China's pet food market gains momentum

Companies in China's pet industry are gearing up at full speed for the peak season, ensuring sufficient supply to meet consumers' demand for science-based feeding and emotional connection with their pets.

A plan recently released by six government departments pointed out that China aims to develop 10 consumption hotspots, including pet food and supplies, each exceeding 100 billion yuan (about $14.27 billion) by 2027.

Industry experts say the pet food and supplies market is showing strong growth and structural transformation. The sector has entered a stage of high-quality development driven by product quality, innovation, and emotional value.

Staff members weigh pet food at the Zhongyu Pet Food (Heze) Co., Ltd. in Caoxian county, east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 29, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)

During the "Double 11" shopping festival in 2025, Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com saw the pet category maintain strong growth, with new users buying pet products up around 25 percent year on year.

The shift in consumer demand is particularly evident in pet staple foods. "Pet food has moved from simply filling the stomach to focusing on quality. Pet owners now check ingredients, meat sources, and production processes," said Ms. Li, an experienced cat owner. Consumers are now judging pet food like baby products, demanding safer, richer ingredients and precise nutritional additions.

At Taichong Pet Food in Tai'an, east China's Shandong Province, production of its newly launched steamed staple food is being ramped up.

"The market demand for healthier and more diverse pet foods is strong," said Li Qing, executive director and general manager of the company, adding that the sales volume of the product exceeded 100 tonnes in the first month of launch.

In the Pet Food Industrial Park in Tai'an, six companies have built an efficient ecosystem from raw materials to finished products.

"Once the products roll off the production line, they go straight to a neighboring factory for further processing or packaging," said Zhang Xueliang, deputy general manager of Tai'an Guangyuanda Biotechnology Co., Ltd. The park's annual output value has grown from several hundred million yuan to over 1 billion yuan, creating a virtuous cycle of industrial upgrading and consumption growth.

According to oIBP, a retail supply chain solutions provider, China's pet food market reached approximately 52.9 billion yuan at factory-gate prices in 2024. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan projects that China's pet population will grow at a compound annual rate of 5.8 percent over the next five years, providing a steadily expanding consumer base that will continue to fuel robust demand.