International Edition
2019
With ~75% of the revenues from the Top 10 cities
and their catchment areas, a pet retail chain with
an Omni-channel approach would find India to
be a very high growth market
connecting pet parents to
the right canine behaviorists,
dog walkers and other service
providers as trust will be key to
drive loyalty.
Th e product assortment
will also change and while
Food shall remain the largest
category as is globally,
supplements, toys, accessories
and grooming products will
grow even faster as the overall
well-being of the pet will
become key to the consumer’s
mind. Th e interesting aspect
of India is that pet parents
in many cases choose a diet
in line with their dietary
preferences so Chicken,
Mutton and Fish based diets
will be the major growth
drivers, and even Vegetarian
diets would fi nd a place.
subject matter expertise on
the nutritional, lifestyle and
behavioral needs of pets in
order to ensure a better retail
experience for the pet parents.
And brands will have to play
a big role in up-skilling the
sales force, but it would be an
easier task than today. Today,
stand-alone stores lack these
aspects, and in many cases, the
staff would not even be aware
of the attributes and benefi ts of
products, but this is all set to
change.
Merchandising will become
key to ensure brands stand-
out and in-store shopping will
change from just being a chore
to being an experience.
Besides, a lot of stores are
poised to open with facilities
for grooming, as that would
signifi cantly drive the
Customer Life Time Value,
and further strengthen the
initiatives of experiential
marketing. Th ese retail chains
will have to focus on also
Should you be looking
foreward to enter the pet
retail industry in India?
Absolutely. With ~75% of
revenues from the Top 10
cities and their catchment
areas, a pet retail chain with an
Omni-channel approach would
fi nd India to be a very high
growth market. Th e key would
be to select stores at strategic
locations with a prudent
trade off between cost of real
estate and in-store footfalls.
Hence, the Omni-channel
approach. It would be advisable
to work with a local partner
to understand the customer
segmentation, as the market
is clearly divided into the
premium, mass premium and
mass segments
Does the future look bright
for pet retail in India?
It’s a no-brainer, and the
answer is a big YES. With
calorifi c consumption of pet
food at less than 10% (as
compared to the high 70s in
mature markets) and close to a
million pets adopted each year,
this industry has the potential
to register high growth rates
for decades. Further, the rise
in nuclear families, working
couples, high rise buildings,
and higher disposable income
will increase the demand for
both quality and consistency
of products and services. And
not to mention, the increased
awareness with high mobile
penetration with further drive
growth. At the current growth
rates, the Pet Care Industry
in India would be a Billion
dollar strong in 5 to 6 years,
a formidable market and an
opportunity not to be missed.
* Founder, PetSutra, LinkedIn
profi le (https://www.linkedin.com/
in/amolsharmapetsutra/)
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Creature Companion | • Noida