Why sales fell in pet stores

After last year’s sales growth, specialized retails of Zotovars began to face the outflow of buyers. Consumers prefer cheaper goods on marketplaces and in network grocery stores. Moreover, on online platforms, domestic animal owners can find niche and sometimes exotic products for their pets.

In January -March of the current year, the number of purchases of animal goods decreased by an average of 5% year by the year, the fiscal data operator “Takska” was calculated at the request of “Kommersant”. Demand fell most of all to animal houses – by 32.4% a year for the year – and fillers for toilets – by 11.7%. Sales of dry and humid feed also showed a decrease – by 5.8%and 4.6%, respectively, beds (3.9%), collars (3.6%) and treatments for animals (2.1%).

The zotovar market demonstrates stabilization after active growth in previous years, the OFD platform is noted.

For comparison: a year ago, sales in zooriznitsa grew by 13%.

This year, according to the observations of Takskoma analysts, the most noticeable decrease in sales is observed in offline – by 6% of the year, although in this segment the average check for the first quarter grew by 7% of the year, to 1.9 thousand rubles. Online, the check increased at a lower pace-by 3%, as a result of Internet sales of goods for pets, unlike traditional pet stores, increased by the same 3%.

An increase in the average check with a general drop in sales in an offline segment may indicate a displacement of demand to a higher price segment, the company experts say.

The representative of the Zoozavr network noted that after the departure of foreign premium brands, buyers, on the contrary, found an alternative at lower prices.

In January – Mart, sales of zotovars Supported Flea and tick protection products, which is associated with the early start of the animal processing season, says Galina Averkina, financial director of the Marquet pet stores. At the same time, buyers prefer to purchase these products in network grocery stores, where the price for them is slightly lower than in pet stores, Mrs. Averkin notes.

In the Magnit network, animal feed sales have increased by more than 9% – the main driver driver and the leader in volume are cat feed. The tape recorded the growth in sales of such products by 10%. In the Pyaterochka network (included in the X5 Group), the turnover of pets feed in January -March increased by 20% of the year.

In the online rice, growth indicators are even higher. The turnover of zotovars on Wildberries in the first quarter of 2025 increased by 36% year by the year.

High growth rates showed various niche products, such as animal drinks, including beer and champagne, micellar water for dogs.

True, in kind, sales are still small. In Ozon, in January -March, the turnover of the zotovars grew one and a half times a year by the year. Such dynamics is associated with the expansion of almost a third of the assortment in this category, the company’s press service said.

The President of the National Association of the Zo Industry, Kirill Dmitriev, believes that a decrease in sales of animal goods with an increase in the average check may be due to the fact that customers choose large volumes of products, especially with the delivery from the online stores of the network and from marketplaces. At the same time, the expert notes, the production costs themselves are growing, which is reflected in the price of products. For example, Mr. Dmitriev adds, the cost of spider – metallized plastic bags with wet food – since the beginning of March has increased by 15% year by the year.

Alina Migacheva