With pets increasingly viewed as substitutes for children or supplements for larger families (particularly among younger consumers globally – see Key Stats), smart retailers are creating spaces featuring pet playgrounds for animals and social clubs for ‘pawrents’. The latter assuages adult loneliness, putting a branded spin on pets’ ability to bring owners together.

With pet care spending in Asia Pacific growing at nearly 10% annually until 2028, hitting $77.2bn (Verified Market Research, 2024), pet brands are commandeering design codes more commonly seen in luxury fashion flagships to put pets on a pedestal. Highlights include high-end-spa-esque animal hotels and retro-futuristic deluxe in-store veterinary clinics.

The global pet supplements market is forecast to reach $3.1bn by 2030 (Custom Market Insights, 2022), with many pet parents taking an individualised approach to their animals’ health – echoing their own desire for self-optimisation. A new breed of supplement brands (dominated by the canine category) is winning with strategies including the humanisation of pets via shrewd brand messaging and 24/7 vet advice.

Countering Asia’s ultra-luxe flagships, other retailers are creating one-stop shops with an emphasis on affordability and democratising specialist care. These concepts cater to an especially dedicated cohort: lower-income pet owners, who are more likely to say their animal is as much a part of their family as a human than higher-income households – 64% versus 43% (Pew, 2023).