New sales record in Germany

At around 4.5 bn euros, sales of pet food in specialist and food retail exceeded the previous year’s result by 11.4 per cent. The accessories segment also grew by 2.7 per cent compared with 2022, with sales of around 1.1 bn euros. In addition, a good 1.3 bn euros was generated via online retail and 161 mio euros for wild bird food. The total turnover of the German pet industry is therefore around 7.1 bn euros.

n the pet food sector, sales increased in almost all pet categories. “The reasons for this are certainly due in part to increased demand,” says Georg Müller, chairman of the German Pet Food Industry Association (IVH). “However, the increase in sales primarily reflects the increased costs incurred by companies for energy, raw materials, packaging and transport,” he adds. “Despite inflation, pet owners asked for premium products to feed and care for their animals, especially in specialised stores,” says Norbert Holthenrich, president of the German Pet Trade and Industry Association (ZZF). “Some pet owners took advantage of discount campaigns or subscriptions in order to ensure high-quality care for their pets despite higher prices. In the area of accessories, purchases were postponed in animal segments such as aquariums and dogs. However, in view of the sustained interest in pet ownership, we assume that this is only a snapshot in time,” continues Holthenrich.  

With total sales of 2.3 bn euros in stationary retail, up 14.4 per cent on the previous year, the cat food market remained the largest food segment in 2023. The most important growth driver was the wet food segment with an increase of 15.3 per cent (over 1.5 bn euros in total). The treats segment, including cat milk, grew…