Pet accessories: An insight into purchasing decisions

What pet owners think of accessories

PETS International and Yummypets recently asked pet owners about their overall experience with accessories for their pets. This time, the survey was held among pet parents in Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. In order to get the in-depth answers we were looking for, the survey made a distinction between three types of accessories, namely: toys, functional (leashes, collars and more) and bedding and cushions.

Hot and happening or way past it?

Survey results were pretty clear about one thing: pet toys are here today and gone tomorrow. Toys that are à la mode one day, are old hat the next. Less so, functional accessories and beddings, which pet owners appear to buy less frequently. In fact, 65% of pet owners say they buy toys at least every six months. In comparison, only 28% of pet owners buy functional accessories and beddings in the same period of time.

No wonder, maybe, that pet owners stated they had more toys for their pet than functional accessories or beddings. In plain figures, this boils down to that 80% of responding pet owners say they have more than three toys for their pet, while only around 35% of pet owners say they have more than three functional accessories or beddings for their pet.

Where do pet owners buy accessories?

The place where pet owners go to buy accessories for their beloved housemates is much the same across all countries. Owners do not go to different shops to buy certain accessories. They prefer to go to one pet retail shop, where they can find whatever they (or their pets) need. Whether it is for leashes, toys or bedding, in all countries we looked at, the pet retail shop seems to be the most popular.

There was, however, a significant difference in online purchase behaviour: in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, online takes second place when it comes to buying accessories. In France, pet owners prefer to purchase pet accessories in supermarkets, rather than online.

Brand awareness

More than 70% of pet owners say that it is important that their pet’s accessories come from a proven brand. Once an accessory has been bought, 60% of pet owners say it is not really important if the next purchase is from the same brand or not. The other 40% believe it is important.

Sustainability: a reason to buy?

When asked explicitly whether sustainability is important in the production of their pet’s toys, around 85% of respondents gave a resounding ‘Yes’. Only 15% consider sustainability as not important when buying accessories.

It was therefore remarkable to find that, when pet owners were asked to rank criteria according to their importance for the purchasing decision, sustainability came in third from last! It appears that quality and durability, acceptable prices, and well-designed accessories are more important than sustainability aspects. Brand and fashion are the lowest scoring criteria.

Modern technology

When asked about the importance of modern technologies (IoT, AR, VR, AI) in their pet’s toys, owners seemed hardly interested, with 33.3% of respondents saying that it was not important at all.

Things that matter

The survey results allow us to draw several conclusions. Firstly, pet owners find it important that accessories come from a proven brand. However, not all accessories need to come from the same brand.

Secondly, the preferred purchasing channel is the retail store, scoring significantly higher than online. In France, supermarkets also score far higher than online.

Lastly, although the vast majority of pet owners say that sustainably produced accessories are very important, when it comes to the actual purchasing decision, other buying criteria turn out to be far more important.