This year's "Double 11" shopping festival once again showed the strength of China's booming pet economy. Pet food generated 9.4 billion yuan (about $1.32 billion) in sales, a 59 percent increase from last year.
KPMG forecasts that China's pet market will surpass 811.4 billion yuan in 2025, and Global Market Insights predicts the global pet heating products market will reach $12 billion by 2032.
Photo shows a cat sitting in a cat bed equipped with an electric heating pad. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)
The surge in demand is obvious in stores.
"Since the temperature dropped, winter pet clothing sales have tripled. We sell more than a dozen pieces a day," said Ms. Tang, who runs a pet shop in Wuhou district, Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Since mid-October, her store has consistently sold 30 winter outfits per week, and total autumn-winter sales are expected to exceed 500 orders.
This shift toward higher-quality products is clearly reflected in what pet owners are putting in their carts. Ms. Liu, a young pet owner born in the 1990s, purchased a temperature-controlled vest, a dedicated heater and a special sun lamp for her Schnauzer.
"I spent nearly 1,000 yuan, the same as a good winter coat for myself. But since its back was shaved, it gets cold easily. It's worth it." She also noted that pet winter fashion has become a popular social media topic.
Personalized needs are also driving new trends. At a pet sewing DIY workshop in Chengdu, more than 100 customers have signed up for classes since October. "Ready-made clothes don't always fit well, but DIY lets owners tailor pieces to their pet's body, or even make anime-themed outfits," said a workshop staff member.
Online sales are booming, too.
On major e-commerce platforms, many winter pet clothing products have already sold over 1,000 units. Data from Zhi-tech Group, an e-commerce portal in China, shows that pet apparel sales during the "Double 11" shopping festival jumped 42 percent year on year.
As winter clothing for cats and dogs becomes a mature product category, rising demand from exotic pet owners is helping push the market from traditional garments into temperature controllers.
Ms. Wu, a resident in Chengdu, who owns three parrots, has replaced her traditional cotton bird nest with a fleece-lined bird nest and a small heater costing over 200 yuan.
"Using the air conditioner alone was expensive. Now the heater keeps the temperature at a steady 25 degrees Celsius and connects to a humidity sensor. The birds no longer huddle or fluff up from the cold."
Behind the wave of upgraded spending is the rapid expansion of the exotic pet market and continuous technological innovation. According to a white paper on China's pet industry, the number of exotic pet owners continued to grow in 2024, with turtles, snakes and geckos among the most popular reptiles. Data shows that around 17.07 million people in China now keep exotic pets, with the market approaching 10 billion yuan in value.
Editor:Cai Xiaohui
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