Zesty Paws’ future plans in Asia and the Middle East

Hong Kong-based H&H Group acquired the brand in 2021, with a priority to expand the portfolio further than the US.

The company wants to take advantage of the Asian pet market potential to roll out products in the region. GlobalPETS learned that it plans to build the brand in Taiwan, South Korea, and some Southeast Asian countries, such as Singapore.

“We are going to focus on “pet people” who mainly consume on e-commerce and online community as the first step followed by pet specialty stores,” said Wayne Wang, Regional Manager for Asia & Middle East for H&H Group’s pet nutrition brands. 

The company expects these markets to produce double-digit growth in 2023 in Asia. 

Zesty Paws has recently developed some commercial partnerships, including Hong Kong’s largest e-commerce platform HKTV Mall, and Chinese e-commerce giant JD. The brand is also working with various e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia, such as Lazada and Shopee – considered the leading platforms in the region – and Hyundai Department Stores in South Korea. 

Lazada reports that during Asia’s largest shopping festival on 11 November, Zesty Paws became one of the fastest-growing pet care brands, with 2,700% growth against the 9 September promotion.

H&H Group also announced the launch of Zesty Paws into the UK pet market in March as an “exciting first step” into European expansion.

Demand for premium pet supplements

H&H Group has seen a jump in pet nutrition and care sales since the pandemic in Asia, mainly due to the humanization of pets and market openness.

“Consumers are now more willing to spend more money on their pets and on products that benefit their pets’ health and happiness. This is an upgrade from seeing pets as purely functional to an emotional tie,” said Wang.

Wang added that pet parents in the region are also willing to embrace new ideas and products. He and his team are currently sampling products with pet care consumers across markets in Asia, and he admits that it has been very successful with remarkable conversion rates. 

Wang discovered from research that the younger generation of pet people have a “strong willingness to try new products like supplements, premium food, or treats of new brands.”

Building premium pet nutrition brands in the Middle East

H&H Group is also planning to expand its pet nutrition portfolios in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Israel being promising markets for the brand.

The company said that its natural pet food brand Solid Gold posted “significant growth” in the region in 2022, with successful “new market entry” strategies. The brand also established solid footprints in Asian markets such as Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore.

H&H’s plan is to create a long-term demand for both Solid Gold and Zesty Paws, positioning them as go-to premium brands for pet people. Wayne Wang believes that communication and interaction with consumers are key to its success in the still-developing pet market in the Middle East.  

“While the Middle East is not as competitive as other markets like the US and Europe or even in Asia, it’s a very young market with food, with big potential.”

Entering the cat supplement sector

Zesty Paws primarily manufactures dog treats and supplements, but the innovation never stops. As Middle East households usually own more cats, the brand is developing a new range of cat supplements which will be introduced to the market later in 2023.

Wang pointed out that even though Saudi has a very high population of cats, recent consumer data from manufacturers shows that small dog adoptions are increasing rapidly.

The company is also expected to launch new products for cats in Asia as the demand in emerging markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia is high. It also sees a demand for cat products in other emerging markets, including Malaysia and Indonesia, among others.