Petcare & E-commerce: Between Emotion, Growth, and Innovation

1. A Continuously Growing Market with Strong Emotional Value

The pet care sector is experiencing exceptional momentum. In France, it now accounts for over 5 billion euros and continues to grow. This is a structural trend driven by a major fact: more than one in two households now owns a pet.

This growth is particularly evident in e-commerce, with a 22% increase over two years. Pet parents, as they are now called, represent a high-value customer base: they generate 25% more FMCG sales than households without pets.

Moreover, this market is one of the few that remains resilient during crises. It is truly a “sacralised” sector, as the emotional bond between humans and animals intensifies. The term pet parent illustrates this transformation: the animal is no longer just a companion but a family member.

Some surprising figures highlighting the scale of this phenomenon:

• Globally, the pet care industry is projected to grow by over 45% by 2030, reaching $500 billion.

• In 2024, 58% of strollers sold in South Korea were purchased… for pets.

• In the UK, 80% of residents consider their pet the love of their life, 45% see them as their child, and 1 in 8 people who wish to write a will want to leave their inheritance to their four-legged companion.

We are no longer talking about just a market, but a global sociocultural phenomenon redefining the relationship between consumption, well-being, and emotional connection.

2. Key Challenges in E-commerce

The rise of online shopping brings new challenges for this segment, whether for brands or retailers.

Rich product ranges… but complex to navigate

Today, pet care offers hundreds of references, organised around multiple benefits: digestion, mobility, weight loss, pleasure, health, varied formats, specialised recipes…

However, 63% of pet owners have never changed their pet’s diet since adoption. This figure reveals a lack of clarity in product offerings and a need for shoppers to be guided through the vast array of products.

Complexity amplified in E-commerce

With such diverse ranges, how can the benefits of each product be explained or specific needs addressed when no specialised advisor is present?

Moreover, since pets cannot speak or directly express their needs or discomforts, how can owners know what their pet truly requires — especially if they lack expertise?

Many pet parents therefore hesitate to buy these products online, preferring physical stores where they can consult professionals, examine packaging, read information, and feel reassured.

To overcome these barriers, e-commerce players must recreate a climate of trust by providing clarity, advice, and personalisation — all essential elements to reduce the pressure associated with this crucial purchase, while streamlining the journey and saving time.

This is where enriched product pages, secondary visuals, clear benefits, and contextual advice become invaluable.

Focus on Drive, in a few figures

• 1 in 5 shoppers cannot find the product they are looking for, simply because they struggle to navigate the site.

• 1 in 2 shoppers owns a pet (cat or dog), but fewer than 1 in 4 baskets contain pet care products on Drive.

Providing Advice, Information… and Useful Surprises

E-commerce should not be treated merely as a transactional channel. It must become a true service and advisory tool.

Thanks to recommendation solutions, it is possible to inform and educate pet parents about lesser-known needs. A telling example: periodontal disease is one of the most common conditions in dogs, yet few owners know that specific treats exist for dental hygiene.

In this context, a recommendation such as: “Have you considered taking care of your dog’s teeth?” becomes highly relevant.

Thus, surprise is essential to break, or rather cultivate, purchasing routines, but it must be useful, relevant, and directly linked to the consumer’s needs to provide real added value.

It is precisely this logic of useful surprise that transforms e-commerce into a trusted service.

3. When Matcha and Mars Transform the Shopping Experience

To address all these challenges, Matcha and Mars have combined their expertise to develop a product recommendation solution specifically designed for pet care.

Matcha makes recommendations based on the shopper’s search or primary input and enriches the information on each product. This essential component, previously missing in online pet care navigation, adapts to the specificities of each e-commerce player — whether a supermarket chain, pure player, or specialised distributor.

An intelligent recommendation solution enhanced by Mars Petcare’s market expertise

The algorithm developed by Matcha finely analyses shopper needs and offers personalised suggestions: kibble, wet food, treats, formats, desired benefits, and even pet profiles (age, weight, sensitivities, specific issues).

This approach profoundly transforms the online shopping experience:

• Simplified purchasing journey

• More intuitive navigation

• Enriched and educational product pages

• Easier discovery of new product lines

• Improved conversion rates

• Enhanced loyalty

Catherine Blandin describes the solution as “custom-made, haute couture, enabling simple, easy navigation and quick access to the right product.”

This promise is confirmed by early results: since its launch this summer, 1 in 3 shoppers already uses Matcha in their purchasing journey, with significant gains in conversion and average order value.

Conclusion

Pet care is no longer just a retail segment: it is a hyper-growth market driven by passionate, demanding consumers and major technological innovations.

The partnership between Matcha and Mars Petcare perfectly illustrates this movement: a concrete response to the demands for clarity, personalisation, and trust.

The future of pet care will be digital, personalised… and deeply centered on the unique bond uniting pet parents with their companions.