Gen Z to Boomers: How each generation is reshaping pet spending habits

Buying pet products monthly remains the most common purchasing pattern among US pet owners, with 35% buying once a month, led by Gen X (38%), according to a new survey of 2,151 US consumers by the retail analytics platform First Insight.

Nearly 3 in 10 respondents purchase pet products weekly or more frequently, with Millennials leading this group at 39%. 

Meanwhile, 11% shop once every few months, a behavior most common among Gen Z consumers (13%), while 5% buy pet products rarely or only once or twice a year, also led by Gen Z (8%).

Premium spending vs. private label

Overall, only 13% of consumers opt for private-label pet products, while 22% seek value products. Boomers are the most willing to pay a premium for pet products, with 29% identifying the category as a spending priority, slightly ahead of skincare and beauty products (28%).

Willingness to spend more on pet products falls to 21% among both Gen X and Millennials, while skincare and beauty products rank higher for these generations at 26% and 23%, respectively.

Gen Z is the least likely to pay a premium for pet products, at 20%. Instead, health and wellness products emerge as the generation’s leading premium category, cited by 25% of respondents.

Meanwhile, this generation opts for private labels in categories such as food and beverage (31%), household items (24%), and health and wellness (16%). Pet products rank lowest, at 14%.

First Insight data show that Gen Z consumers make conscious trade-offs: saving on staples where products feel interchangeable, and investing in categories tied to health, identity and self-expression.

Retail and subscription 

Online retailers are the most popular pet product channel among Gen Z (36%), Millennials (37%) and Boomers (37%), while Gen X consumers show a preference for big-box retailers (39%). 

Millennials recorded the highest average channel participation rate (21%), ahead of Gen Z (20%), Gen X (18%) and Boomers (16%).

Meanwhile, 27% of Gen Z consumers currently subscribe to pet food or pet supply services, although food and beverage remains their most popular subscription category at 34%. Among Millennials, 24% have active pet subscriptions, compared with just 16% among both Gen X and Boomers.

But the older generations present growth potential for the category. Overall, 31% of consumers say they would be willing to subscribe to pet products. Millennials lead at 35%, followed by Gen X and Boomers at 33% each, while Gen Z reports the lowest level at 27%.

Consumer preference

Quality is the leading driver of pet product purchases across generations, though its importance varies by age, ranging from 24% among Gen Z respondents to 46% among Boomers.

First Insight also shows that 39%-41% of Gen Z decisions are driven by sustainability, social proof and packaging.

In terms of brand preference, Purina ONE ranks first overall at 39%, driven largely by Boomers (53%). It is followed by Pure Balance (26%), which performs better among Millennials (32%). 

Ollie ranks third at 18% overall and shows its strongest appeal among Gen Z consumers (24%), while Stella & Chewy’s is cited by 17% of respondents overall and by 18% of both Gen Z and Millennials.