DÜSSELDORF/WIESBADEN (dpa-AFX) - Dogs and cats in German households are also feeling the effects of high inflation. The pet owners do not save on food, but very much on spending on accessories such as scratching posts, dog baskets or pet toys, as shown in a market survey published on Wednesday by the Industrieverband Heimtierbedarf (IVH) and the Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe (ZZF).

The sales volumes of pet food had remained largely stable, even though the prices for it had skyrocketed. "In the case of supplies and accessories such as scratching posts, enclosures or technology, on the other hand, the effects of the tight financial situation of many consumers were increasingly felt in 2022, and investments were postponed," said ZZF President Norbert Holthenrich.

Overall, sales in the pet supplies market increased by around 8 percent to just under 6.5 billion euros due to inflation. Food retailers continued to hold their own as the main sales channel for ready-to-eat pet food, with a 62 percent share of sales. Specialist retailers remained the most important sales channel for pet supplies and accessories, with a 79 percent share of sales. The importance of the internet for the purchase of pet products again increased noticeably in 2022. The estimated sales volume of online retailers was around 1.2 billion euros - an increase of 14 percent on the previous year.

According to a representative survey conducted by the market research institute Skopos for IVH and ZZF, there were more than 34 million pets in Germany last year, including 15.2 million cats, 10.6 million dogs and 4.9 million small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and mice. In addition, there were 3.7 million pet birds and uncounted fish and reptiles in millions of aquariums and terrariums./rea/DP/stk