Pet spending not affected by cost-of-living crisis, study finds

Brits continue to spend on their dog’s petcare, despite the cost-of-living crisis, according to recent research.

The study, conducted by product intelligence platform Vypr, found that a third of Brits are spending more on their pet compared to this time last year, with 35.44% of dog owners spending £10-£20 in an average week on petcare.

The data reveals that more than half of dog owners surveyed (59.31%) are spending about the same on petcare as they did last year, while 32.50% are spending a bit more than the year before.

Premium food and treats seem to be the two major sectors that dog owners spend money on, with 44.68% of respondents saying they are spending more on premium food this year; 19.68% of the respondents said they were spending more on a larger volume of treats.

Meanwhile, when asked what they would cut down on in order for their dogs to get fed, the majority of dog owners said they would put their dog first and miss out on their own food (29%). Other sacrifices include not having takeaways (9%), not buying clothes (5%) not going to the pub (5%) and stopping a gym membership (3%).

Ben Davies, Founder of Vypr, said: “It’s heartwarming to know what a nation of pet lovers we are. Despite the cost of living crisis, more people are spending more on their pets than less compared to this time last year.

“Our cash is going on more premium food and a larger volume of treats, showing that our pets truly are part of the family. Despite the other research we’ve conducted which reveals that shoppers are cutting down on spend on branded products and actively shopping for deals and special offers more often, our pets are being protected from this.”