Pet stores in the U.S. - statistics & facts

In the United States, a very large number of people own pet animals, such as cats, dogs, fish, birds, among several other types. To give an example of the sheer quantity, around 69 million American households owned at least one dog. In order to take care of all of their pets, U.S. consumers have several options when buying pet food, toys, supplies, etc.

Pet stores in the U.S.

The total number of pet stores in the United States amounted to just over 17,800. In the coming five years, the number of pet establishments is projected to reach nearly 18,500. Similarly, the number of U.S.-based pet businesses is expected to grow over the next few years. With a market share of approximately 29 and 16 percent, respectively, PetSmart and Petco were by far the leading pet retail enterprises in the United States.

Consumer behavior

While there are stores specifically for pet food and supplies all around the United States, they are not always the first choice among consumers who own pet animals. When asked where they had bought food for their pet most recently, an estimated 23 percent of U.S. consumers stated they had gone to a discount store or mass merchandiser. Many Americans also visited supermarkets, online outlets, or dollar stores to acquire such goods.

Online pet retail

Since the dawn of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there have also been changes in the online pet retail industry: for example, close to 20 percent of pet owners in the United States started buying pet food and supplies more often due to the spread of COVID-19. Amazon.com, Chewy.com, and PetSmart.com were among the leading online e-commerce websites, consumers had purchased from amid the virus. Although the physical store is still the most common way consumers across the globe buy pet products, there is most definitely a growing trend towards buying online.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Emma Bedford, Aug 31, 2023

Key insights

Share of U.S. households owning a cat
32%
Pet food sales worldwide
123.6bn USD
Number of PetSmart stores in North America
1,650
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Number of pet owning households in the United States in 2023, by species (in millions)

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Leading pet specialty chains in North America as of March 2022, based on number of stores

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