Italian pet owners increasingly embracing online shopping
A new survey shows that more than half of people buy more frequently via e-commerce than they did 5 years ago.
Research conducted by the media and research firm Mediatic of 295 pet owners in Italy revealed that nearly 7 in 10 (69%) reported having made at least 1 online purchase for pet products over the past 12 months (up to July 2025).
Notably, 37% reported buying more than half of their pet products online, while 19% said they had bought precisely half of their pet products via digital channels. A smaller portion, 15%, reported making all their pet purchases online.
Compared to 5 years ago, 62% of Italian pet owners say that they are now buying pet products online more often, while only 5% buy more often in-store. 33% cited no changes in their purchasing habits.
According to age, 45% of pet owners under 30 buy more than half of their pet products online, the percentage goes up to 58% among those aged 30-50 and falls to 48% among those over 50.
According to the E-commerce in Italy 2025 report, online sales in the Italian pet sector, which includes food, products and accessories, grew by 7% last year.
Consumer preferences
When it comes to the benefits of purchasing online, price and promotional value were the most popular benefits, cited by 66% of pet owners. This is followed by convenience (64%) and the ability to shop at any time (61%).
Other reasons cited include having a wider selection of products (53%) and avoiding lines (15%), according to the results of the Mediatic survey.
Among the product categories, dry pet food is the most purchased at 64%, followed by wet pet food at 40%, flea and tick control products at 32%, beds, carriers and car/travel products and snacks, both at 27%.
Other common purchases include litter (25%), leash and collar (24%), grooming and hygiene products (21%), pet toys (21%) and other products (10%).
Retail channels
Mediatic’s survey showed that 43% of Italian pet owners prefer to stick to up to 3 e-commerce sites when purchasing online. Meanwhile, 41% prefer to stick predominantly to 1 site, while 16% would shop at more than 3.
The most popular site among them is Zooplus (36%), followed by Amazon (30%). Compared to 2021, Amazon’s preference fell by 9 percentage points. According to Mediatic, this suggests “a progressive shift in preferences towards platforms that specialize in pet food and pet care.”
Those who have not purchased online for over a year mainly use specialized Italian retail chains like Arcaplanet and Isola dei Tesori (47%), small independent stores (25%) and grocery or mass market stores (23%).
Respondents who chose to shop exclusively in-store (31%) cite personalized support and direct advice (53%) that only the store can offer as their reasons. In addition, 18% emphasize the importance of being able to see and touch a product before buying, while 16% find it more convenient to shop in-store to avoid long delivery times or difficulties with returns.
Share this story:
