Top Trends of 2025: How Consumer Evolution Lends Itself to the Pet Care Revolution

Written by Jordan Tyler  

Consumer trends in the human food and health industries have long influenced pet care innovations, and 2025 and beyond will be no different. Market research firm Euromonitor International has released its Top Global Consumer Trends 2025 report, highlighting five key trends it believes will drive consumer behavior in the year to come: Healthspan Plans, Wiser Wallets, Eco Logical, Filtered Focus, and AI Ambivalent. 

In this first article, I’ll explore each of these five trends through the lens of Euromonitor and offer examples of how these trends have—or are expected to—manifest in the pet care market. In subsequent articles, I’ll take a deeper dive into each of these trends and speculate on whether their implications for pet health are what they’re cracked up to be or whether consumers and industry professionals should proceed with caution.  

As we look forward to the New Year, BSM Partners will also be sharing a special podcast episode about the top five trends to watch in the pet care space in 2025. Spoiler alert: There is plenty of crossover between that episode and this article! Be sure to bookmark this page on our website, or follow us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, to catch this episode and other upcoming topics. 

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, though, let’s take a look at each of Euromonitor’s top consumer trends for 2025 and how they may translate to product innovation and scientific advancements for our furrier family members. 

Healthspan Plans 

This trend refers to an increased focus on longevity—living healthier and for longer—and speaks to preventive solutions that address specific health needs and concerns. Think of personalization, science-backed claims, and real-time data as key opportunities for meeting the demands of increasingly health-conscious consumers. 

In the pet space, we’ve already seen this trend manifest through the proliferation of pet supplements. Pet owners are increasingly interested in using supplements to address their pets’ unique health needs, but not only on a prescriptive basis. With the cost of veterinary care rising, more and more pet owners are taking preventive measures—often in the form of supplements—to keep their pets happy and healthy between routine vet visits. 

Additionally, wearable technologies for pets are gaining traction. According to Euromonitor, consumer use of wearable fitness devices to digitally measure and track health parameters has grown incrementally over the last four years, particularly for members of Gen Z and Millennials. Consumers in these two generations make up at least half of the American pet-owning population, making them a prime market for wearable pet tech. 

Lastly, according to Euromonitor’s report, the number of products available claiming NAD+ benefits has skyrocketed in the consumer health sector since 2022. NAD+ is a coenzyme central to energy metabolism and impacts various cellular functions, from metabolic pathways to immune function. Our bodies—and those of our pets—create NAD+ naturally, but our ability to do so decreases as we age. For this reason, a handful of pet supplements have emerged carrying NAD+ claims that tout the ability to increase both lifespan and healthspan in pets. While more research is needed, this will certainly be a space to watch in 2025 and beyond. 

Wiser Wallets 

Although inflation has certainly eased since its peak in 2021, prices for many consumer goods categories—including pet food—remain well above pre-COVID levels. Consumer confidence is still iffy at best, and lingering price sensitivity is leading consumers to seek added value in every purchase.  

According to Euromonitor’s report, 72% of global consumers expressed concerns about higher prices for everyday goods in 2024, and just 44% said they felt financially secure over the last year. Brands chasing sustainable growth through these challenging consumer sentiments should focus on fine-tuning their product portfolios to ensure loyal customers’ needs are met while also opening doors to new target markets. 

In the pet care space, this trend has contributed to increased private label sales over the last couple of years as pet parents carefully consider their purchases with both quality and accessibility in mind. According to Chicago-based market research firm Circana, private-label dry dog food sales grew 7.1% from 2023 to 2024, while private-label dry cat food sales were up 10.3%. Comparatively, private-label wet dog food sales rose 11.8%, while private-label wet cat food sales grew 22.9%. Notably, growth rates for private-label dog and cat food sales were even higher during the previous year, from 2022 to 2023. 

Continued price sensitivity and an emphasis on added value also speak to an interesting opportunity for independent pet retailers. While these stores often carry premium and super-premium product assortments, they also carry inherent value: unmatched product knowledge and the ability for pet parents to support local businesses. With incentives expected to drive loyalty and sales in 2025, indie pet stores could be uniquely positioned to deliver this added value. 

Eco Logical 

Everybody wants to live more sustainably, but many consumers find it difficult to shop according to these values due to greenwashing and premium pricing for sustainable products. According to Euromonitor, “Spending on sustainable alternatives remains a conscious decision based on personal values, but consumers also pay close attention to the primary benefits these products deliver against their needs.” 

Trust is an important factor in purchasing sustainable products. According to the report, fewer than 60% of global consumers in 2024 consider “recyclable” claims trustworthy, and only around 50% feel this way about “eco-friendly” and “sustainably produced” claims. This highlights the need for transparency and education. Price parity is also important, as 40% of consumers said increased prices are a key barrier to purchasing more sustainable products, according to Euromonitor. 

