority of people giving up because of expense can have an impact on the number of pet adoptions and purchases.

Intention to part with a pet France, ****, % Source : IFOP The survey conducted in France in **** reveals that *% of participants have already given or sold their pets to relatives, while *% have taken the decision to give or sell them to private individuals. A further *% have admitted to releasing or releasing their pets into the wild, while *% said they had donated their pets to associations. In addition, *% of respondents plan to give or sell their pets to relatives, while the same percentage plan to do so to private individuals. A further *% plan to release their pets ...

3.5 Interview with Romain Jobert, co-founder of Petch

Marine: Welcome to the Niche, the podcast that analyzes the niche market with the entrepreneurs who are shaking things up. I'm Marine and I work at Businesscoot, the start-up that's dusting off market research. Before you start, subscribe to our podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast. And now for today's niche: the pet market. For this, I welcome Romain Jobert, co-founder of Petch. Hello Romain.

Romain : Hello Marine.

Marine: Thank you so much for being here. Romain, to start with, I'll let you tell us a bit about Petch.

Romain: Yes, we're a community marketplace. What we do is aggregate thousands of products to provide a complete offering that covers all the needs of small pets. We call ourselves pet parents, and we're going to enhance this product offering with advice, a strong community that will provide constant support in this adventure that is being a pet parent, today, a platform completely dedicated to this new generation.

Marine: That's perfect. To begin this episode dedicated to your market, let's first take a look at the overall data. over **% of French people have a pet, and in our study, we estimated that the French market was worth around *.* billion euros, with steady ...

4.1 Pet products see price rises

Harmonized consumer price index for pet products France, ****-****, base *** **** Source: ****

The harmonized consumer price index for pet products in France shows an overall upward trend over the ****-**** period. Between **** and ****, the index undergoes minor fluctuations, with a slight drop in prices compared to ****. However, from **** onwards, a significant increase in the index is observed, rising to ***.* and then to ***.* in ****. Between **** and ****, the index rose by **.* points. This significant increase suggests an upward trend in pet product prices on the French market in recent years. This trend may be due to various factors, such as inflation, rising production costs, or changes in market demand and supply.

4.2 Trend: premiumization of the offering

The pet market is witnessing an upmarket shift in products and services, largely as a result of the French people's growing attachment to their pets, and the humanization of the latter, analyzed in the section on market demand. Indeed, whereas pets used to be confined to their role as companions or guardians, they are now increasingly regarded as fully-fledged members of the family.

Premiumization of the offer

As the pet market expands, supply diversifies, giving rise to more specialized players who adapt to the demand for increasingly sophisticated products and services. Products and services are increasingly personalized and specific, and claim to adapt to particular needs, particularly in the pet food, insurance and health, hygiene and care segments.

Simon Lesage, Mars Petcare's Marketing Director, points out that "**% of the category's growth is in valued segments: health & well-being and moments of pleasure and connection with one's pet". Mars Petcare France has just invested ** million euros in its Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel plant, in the Loiret region, to produce freshness sachets. The pet food market is seeing the emergence of players who claim to specialize in food, such as Japhy, Pettywell, or even Caats, which specializes in tailor-made cat food and raised * million euros in ...

4.3 A growing organic and natural food offer

Natural and organic products are on the rise in the pet food market. Increasingly concerned about the health and well-being of their pets, owners are also aware of theecological impact of pet food. The number of organic and natural pet food products on offer is exploding, and this is helping to enhance the market's offering, despite the fact that sales volumes are sometimes lower in certain segments.

Despite the meteoric rise of the organic food market in recent years, the organic petfood segment remains anecdotal. In ****, it will still account for just *.*% of the petfood market, compared with *.*% for all FMCG products. [***]

However, many brands are trying to develop this market, accompanied by retailers such as Carrefour, which has launched its first organic snacks in **** under its own brand: Companino Naturally Bio.

The term natural is not legally defined by French regulations on this market, but manufacturers are increasingly using it to present products without additives, colorants or artificial flavoring, for example. Examples of natural or organic offerings include:

The **** launch of Purina Beyond, with its AB label; The entry into French supermarkets of the Dutch Yarrah group (***) under the Dano brand, also AB-labeled; The Ultima Nature range from Affinity Petcare, ...

4.4 The market for connected objects for pets: a highly varied offering

ere's a non-exhaustive list of connected objects for pets that can be found on the market:

Source: ****

5.1 Regulations

Defining the status of animals

The law of February **, **** redefines the status of animals by qualifying them as sentient living beings.

[***]

Regulations governing the sale of animals

Anyone selling at least one animal from a breeding female belonging to them is considered a breeder.

Breeders are required to

register with the Chamber of Agriculture to obtain a SIREN number have the required knowledge and skills have premises that comply with health and animal protection regulations (***)[***] animals must have been identified by a tattoo or microchip and be over eight weeks old at the time of sale or donation

In addition, there are obligations concerning animal identification and mandatory information for sales, described on the Ministry of the Economy website.

[***]

The animal condition

In recent years, the debate on the condition of animals in France has intensified, affecting the pet market, as with the issue of selling animals in pet shops, for example. In February ****, a poll published by Ifop for the Fondation ** millions d'amis indicated that **% of French people consider that animals are poorly defended by political figures, prompting public authorities to address the issue.

Thus, on June **, ****, a bill was published onimproving the condition of animals and combating ...

5.2 From January 2024: ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops

As of January *, ****, a new rule prohibits French pet shops from selling cats and dogs, a measure introduced following a bill passed by the National Assembly in ****. The ban is designed to address a number of problems, including animals being weaned too early, being supplied by puppy and kitten mills, and poor socialization of the animals sold. The main aim is to reduce compulsive purchases, which are often the cause of abandonment.

In addition, since October ****, future owners have been required to sign a certificate of commitment and knowledge of the specific needs of the species they wish to acquire. This document details the animal's needs, as well as identification obligations and the financial and logistical implications of the act of purchase, with the aim of combating abandonment and mistreatment.

6.1 Segmentation

• Animalis
• Zoo Plus
• ITM Equipement (Bricorama, Bricomarché, Brico Cash)
• Truffaut
• Jardiland (Groupe Teract)
• Dalma
• Botanic
• Pets at Home
• Nestlé Purina Petcare
• Mars Petcare
• Royal Canin (Mars Petcare)
• Santé Vet - Vetassur
• Tomojo
• Acheel
• Zolux
• La Compagnie des Animaux
• Zoovet
• Topzoo
• Maxi Zoo France (groupe Fressnapf)
• Zoomalia
• Bitiba France (Zooplus)
• Zooplus
• MSD Santé Animale France (Merck)
• Ceva Santé Animale
• Nutréa Nutrition Animale NNA
• Eizhy
• Lapsa Laboratoire
• Holidog Happybox