Although the stock market continues to defy gravity, post pandemic economic challenges exacerbated by tariffs and the Iran war have resulted in what is now often referred to as an “affordability crisis” across the pet market, including in non-medical pet services. It isn’t just a buzz term. Many Americans are struggling to afford basics like gas and groceries, and this is reverberating in the non-medical pet services market in the form of belt-tightening. As shown by Packaged Facts’ August 2026 Survey of Pet Owners, 22% of the pet owners who have or had been grooming customers within the past three years cut back – even more than for veterinary services (19%), with other services also feeling the burn.