Pampered pets
Globally, pet owners spoil their cuddly critters more and more with designer outfits, beauty treatments and quality diets.
Crystal-encrusted drinking bowls
According to Euromonitor, there are three types of cash-splashing pet owners. Mainstream humanisers, who account for about two thirds of pet owners, choose reliable premium brands. The 20 to 30% of pet owners who are so-called ‘anti-humanisers’ opt for smaller, ethical brands over large brands. Extreme humanisers, who make up around 5% of pet owners, tend to be high spenders who value status, exclusivity and fashion and see their pets as a personal accessory. This group is most likely to buy designer outfits and crystal-encrusted drinking bowls.
Star Wars gear
US pet owners spend most on their pets. The United States is a country that loves to indulge its animals. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), US pet owners spent $60.28 billion (€56.35 billion) on their pets in 2015. In 2016, this number is expected to jump to $62.75 billion (€58.66 billion). Meanwhile, the percentage of pet owners has remained relatively stable, rising just 3% from 2010. According to the APPA, today approximately 65% of US households own pets, which means that average spending far outstrips the growth of the pet population. “If you look at the amount of money per capita that we spend on pets, it’s absolutely stunning,” says Harold Herzog, a professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, in the article ‘Pets are basically people’ on the website Fortune.com. “Whatever you might want to give yourself and your children, you might want to do for your pets as well,” says George Pura, an analyst from Packaged Facts in the same article. “This translates into pet owners expressing their personality via merchandise for their pets, be it Star Wars gear, themed T-shirts of their favourite sports teams, or Halloween costumes.”
Love, affection and status
In an interview with the online newspaper The Telegraph, Paula Flores, head of pet care research at Euromonitor, states: “There are a number of reasons why pet owners spend so much on their pets. On the one hand, a lot of people are single and increasingly lonely, living in more dehumanised societies. On the other hand, there are also the DINKS: Double Income No Kids. Couples delay marriage and their first child, so pets are often the recipients of their love and affection. And in many emerging markets, splashing out on pets is a way to show status, and also a reflection of westernisation.”