Pets during the pandemic: 2 out of 10 Romanians say they bought a pet during the state of emergency

The results of the Reveal Marketing Research study show that in Romania, 6 out of 10 Romanians have a pet. There is, therefore, a very high demand, and in this context, the pet trade seems to have exploded during the pandemic. Moreover, the lockdown period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the purchase or adoption of a pet. Thus, 20% of pet owners state that they have owned a pet for at least two years.

According to the Reveal Marketing Research study, the dog is not only man’s best friend, but also the most common pet owned by urban and rural households, with data showing that 73% of pet owners have a dog, in while 57% have cats. The top of the most popular pets is made up of parrot/canary birds (9%), fish (7%), turtle and hamster/guinea pig (3%).

However, the dog stands out as the favorite animal by young people aged 18 to 25 (80%) and families with children (78%).

Where Do Owners Buy Food for Their Pets?

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The Reveal Marketing Research study also analyzes the places where Romanians buy food for their pets. Most Romanians prefer hypermarkets (78%) and specialty stores (55%), followed by the vet (20%) and online shopping (15%).

There is a greater concern among people in urban areas for the care of their pets, as 64% of them buy food from dedicated shops, which also sell premium products. This may be due to higher purchasing power in the urban area, as well as a greater presence and diversity of services, specialty stores and veterinary practices.

What Do We Do with Pets when We Go on Vacation?

What do Romanians do with pets when they leave home with their whole family? Most find solutions with family or friends (63%) or leave them at home and ask someone to come and feed them (36%). Also, another solution that Romanians say they opt for is accommodation in a hotel special for their animals (6%).

Romanians Want to Adopt Pets (57%), Rather Than Buy Them (43%) 

There is, therefore, a very high demand, against this background, the pet trade seems to have exploded during the pandemic. Despite this fact, Romanians seem to be more and more interested in the adoption part (57%), to the detriment of the acquisition (57%). When considering the adoption of a pet, 7 out of 10 Romanians say they intend to adopt a dog.

About Reveal Marketing Research

Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company, specialized in marketing research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for the right decisions and brand positioning. Qualitative and quantitative solutions have been helping companies in Romania and Europe for 13 years.

About the study 

The collection method for the project is CAWI (computer assisted web interview) – collection period 16.07.2021- 22.08.2021.

The data was collected:

• on a nationally representative sample (urban and rural), 1007 interviews + The margin of error is +/- 3%. Confidence level: 95%.