In the Italian pet sector, sales of pet accessories increased by 29 per cent in value terms last year, although the last quarter saw growth of a "mere" 7.5 per cent. This was revealed in a study by the Italian industry magazine Pet B2B based on the sales data of seven leading companies.
During 2021, sales of non-food products increased by 52.6 per cent in the first quarter (as compared with the same period in the previous year), by 43.4 per cent in the second quarter, by 21.5 per cent in the third quarter and finally by 7.5 per cent in the fourth quarter.
Considered over the entire year, dog beds and cushions (+66.4 per cent), dog toys (+52 per cent) and food for small pets such as birds, tortoises, fish and rodents (+42.1 per cent) achieved the best results. A look at distribution channels shows that pet store chains (+31 per cent) fared slightly better than traditional pet shops (+27.3 per cent).
