5 Pet Industry Trends To Utilize in 2023

Pet industry trends are trends for a reason– they’re constantly changing. And sometimes, as a crazy busy pet business owner, it can be tough to keep up, let alone stay ahead! 

But the reality is that staying on top of the trends and trying to foresee them is important to continue working to your strengths and differentiate your pet business. 

Have no fear– Pet Boss Nation® is here to point out incoming trends and steer you toward how to utilize them in your pet business. 

Here are five trends you can expect to see (and can utilize yourself!) in the pet industry in 2023: 

1- Stand out with specialty services. 

What’s your specialty, Pet Boss? 

Specialty services are on the rise, and while this doesn’t mean you need to cut out other services and completely niche down, it does mean you can focus more of your efforts on your strengths and what your pet business is most well-known for. 

For example, are you a retailer who sells a lot of health-focused or raw food products? Are you a dog trainer who specializes in reactive dog behavior? Are you a dog walker who caters to extra shy pets? Can you offer in-home vet tech solutions to pet parents? 

Debi Hufstedler, the owner of Lucky Puppy Nail Specialists is a great example of honing in on a “niche” service. Debi’s business not only offers DIY self-wash stations, but they focus heavily on alternative nail shortening options for pet parents who struggle to trim their own dog’s nails! 

Find your “thing” this year and focus your marketing there. You’re about to be the go-to for your specialty service! 

2- Subscription services.

Who doesn’t love the convenience of a subscription service? 

Pet parents appreciate them too, and we’re seeing a lot of subscription services on the rise in 2023. Now, if you’re thinking, “I don’t have the time to put a box together every month…” Don’t worry! Subscription services in the pet industry can be a little bit “outside of the box.” 😜

You can start a subscription model service for almost anything– like group walking clubs, training services, food delivery, routine grooming care, online pet parent education, or automated product refills. 

If you do want to explore a monthly box, there’s room for your ideas in the industry too! “Barkday” boxes are gaining popularity, but you can theme a box around almost anything– holidays, “Gotcha” days, and so much more! 

So ask yourself– “Is there room for a subscription service in my pet business?”

3- Millennial pet parents.

Did you know that 76% of millennials are pet parents? And they make up almost a third of the entire pet parent population? 

It’s time to start focusing some of your marketing efforts on the millennial pet parent. Those numbers cannot be ignored! 

➡️ Where are millennials hanging out online?

➡️ How can you reach them more successfully?

➡️ What do they value, and how can you incorporate that into your marketing?

Millennials cater to their pets, and as a pet business, it’s time we started catering and supporting them in their pursuit to give their pets the best life possible. 

If you’re not sharing videos on social media, you may miss out on reaching the millennial audience. Try hosting some millennial-focused events within your business, too! Younger generations of pet parents love to get together and socialize with their best fur-iends. 

Need some inspo? We’d consider Pet Boss Club® member Maddie Shutts, the owner of Modern Companion in Chapin, South Carolina to be a social media millennial-reaching guru! Maddie knows how to cater to a millennial audience with engaging video content, and it certainly shows in her over 35K Tik Tok followers and her 33K Instagram followers!

4- Frozen and gently cooked pet food. 

We will continue to see so much innovation in pet food products within the pet industry this year! 

Samantha Youngblood, the owner of Youngblood Natural Animal Care Center and Massage, recently mentioned that the frozen food space is BOOMING, and while she has ten freezers to store food– they simply can’t keep up! 

Gently cooked pet food options are also on the rise. Home cooking has been a growing industry in general ever since the start of the pandemic, and that is certainly carrying over into pet parents cooking for their pets!  Not to mention all of these options are more sustainable in both their sourcing and their packaging. 

So talk to your customers! Do some market research to determine their questions surrounding their pets’ food. Are they interested in frozen or gently cooked options? Ask your suppliers what trends they’re seeing, and consider bringing in foods that make sense for your customer base. 

5- Virtual options for pet parents, especially courses and digital products. 

The virtual world has remained the ruler 👑 of how we do things (ever since the start of that pesky pandemic.)  Don’t expect the need for virtual options to slow down! 

If you’re a retailer→ Can you offer virtual education about your products and why they’ll benefit your customers and their pets? Can you sell an online course related to your specialty? 

If you’re a groomer→ Gain exposure by hosting a virtual demonstration of cutting a dog or cat’s nails! Sell an evergreen course to teach pet parents grooming techniques they can do at home. 

If you’re a trainer→ Offer virtual training classes, either live or pre-recorded so your customer can work at their own pace and on their own time. 

If you’re a pet sitter→ Upsell with virtual pet check ins! 

If you’re looking for help and support within your pet business, perhaps hiring someone virtually will be a game changer for you this year. Do you need email marketing support, a social media manager, a bookkeeper, or someone else that can help you elevate your biz in 2023? 

Which of these trends will you be focusing on this year? Jump into our free pet industry Facebook group and discuss! We can’t wait to see which of these trends helps you elevate your pet business and increase your revenue in 2023. 

Learn more with us!

• Need 1:1 support to make massive action now? Book a discovery call with us to see if working 1:1 with Candace is the right fit for you.

• Get on the waitlist! You’re passionate about pets. It’s time to have a business that supports the life you want, too! Learn the specific techniques to find new customers, to increase sales and to build a better team for ANY kind of pet business by joining the Pet Boss Club! Get on the waitlist here.