How Pet Owners Are Shopping in 2026: The Numbers Retailers Need to Know
Pet retail is a big industry, but the numbers behind it tell a more interesting story than the size of the market alone.
Pet owners are shopping across more channels, buying from more diverse categories, and changing how they spend as prices and priorities shift. Some of those changes are gradual. Others are not.
We pulled together some of the latest pet retail statistics to give retailers a quick look at how pet owners are shopping in 2026.
The U.S. Pet Industry Is Still Growing
The U.S. pet industry reached $158 billion in spending in 2025, a 3.7% increase from the previous year. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) projects the market will reach $165 billion in 2026.
There are also 95 million U.S. households with at least one pet, so even small changes in shopping behavior can have a pretty big ripple effect on the overall market.
Food and treats remain an important part of the industry, but there's a lot more happening across the rest of the pet retail landscape.
Where Are Pet Owners Shopping?
Pet owners aren't necessarily choosing between online and in-store shopping. Increasingly, they're doing both.
According to NIQ data reported by Pet Food Processing, 65% of pet care buyers shop both in stores and online, and those omnichannel shoppers account for nearly 85% of pet care spending.
That doesn't mean physical stores are becoming less important. NIQ found that stores still play an important role when shoppers need something immediately or want reassurance and expertise. Nearly one-third of pet parents say an immediate need can prevent them from shopping online.
The more interesting takeaway is that the same customer may use different channels for different purchases. They might order a familiar product online, then visit a store when they need something right away or want help choosing something new.
What Pet Categories Are Growing?
Food is still the foundation of pet retail, but some of the more interesting growth is happening in categories tied to wellness and preventative care.
APPA found that 53% of dog owners give their dogs vitamins or supplements, while 34% of cat owners do the same. Compared with 2018, supplement use has increased 56% among dog owners and 70% among cat owners.
That interest in wellness extends beyond supplements. In APPA's 2025 Dog & Cat Report, 41% of dog owners and 38% of cat owners purchased premium food in 2024. Mixers and toppers have also grown significantly, with 16% of dog owners and 19% of cat owners purchasing them.
The shift toward preventative care is also showing up in the products being introduced to the market. At SuperZoo 2026, Pets+ highlighted products reflecting growing interest in preventative health, functional nutrition, and other wellness-focused categories. For pet retailers, that means some of the opportunities in pet care are moving beyond the traditional food, treats, and supplies customers have always purchased.
How Popular Are Pet Product Subscriptions?
Subscriptions are now a pretty established part of pet shopping.
NIQ reports that 40% of pet care dollars come from subscription sales, although the subscription market appears to be reaching a plateau. At the same time, 50% of consumers still don't use pet food subscriptions, leaving plenty of room between adoption and saturation. For retailers that offer local delivery, pet food subscriptions can be a fitting opportunity.
While pet food is the obvious fit for recurring orders, NIQ is seeing some of the fastest subscription growth in categories such as toys, collars and leashes, feeding accessories, grooming, and bird care.
That shift is worth watching because it suggests subscriptions aren't necessarily just about automatically sending someone the same bag of food every few weeks.
Above: Subscriptions have become the easiest way for pet owners to get their pet's favorite food without hassle.
Pet Owners Are Still Spending, But They're Watching Their Budgets
Pet spending continues to grow, but that doesn’t mean consumers haven’t made adjustments.
NIQ describes today's pet shopper as increasingly value-conscious, with consumers seeking deals and becoming more deliberate about how they spend.
For example, the APPA found that average dog treat spending fell 11% in 2025, even as purchases of 11 or more treat packages per year increased. The shift suggests pet owners are looking for ways to manage costs without necessarily giving up the products they value.
All of this doesn't necessarily mean pet owners are abandoning premium products and impulse purchases. It means they're becoming more selective about where they spend and where they're looking to save.
Dogs and Cats Are Driving Most of the Market
Dogs and cats continue to make up the core of the U.S. pet-owning population, but the numbers are moving.
APPA reports that 53% of U.S. households owned a dog in 2025, up from 51% in 2024. That's about 71 million dog-owning households. Cat ownership also increased, reaching 39% of households, or about 53 million households.
The spending patterns aren't identical, either. APPA found that products remain the top expense for cat owners, while dog owners are seeing shifts toward more value-oriented spending.
For retailers, that's a good reminder that “pet owner” isn't really one customer profile, even among the most popular pet species. The products and purchasing patterns can look very different depending on the animal – and that doesn’t even touch other pets like exotics and small animals
Shopping Habits Vary by Generation
There are some noticeable differences in how different generations shop for their pets.
APPA's research above shows that Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X are driving much of the growth in dog ownership, while Gen Z and Millennials are also driving growth in cat ownership. NIQ's research similarly points to differences in how younger and older pet parents shop across channels.
But the bigger story may be that age isn't the only thing influencing how someone shops. The type of pet, the products they're buying, how predictable the purchase is, and whether they need something immediately can all change the shopping journey.
A customer buying their usual pet food every month may behave very differently from someone trying to figure out what to feed a new puppy.
So, What Do the Numbers Tell Us?
There's no single way to shop for pet products.
Customers are moving between online and physical stores. They're buying recurring essentials alongside discretionary products. They're increasingly interested in wellness and premium options, while also paying closer attention to price. And subscriptions are becoming a meaningful part of the market without completely replacing traditional shopping.
The numbers are useful for understanding the industry as a whole. But they're also a good reminder of why your own customer data matters.
Industry research can tell you how pet owners are shopping across the country. Your own data can tell you what your customers are buying, how often they come back, which products they purchase together, and how those patterns differ from one store to another.
Put Your Own Pet Retail Data to Work
PetStack brings omnichannel sales, inventory, customer data, and loyalty data into one unified system, giving you a clearer picture of what your customers are buying, how they shop, and how those patterns change over time. Instead of relying on broad industry benchmarks alone, you can use your own data to understand what's happening across your business.
Want to see what that could look like for your store? Learn more about PetStack