Positive emotions are important: Ukrainians are spending more on pets
30 April 15:56
During the war, Ukrainians spend more on their pets, but the number of units in the check is almost the same as it was in 2021. This is evidenced by a study conducted by the Association of Retailers of Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to Suziria Group, Ukraine’s pet market has shown steady growth even during the war – by almost 20% annually in 2021-24.
How the volume and structure of costs are changing
In the MasterZoo network, which is part of the Suziria Group, the total amount of expenses, for example, depends on the type of pet. Thus, customers with terrarium pets spent the most during the year – an average of UAH 14,600. General trends also persist: spending on dogs is 20% higher on average than on cats. This is due to the peculiarities of care, the need for ammunition, clothing, and active leisure. In 2024, dog owners spent approximately 13,500 UAH per year, while the cost of cats was about 11,200 UAH. The lowest average annual expenses are for rodents – UAH 8,700, and birds – UAH 9,300.
The Epicenter chain, which develops the Lapki project, has also recorded an increase in spending on pets in recent years. While in 2021, a customer spent an average of UAH 218 per visit, in 2024 it was already UAH 350.
“This year, the chain predicts a further increase in average spending by about 20%,” comments Svetlana Lisanti, Lapki Project Development Director.
“However, the average number of items in a receipt in the Epicenter chain is the same as it was before 2022 – 4-5 items. At the same time, the share of sales in the economy segment has decreased to 30% in favor of the premium segment – 33%.
On the Rozetka marketplace, customers spent an average of 7% more on their pets last year than in 2023 and 43% more than in 2021. And the average check in 2024 in the pet category increased by 16% compared to 2023 and by 39% compared to 2021.
In dog and cat food, there is a noticeable trend towards an increase in the share of holistic food, while the share of economy class food is decreasing. The premium class is growing slightly in cat food and decreasing slightly in dog food.
On the Maudau marketplace, spending on pets last year was slightly higher than in 2023.
“In 2024, the trend of shifting sales from premium food to the medium segment also continued,” says Maksym Fetisov, Head of Pet Products at Maudau.
It is predicted that in 2025, cost growth will remain within 20%.
What affects the level of spending
MasterZoo says that the trend of not saving on pets began to form even before the war, during the Covid period, when people started working more from home and staying with their pets longer.
Today, every pet is usually a full-fledged family member, a personality with a character and preferences. Therefore, there is a growing demand not only for basic food, but also for products that bring emotional engagement – treats, toys, interactive gadgets, and customized accessories.
Attention is also growing to the composition, format, and taste: new products are being tried (for example, vegan delicacies or alternative proteins), and products with added benefits are being chosen.
At the same time, Maudau recognizes that people are now forced to save money on animals. However, according to Maksym Fetisov, Head of Pet Products, since there are many must-have products, such as feed or veterinary medicines, customers cannot completely refuse to make such purchases.
What characterizes the Ukrainian pet food market?
A striking manifestation of the attractiveness of the Ukrainian market is the fact that the top three global brands – Nestle Purina, Mars Petcare and Hill’s Pet Nutrition – are directly present on it. Many other leading global pet food companies also operate in Ukraine, either directly or indirectly. Every year, importers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in Ukraine. And, of course, hundreds of national and regional pet business entities operate successfully here. Newfood magazine writes about this.
International and Ukrainian businesses are attracted by the large current size of the Ukrainian feed market, and even more so by its high potential in the future.
Ukraine is among the top 10 countries in Europe by the number of pets
According to the FEDIAF report, there are almost 7.6 million cats in Ukraine, more than 4.9 million dogs, and about 3 million pets, rodents, turtles, fish, etc.
Currently, there are several times more pets in Ukraine than, for example, in such European countries as Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, or Sweden. Therefore, the capacity of the Ukrainian market is already as large as the Austrian, Czech, and other markets.
