Gaining insight into Belgian pet parents’ purchasing behavior

Fresh data from the Belgian Association of Pet Food Manufacturers and Distributors (BEPEFA) shared with PETS International shows the current picture of consumer behavior in the country when it comes to pet products.

Retail preferences

Pet stores and supermarkets continue to be the preferred channels for Belgian pet parents to purchase pet food and supplies. Dog owners prefer pet stores the most (72%), while cat parents mostly buy these items from supermarkets (80%).

Supermarkets are the preferred retail channel for daily purchases, with 11% of Belgian pet parents using them every week. The number of pet parents who visit pet stores weekly is just 3%.

However, as many as 37% of Belgian pet parents visit a pet store monthly, which is followed by supermarkets (30%). The number of pet owners who buy pet food from their vets on a monthly basis, meanwhile, has declined from 12% in 2023 to just 7% this year.

Nearly 70% of Belgian pet owners buy pet supplies via offline channels, while more than half say they use online channels at least once a year.

Purchasing habits

Almost half of the respondents said they go to a store having already decided on which pet food to buy, while over a quarter (28%) compare the brands in-store or on the store’s website, and 20% do not pay attention to the brands they buy.

In 2023, price was one of the top 3 most important factors involved in pet food purchasing decisions for almost half of the respondents (49%), followed by food tailored to their pet’s particular life stage (45%) and food with high palatability (41%).

Origin (6%), sustainability (9%) and where specific ingredients came from (9%) ranked least important.

Expenditure and inflation

The data reveals that Belgian pet parents are willing to spend a maximum of €107.60 ($115.60) per month on their pets, with pet food representing up to €70.10 ($75.30) of this.

Nearly 4 out of 10 pet parents look to spend between €26 ($27.90) and €50 ($53.70) each month on pet food. This is followed by those with a budget of up to €25 ($26.80).

According to the BEPEFA, 64% of pet parents in Belgium say they are ready to pay more for pet care costs in the current inflationary environment. This figure has improved by 3% compared with 2023.

The number of consumers looking for cheaper options decreased from 19% in 2023 to 17% this year.