How Pet Retailers Can Advance in a Competitive Market

The pet industry is booming… and the competition is heating up.

Global pet spend is projected to soar from $320 billion today to $500 billion by 2030, and with consumers increasingly viewing their pets as family, it’s no surprise that major retail players are investing heavily in the category. A few years ago, Walmart launching its premium Pro+ private label line and teaming up with pet media brands, or pure play ecommerce retailers gaining traction with millennial shoppers, the message is clear: Pet retail is a high-stakes game and winning it demands better data, impactful strategies, and smarter pricing.

Walmart’s Bold Bet in Pet

Walmart launched PRO+ to directly compete in the “super-premium” pet food category, a segment that has seen significant growth as pet owners increasingly “humanize” their pets and seek higher-quality, veterinarian-formulated options. By offering these products at a lower price point than comparable national brands, Walmart aims to make premium pet food more accessible. This strategy aligns with the trend of private brands growing quickly thanks to consumer focus on value and quality.

While this may attract value-driven shoppers, it raises big questions for other retailers:

• Do I know where my private label stands against national products?
• How do you respond without eroding margin?
• Can your promotions keep pace?
• Do you have visibility into what’s happening on the shelf?

These are tough questions, and the answer starts with a clear view of the market.

The Critical Role of Competitive Intelligence

In today’s pet economy, success favors the prepared. Retailers must build a data-driven foundation that captures pricing, promotion, assortment, and availability data.

1. Full Coverage Data Collection

To compete across channels, your data must span:

• Sources (websites, mobile apps, APIs, in-store shelves)
• Promo variants (flyers, coupons, deals)
• Ratings and reviews
• Zip-code level detail

2. Automated Product Matching

Machine-learning product matching is a necessity. Accurately linking identical or comparable SKUs is the foundation for reliable competitive comparisons and analytics.

If you can’t match at scale, you can’t optimize at scale.

3. Actionable Dashboards & Decision Support

Your competitive intelligence program should go beyond data collection and product matching. Let ClearDemand act as your analytical arm with:

• Descriptive, diagnostic, and predictive analytics
• Geographic-level price and assortment visibility
• Real-time promotional tracking
• Clear next steps, not just reports

Imagine knowing when a competitor drops the price on a top-selling 30-lb bag of dog food, or when they roll out a new pack size or flavor. With the right insights, you can respond before you lose share.

Avoid the Price Race to the Bottom

While some retailers may be driving prices down – that doesn’t mean you should follow blindly. A knee-jerk pricing reaction can erode your brand and margin.

Instead:

• Pinpoint first-mover pricing opportunities and threats
• Match against private labels, perishables, and national brands (plus add ad-hoc matches)
• Consider total value and product differentiation, not just price

Strategic retailers win by being smarter.

Use your competitive data to:

• Track assortment gaps and opportunities
• Identify which products are exclusive or duplicated across channels
• Monitor out-of-stocks that could open doors for you
• Evaluate the impact of promotions, pack sizes, and new formats

Without this full visibility, every pricing and promotional move is a gamble.

The Pet Retail Playbook for Growth

Despite economic headwinds, pet spending remains resilient. Pet ownership is expanding, with 94 million US households now owning at least one pet in 2024, up from 82 million in 2023. Consumers continue to trade up, personalize, and prioritize pet well-being. Plus 51% of pet product buyers shop online, while 47% prefer in-store purchases, highlighting the importance of an omnichannel retail strategy.

To grow, your strategy must include: accurate product reconciliation at a geographic and channel level, pricing intelligence to align with shopper expectations, optimization that drives both traffic and basket size.

Data gaps, product matching issues, and manual processes are limiting factors to many retail comp intel programs. ClearDemand helps pet retailers automate and scale competitive data for a clear, complete view of what’s happening in the market. Let’s make sure your next move is the right one.