German pet supplies market continues to grow

With overall sales totalling 4.786 bn euros, high street pet stores and grocery retailers in Germany enjoyed sales growth of 6 per cent in 2021. Another 1.055 bn euros was generated by online trade and 162 mio euros in sales of wild bird food. The pet supplies market in Germany continues to experience an upward trend with total sales of around 6 bn euros. This is according to figures from the Industrial Association of Pet Care Producers (Industrieverband Heimtierbedarf) and the Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe (ZZF).
Sales of pet convenience food in bricks-and-mortar stores surpassed those of the previous year by 6.5 per cent, totalling 3.685 bn euros. The segment covering pet requisites and accessories likewise experienced notable growth, with sales up by 4.6 per cent to 1.101 bn euros.

Treats driving growth

With total sales amounting to 1.787 bn euros, an increase of 6.4 per cent over the previous year, the market for cat food constituted the biggest food segment in 2021. The strongest growth driver here once again was the treat sub-segment (including cat milk), with sales rising by 9 per cent to 292 mio euros. The moist food category (1.170 bn euros, up 5.9 per cent) and dry food (325 mio euros, likewise up by 5.9 per cent) also recorded significant increases.
In the dog food market, high street retailers saw sales rise last year by 7 per cent to 1.677 bn euros. The treat sub-segment in particular grew substantially, surpassing the 2020 figures by 11.6 per cent to yield sales of 672 mio euros. Solid growth was experienced both in the moist and dry food categories, with moist food yielding sales of 525 mio euros (up 4.6 per cent) and dry food sales increasing by 3.7 per cent to 480 mio euros.
A pleasing trend was observed in sales of food for other pets also. After cat and dog food, food for small animals was the third-strongest pet food segment. Following increases in the previous two years, sales through classic distribution channels rose here again (98 mio euros, up 7.7 per cent). Sales of food for ornamental fish rose slightly (56 mio euros, plus 1.8 per cent). Sales of food for cage birds remained steady compared with the previous year at 67 mio euros, but the trend in the wild bird food segment was especially welcome for the pet sector, with sales increasing by 26.6 per cent (!) to 162 mio euros.

Big increase in dog accessory sales

Sales of pet requisites and accessories in stationary stores amounted to 1.101 bn euros in 2021, an increase of 4.6 per cent compared with 2020. As in previous years, cat litter accounted for the biggest share of sales, which increased by 4.5 per cent to 305 mio euros.
Canine accessories topped the sales growth list, with sales rising by 6.7 per cent to 240 mio euros, followed by cat accessories (230 mio euros, up 5.5 per cent). Sales of requisites and accessories for small animals (98 mio euros, plus 3.2 per cent) and for aquarium fish (195 mio euros, up 2.6 per cent) also continued to grow. The cage bird segment ended the year with the same level of sales at 33 mio euros.

Online trade +28 per cent

Supermarkets (including drugstores and discount stores) continue to be the main sales channel for pet convenience food. They accounted for 61 per cent of sales, with revenue amounting to 2.245 bn euros. Speciality stores increased their sales of pet requisites and accessories to 875 mio euros and remain the main sales channel in this segment, accounting for 79 per cent of sales. The growing importance of the Internet for the purchase of pet products was manifested clearly once again in 2021, year of the coronavirus, with an estimated volume of sales of around 1.055 bn euros. This was an increase of 233 mio euros compared with the previous year, equivalent to a jump of more than 28 per cent.