American pet products are experiencing a surge in online consumption! Analysis of the shopping preferences of the three main groups

According to a recent report from the American Pet Products Association (APPA), millennials are the largest group of pet owners, accounting for 32% of pet-owning households in the U.S. Baby boomers and Generation X are the second and third largest groups of pet owners (27% and 24%, respectively).

Different generations also have unique preferences when it comes to purchasing pet products, and understanding the unique attitudes and behaviors of each generation is critical for brands to meet their needs.

From purchasing to finding new pet products, consumers of all ages are increasingly turning to online channels. The report shows that since 2018, the number of online purchases of pet care products has increased among all generations, with the highest proportion of online purchases among millennials (62%).

Online shopping preference analysis

As mentioned earlier, online pet care shopping has increased across all generations, with Gen Z and Millennials having the highest percentage of online pet care purchases across all categories. More than 80% of Gen Z and Millennials said they had purchased pet food and/or treats online in the past 12 months, significantly more than Gen X or Baby Boomers.

The same trend holds true for all other pet care items in the survey. Younger pet owners are purchasing pet medications, toys, litter/bedding, grooming supplies, vitamins/supplements, and other supplies online at significantly higher rates than older generations. Gen Z and Millennials are also more likely to purchase pet care online through a subscription model.

New product discovery channels

The survey shows that the Internet has replaced physical stores as the number one way pet owners learn about new pet products. Millennials have the biggest change in behavior, with 74% using the Internet to discover products and only 37% looking for them in stores. Baby boomers, on the other hand, report an equal percentage of looking in stores and using the Internet.

When it comes to consumers’ online discovery channels, 47% of millennials and 43% of Gen Z pet owners say they learn about new pet products through social media. Specifically, more millennials cite Facebook and YouTube as their primary discovery platforms, while Gen Z shows a strong preference for YouTube. Gen X pet owners also learn about new pet products through Facebook, while more baby boomers visit pet product brand websites.

Preferred delivery method for online shopping

The survey shows that Gen Z pet owners prefer to buy pet care supplies online and pick them up in store, with 25% or less choosing to have the items delivered to their home and 30% picking them up curbside.

Among millennial and Gen X pet owners, 30% to 40% choose home delivery when shopping online. For most items, 40% to 50% prefer in-store pickup options.

When asked how they think their online purchasing methods will change in the next year, millennials were the highest percentage to predict an increase in online pet purchases. In fact, across all demographics, less than 10% of pet owners expect their use of online purchasing to decrease, while nearly half say their use of these methods will remain the same.

Editor ✎ Xiao Zhu/

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