In the pet care industry, Euromonitor notes that pet care products with sustainability claims posted the biggest three-year CAGR from 2020 to 2023, indicating that pet owners interested in buying more eco-friendly products aren’t drawing the line at the pet aisle. Additionally, pet care products with sustainability claims made up 42% of e-commerce assortment in 2023, Euromonitor noted. 

These findings underscore a growing demand for more sustainable options, not only in the pet care space but also in nearly all other CPG categories. As sustainability becomes a more significant factor in purchasing decisions, brands have a unique opportunity to lead the way by providing transparent, credible claims.  

Filtered Focus 

The sheer number of choices available and the near-constant exposure to product marketing in our daily lives can overwhelm any consumer. Brands that can cut through the clutter and make it easier for shoppers to identify the products they need could build loyalty and trust. This includes using clear, honest communication, personalizing consumer touchpoints, and optimizing user experiences. 

For example, 67% of global consumers surveyed by Euromonitor said they have sought ways to “simplify their lives” in 2024. When shopping, these consumers value things like easier site navigation, easy-to-understand labels, and digital wallets. 

Trust also plays a big role here, with 54% of consumers claiming they “only bought from companies and brands they completely trusted in 2024,” according to Euromonitor. In a food industry that has recently reported two fatal recalls—one by Boar’s Head and another from McDonald’s—enhancing ease of use remains important, but no level of ease will save a brand from life-threatening food safety oversights. 

The other important piece driving this trend is clear consumer education. There is a sore need for this across the pet sector; while the spread of misinformation is not unique to this industry, it is certainly not exempt from it. Again, providing resources that help consumers sift through fluff and deliver on their needs is crucial to staying competitive.  

BSM Partners aims to do just this through two initiatives: the Barking Mad podcast and its thought leadership content series on LinkedIn. Leveraging our vast network of expertise, our experts bring targeted insights to curious consumers to help them navigate emerging trends, current events, and complex topics with confidence. The goal is simple: empowering consumers with the knowledge needed to make informed purchasing decisions for themselves, their families, and their pets. 

AI Ambivalent 

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been both exciting and bewildering. On one hand, generative AI can be fun for consumers to explore, whether through writing emails and wedding speeches, creating grocery lists, or just chatting about random topics. On the other hand, the rapid development of generative AI has caused some to pump the brakes in light of current limitations, including AI’s ability to “hallucinate” or provide false information that could mislead even the most scrutinizing consumers. 

In leveraging AI as a brand, transparency is crucial to retaining consumer trust. Take this example as a warning: Polish public radio station OFF Radio Krakow recently found itself in the middle of a controversy after replacing human hosts with AI-generated avatars, according to Newsweek. The goal of the project was to reach younger audiences and bring listenership numbers up. Instead, the move was met with widespread backlash, eventually ending in an open letter denouncing the decision, which gathered over 15,000 signatures. OFF Radio Krakow has since shared that the “AI remodel” is only temporary, and the station would hire real human journalists to resume its broadcasts. 

This is just one example of recent AI blunders. Despite obvious limitations, however, 43% of consumers said they see generative AI as a trustworthy information source, according to Euromonitor. 

According to Euromonitor, 27% of global consumers said that generative AI's ability to provide more relevant product recommendations is an advantage in AI-assisted shopping.  

In the pet food space, AI is being explored for its potential to assist with product development, developing personalized diets, genetic testing, and supporting a shift toward predictive and preventive care. PawCo Foods, for example, is leveraging AI to optimize the development and testing of its plant-based nutritional products for dogs.  

“We see AI as a catalyst that can help us unlock an infinite number of products for different people with different criteria,” said Dr. Mahsa Vazin, founder of PawCo Foods, in a previous episode of Barking Mad. 

Clearly, there are many business cases for using artificial intelligence in the CPG space and for personal use. However, for brands to utilize AI effectively, transparency is key, as is finding the right way to implement this technology to benefit both the business and consumers. 

Key Takeaways 

The pet care industry is highly competitive today and will remain so in 2025 and beyond. Brands that anticipate consumer demands and expectations by aligning their offerings with major market trends like these are poised to benefit, while those who ignore them are more likely to fade to the background. 

Future success hinges on a brand’s ability to fully understand its consumers, adapt to their needs, and respond to shifting priorities and preferences accordingly—not only with intention but also with agility. By understanding which trends are driving the market and acting decisively on them, pet care companies can help pioneer a future that prioritizes pet health, consumer trust, and environmental stewardship. 

As I mentioned earlier, stay tuned for additional articles about Euromonitor’s trend predictions and what they truly mean for pet health and care. (If you aren’t already following BSM Partners on LinkedIn, be sure to do so. You don’t miss any future content about this topic and others!) 

About the author 

Jordan Tyler is the Director of Media at BSM Partners. She has more than five years of experience reporting on trends, best practices and developments in the North American pet nutrition industry. Jordan resides in Bentonville, Arkansas, with her husband and their four furry family members.