Pet care defies the cutbacks

European shoppers remain defensive in 2026. Economic pessimism has risen for the third consecutive year, reaching 56%, while 53% worry about their daily personal finances and 63% will only buy at a discount or actively seek deals. This is according to the third annual Consumer Sentiment Survey by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which surveyed more than 20,000 consumers across eleven European countries.

For the pet trade the headline is encouraging. Groceries (+11 points) and pet care (+12) are the only categories posting positive net spending over the past six months, driven by price increases more than volume growth, while every other category is flat or declining. Within the category the split is sharp: consumers report spending more on everyday pet food (+19 points) than on accessories (–10 points).

The standout finding for the sector is loyalty. Pet owners are the most…