The Italian pet retailer landscape in a nutshell

The increase in the pet population in Italy in recent times is also impacting demand at the points of sale. It is believed that 12.2 million Italian households bought dog and cat food in 2021. That’s 1 million more than the previous year, with the offline channel as the preferred place to purchase.

Supermarkets own pet stores

According to the latest data from the Association for Pet Feeding and Care (ASSALCO), nearly 30% of the sales of dog and cat food in the country happen in supermarkets. After seeing the industry’s potential, some of the big players launched their own pet store brands too.

Conad, the biggest supermarket chain in Italy launched PetStore Conad in 2016. In 2022 it opened 29 new locations, growing to 120 pet stores nationwide – and it expects to open another 20-25 stores in 2023. Sales in 2022 accounted for €90 million ($98.1M), a yearly increase of 40%. PetStore Conad sells 11,000 items, from nutrition to grooming products and a wide range of accessories. It also offers pet care services, such as grooming and self-service pet cleaning.

The second biggest supermarket chain in the country, Selex, also has its own pet store brand. Going under the name of Animali Che Passione (‘Animals What a Passion’), it offers between 7,000 and 8,000 items.

Marco Tombolesi, Petshop Category Manager for Gruppo Selex, said to PETS International that they had recently noticed a growth in the sale of dietetic products and plant-based litter.

Most specialty stores in Europe

Italy is the country in Europe with the highest number of specialty pet stores – more than 5,900 in 2021, according to Statista. Around 14% of pet food purchases are done through this specialist channel.

The landscape changed slightly last year, when Arcaplanet and Maxi Zoo – part of the Fressnapf Group – announced the intention to combine their businesses. The merger resulted in the formation of the biggest pet retailer in Italy and the third in Europe.

The Italian antitrust authority, however, obliged both companies to sell between 50 and 70 shops to avoid having a “dominant position” in the market. Pet food manufacturer Cerere and retailer PDP bought 61 of those shops in northern Italy, and in 2022 they launched Petmark, a new player in the pet retailing market.