2026
8
Germany Marketing to Pet Owners: 2026
2026-06-15T10:00:57+00:00
REPE0BFAA0F_8AC7_4C0A_BFAA_0F8AC79C0A18
2195
194098
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Report
en_GB
74% of German pet owners consider themselves 'parents' to their pet(s), reinforcing the shift towards pet humanisation and raising expectations for brands to deliver both…
Germany
Pets
Marketing and Advertising
simple

Germany Marketing to Pet Owners: 2026

"Strong emotional attachment and a growing desire for pet longevity will promote a shift towards proactive health prevention. Brands can unlock growth by framing supplements as the foundation of everyday pet care."

Dr. Jennifer Hendricks, Principal Analyst - Consumer Lifestyles, Germany

Dr. Jennifer Hendricks, Principal Analyst - Consumer Lifestyles, Germany

74% of German pet owners consider themselves ‘parents’ to their pet(s), reinforcing the shift towards pet humanisation and raising expectations for brands to deliver both emotional resonance and functional performance. This mindset enables greater willingness to invest, particularly in products that visibly support long-term health and wellbeing.

Despite cost-of-living pressures, the German pet market proved resilient in 2025, reaching €6.99bn in total sales. However, spending is becoming increasingly polarised: essential categories such as pet food and health are protected, while discretionary categories such as accessories suffer.

Looking ahead, preventive health and wellness represent the largest growth opportunities: 55% of pet owners already have a health insurance for their pets and 60% believe pet supplements play an important role in safeguarding pet health. However, persistent inflation – combined with high vet costs and a 36% rise in cat and dog food prices since 2020 – is intensifying price sensitivity and accelerating downtrading to private label.

To compete effectively, brands must balance affordability with value by offering proof-backed benefits, reinforcing everyday relevance and embedding loyalty early in the pet ownership lifecycle.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Types of pets owned and plans to get a pet
  • Spending on pet-related products and services
  • Purchase channels when buying products for pets
  • Main drivers for switching from one pet product brand to another
  • Behaviours regarding pet health and most important factors when choosing a pet health and wellness product
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for the German pet market
    • Opportunities
    • Help pet owners embed health prevention in daily routines
    • Unlock the ‘new pet’ spending surge
    • Expand private label portfolios to promote customer loyalty among price-sensitive pet owners
  2. MARKET FACTORS

    • Cost-of-living pressures are mounting once again
    • The German pet market shows resilience in uncertain times
    • Germany’s pet health system: high medical standards but rising cost pressure
    • New evidence on the deepening emotional bond between consumers and their pets
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Pet ownership and plans to get a pet
    • Prioritise younger generations to capture accelerating pet ownership growth
    • Graph 1: pet ownership, by generation, 2023 vs 2026
    • Cats remain the most popular pets in Germany
    • Target younger men as a fast-growing cat owner segment to unlock acquisition growth
    • Graph 2: cat ownership, by gender and age, 2023 vs 2026
    • Highlight the benefits of multi-cat households
    • Graph 3: number of types of pets, 2026
    • Focus on today’s pet owners to capitalise on future growth potential
    • Graph 4: plans on getting a pet in the next 12 months, by pet ownership, 2026
    • Spending on pet products and services
    • Most pet owners put their animals first
    • Target Millennials to capture higher-value, multi-category pet spending
    • Graph 5: consumers who spend more than €200 on average on pet food and pet products/services per month, by generation, 2026
    • Re-engage Gen Z to reverse declining spend on pet supplies
    • Graph 6: consumers who have spent money on pet supplies in the last 12 months, by generation, 2023 vs 2026
    • Activate Gen Z growth through social commerce, co-creation and premium moments
    • A sweet spot for pet supplements
    • Purchase channels when buying products for pets
    • Pet specialist retailers need to leverage their leadership to defend share and drive category growth
    • Capitalise on pet owners’ multichannel shopping
    • Graph 7: number of purchase channels consumers use when buying products for their pet(s), 2026
    • Grocery retail: entice cat dads with one-stop shopping
    • Graph 8: where dog and cat owners typically buy products for their pet(s), by selected channels, 2026
    • Expand everyday retail pet assortments to capture urban cat owners
    • Main drivers for switching from one pet product brand to another
    • German pet owners are typically quite loyal…
    • …but the high cost of living strains the pet budget
    • Expand private label ranges to retain older generations
    • Graph 9: selected main factors that would make consumers switch from one pet product brand to another, by generation, 2026
    • Tailor pricing and messaging by category to reduce brand switching
    • Graph 10: selected main factors that would make consumers switch from one pet product brand to another, by purchase of selected pet products/services in the last 12 months, 2026
    • Win through word-of-mouth at the ‘new pet moment’
    • Behaviours regarding pet health and most important factors when choosing a pet health and wellness product
    • Capitalise on growing health concerns to drive demand for preventive solutions
    • Graph 11: selected pet health issues pet owners are concerned about, 2025
    • Accelerate growth by positioning supplements as core preventive care
    • Count on pet supplements to address pet health concerns
    • Recent international market launches in the pet supplement category that can serve as inspiration
    • Justify premium pricing with proof-led claims to win high-spend consumers
    • Graph 12: consumers for whom proven effectiveness would be one of the most important factors when choosing a pet health and wellness product, by total spent on their pet(s) per month, 2026
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Wolt and Fressnapf scale omnichannel pet care
    • REWE accelerates ZooRoyal’s expansion
    • Das Futterhaus expands private label portfolio
    • Rising veterinary costs drive demand for more flexible payment options
    • Lufthansa subsidiary ITA Airways tests in-cabin travel for larger pets
    • Pawternity leave remains a niche benefit in Germany, but recent developments in Italy highlight its growing relevance in Europe
  5. APPENDIX

    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • CHAID analysis
    • Germany’s generation groups
    • Abbreviations
    • A note on language

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