Digital Dynamics in the Canadian Pet Market

The increasing role of technology in our lives—accelerated by the stay-at-home period of the COVID-19 pandemic—has transformed pet product retailing along with consumer approaches to pet care.

In the Canadian market, as shown by a nationally representative, bilingual survey fielded by Packaged Facts in September-October 2022, 41% of Canadian dog and cat owners agreed that they are buying pet products online more than they used to, up from 36% in the 2020  edition of the report.

Packaged Facts estimates that, as of 2022, e-commerce (including smartphone apps) garnered nearly a fourth (23%) of Canadian retail sales of pet products. But digital dynamics aren’t just about buying products online:

• Among Canadian dog and cat owners, 41% like the idea of buying high-tech/Internet-enabled products for their pets.
• 85% of adult Gen Zers (age 18 to 24) research pet products online, 81% research pet services online, and 72% compare pet product prices online.
• 69% of Millennials (age 25 to 39) like the idea of high-tech pet health products.
• 70% of Gen Zers and 65% of Millennials like the idea of telemedicine in addition to or instead of conventional visits to the vet.

Younger generational cohorts are also signifantly more likely to be loyal to the main websites where they shop for pet products, and to say that technology allows them to save time on pet care and spend more quality time with their pets.

Nonetheless, the more enthusiastic adoption of pet product shopping online (as is the case for British Columbia vs. Quebec) underscores the importance and perseverance of regional preferences in the Canadian pet market.

Read more in the new report Canadian Pet Market Survey 2022.