Pet care trends that continue to shape the market

“Can my dog come?” is not an unreasonable request today considering the rise in pet ownership and the accompanying rise in hospitality businesses meeting the trend. From shopping centres with a pet friendly policy, to pubs, hotels and Airbnbs, pets and their presence in our lives are more popular than ever before.

In the UK, six out of ten households own a pet and it’s no surprise that dogs (there are 11m pet dogs in the UK) and cat (10.5m pet cats) are the most popular. These evolving behaviours are a key part of wider UK pet industry trends, shaping how brands manufacture, market and deliver their products.

It’s also no surprise that the market for pet food, treats, supplements and healthcare is booming. Pet owners spend £8 billion a year on their furry friends, including £3.4 billion on food and £1.2 billion on grooming products. As a result, pet supply ecommerce UK continues to expand rapidly, with brands needing reliable logistics to keep pace with demand.

With that in mind, and based on our experience in high quality pet fulfilment UK, we’ve taken a look at three ongoing trends that continue to influence the pet supplies industry:

Pet health and wellness

Today’s pet owners are paying more attention (and money) to the health and well-being of their pets with a definite rise in higher quality food, organic food brands, supplements and skin and coat care. We work with a number of brands catering to this market, including:

• Mackle Petfoods and their Naturo Natural Pet Food is 100% natural and made from high-quality human grade ingredients.
• Pets Purest, a brand of natural pet products and supplements, prides itself on using completely natural ingredients with products being free from chemicals, preservatives and fillers.

How we help? Careful storage, along with stringent batching and stock rotation processes, ensures top quality and optimum freshness for all our pet food fulfilment clients.

Pet subscription boxes

Another prevailing trend in the industry is the appetite of pet owners for convenience. Subscription boxes aren’t just popular in the health & beauty sector; pet care product options are hugely popular with everything from treats and food, to supplements and toys. The idea? Pet owners get the essentials when they need them, but also have the option for personalisation and fun – after all, pets are part of the family.

Essential Foods is another pet care fulfilment client in the Fullers portfolio. They use only pure and healthy ingredients in their pet food and we’ve been producing Puppy Packs for their growing customer base. We also handle their returned goods because all food that’s in a useable condition is donated to pet charities.

How we help? Sophisticated systems allow pet care subscription box fulfilment and promo bundles to be handled quickly and accurately by Fullers. Pet care companies can brief these into us at any stage.

Our Warehouse Management System (WMS) integrates with your eCommerce platform and we pick and pack orders automatically same day, for next day delivery if required making it ideal for brands operating in pet food delivery fulfilment and repeat order models. You can track every order and monitor stock levels in real time.

Sustainable pet care

As climate change continues to dominate news headlines, expect to see demand for pet care with a lower environmental impact. For some pet owners this might be a move to a vegan diet – the UK plant-based pet food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% to reach a value of $2,945.6 million by 2035 – or a preference for using sustainable and / or organic food brands.

How we help? Fullers is Soil Association certified which means we have the facilities and expertise to store, pick & pack and despatch organic goods for our clients. 

What’s next for pet care? A 2026 outlook

As the pet care market continues to evolve, new trends are starting to influence how brands operate and grow, reflecting wider pet care trends 2026.

One trend gaining momentum is AI-driven pet nutrition. Pet owners are increasingly looking for personalised diets tailored to their pet’s breed, age, lifestyle and health needs. For brands, this means managing a wider range of SKUs and more tailored orders, with fulfilment needing to support greater complexity while maintaining speed and accuracy.

Veterinary care is also becoming more subscription-led. From preventative treatments to ongoing health plans, pet owners are choosing services that offer convenience and consistency. This is leading to more predictable ordering patterns, with fulfilment playing a key role in ensuring reliable, repeat delivery.

The UK’s pet insurance market is also growing, reflecting a wider shift towards owners investing more in their pets’ long-term health and wellbeing. As a result, demand for premium products, specialist diets and healthcare-related items is set to increase across the pet supply ecommerce UK market.

How we help? As these trends continue to develop, having a fulfilment partner that can scale with your business is essential. Fullers combines flexible warehousing, advanced systems and sector expertise to support everything from subscription models to more tailored product ranges, helping pet care brands stay ahead as the market evolves.

Looking for a scalable fulfilment solution for your pet care products? Fullers is an end-to-end 3PL pet products provider with warehouses in Berkshire and The Midlands. Talk to us about your pet care fulfilment requirements today.

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