The idea of pet ownership remains firmly imbedded in our psyche and we stand united in believing that our pets make a positive contribution to our lives
New Delhi, November 27, 2019:The pet industry is very different since I was young. Now there are doggy day cares, pet cafes, pet bakeries, dog parks, mobile dog grooming, etc. As their role in families has changed, we now are encompassing their lives with ours and our current lifestyle choices.
Years ago, you would walk down the grocery aisle for pet foods and it only consisted of a small selection of available pet products. Though still new to this Part of the world, a visit abroad will reveal both sides of a full aisle that may also include a fridge filled with fresh pet food options. There are multiple pet supply stores for consumers to shop from with their best friend and many other retail stores that pets are now welcomed in. Whatever you might want to give to yourself and your children, you might want to do for your pets as well. This translates into pet owners expressing their personality via merchandise for their dogs – be it Stars Wars gear, themed t-shirts, or elaborate costumes.
Current trends show larger groups of consumers are selecting sustainable all natural foods and products, they are also wanting it for their pets also. It’s created an explosion of products that come in flavours from lobster roll, to green juice, to pizza crust. These are all names that sound yummy to your own ears. People’s penchant for techie products is also extended to pets with smart crates, GPS activity trackers and social media apps like BarkHappy. Continuing lifestyle trends for pets involve taking your dog to work, organized dog sports, co-parenting, DNA testing, and Fido comforts are included in home renovations with their own bathing and bed areas. They are becoming more a part of the family and as such are creating changes in how we live with them. This tendency to market dog products as if they were for people is reflected and reinforced by mainstream advertising and media.
In short, we’re treating our dogs as if they were our children. More of us are living alone and millennials are waiting to get married and have children. Meanwhile, retired people are living longer, healthier lives. These multiple trends culminate in a sizeable percentage of the population that has the money, time, and emotional space to treat a pet as if it were a child. Just like new parents, we are obsessed with documenting our dogs’ daily lives on social media. More than 50% of incoming dogs arrive with their own Instagram accounts and one in 10 pets has its own social media account. And most of them have way more followers than me! People cut back on vacations, they cut back on the number of times they go out to eat, they cut back on a lot of other things— but they’re not going to get rid of their pet.
-Editorial by Karan Verma, Buddy Life Magazine
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