“We are seeing a humanization of the relationship between the animal and the pet parents, who are demanding the best in food, accessories and well-being,” analyzes Florence Delamoureyre, director of the Animal Expo show. The result? Beautiful, organic, and bespoke products are booming in this market where more and more new entrants with disruptive offers are making a name for themselves. Notably in the food segment, which accounts for 80% of purchases and where owners are increasingly turning to high-end products. 

 Stéphanie Cailloux, the general manager of Invers, a specialist in the breeding and processing of mealworms based in Saint-Ignat (Puy-de-Dôme), can attest to this: “Food is an increasingly important issue. Our customers need reassurance about what they feed their animals.” Her offer of dog and cat kibble based on insect larvae is “a hit”, according to a commercially used phrase. 

Since the end of 2019, when the first kibble was launched, sales – the amount of which she does not disclose – “double every year”, assures the manager. Carried by the wave, Tomojo and Invers, the company's two brands, are multiplying their variations. In addition to kibble for young, senior, sterilized or non-sterilized animals, treats have been added since this summer. 

Ziggy also benefits from the appetite of cat parents for high-end products. “Ziggy was born from the desire to finally feed our cats like we feed our family, with complete transparency and without any compromise,” say Marie Bonhomme and Alyosha Rozo, the founders of the company based in Bordeaux. With their cat kibble and pâté exclusively made in France from animal proteins, without carcasses or starch, they claim “more than 100,000 cats purring with Ziggy”, and their company now boasts €8 million in turnover. 

Faced with the multiplication of culinary offerings, Ivan Jouravleff even launched “The Yuka of kibble” five years ago. By entering the dog's profile, his Gamelle app, with more than 9,000 references of kibble and pâté, indicates the nutritional quality of the products and calculates the ration to be given. Well-fed, dogs and cats, which represent more than 80% of companion animals, are just as well pampered for walking, sleeping or playing. “Pet parents are increasingly looking for personalized, aesthetic and comfortable products such as cushions, clothes, and collars. We are also seeing a craze for pet photography and birthday party services, and gadgets, including GPS trackers and connected automatic feeders,” observes Florence Delamoureyre. 

The business appears limitless. In Lyon, for example, Canicoiff offers balneotherapy sessions for dogs from around fifty euros, but some “parents” do not hesitate to invest, elsewhere, in spa bathtubs for more than 2,000 euros. To offer the best to their companion, the online sales site FunnyFuzzy, which aims to be “a lifestyle brand for animals”, offers orthopedic sofa beds and shoes, pajamas and ponchos to protect Médor from the cold. Others will find astrological medals at French Bandit, for around twenty euros. 

The competition is such that some could lose out. Ivan Jouravleff acknowledges that Gamelle is struggling. “We launched on a free model, relying on the data collection business model, but that wasn't the case. So we switched to a one-euro paid service a few months ago, but daily downloads have dropped from around fifty for the free version to around ten,” says the founder of Vetools, the Lyon-based company he founded to launch Gamelle and which he manages in his spare time. Without making any income. 

In this upside-down market, large food retailers are taking the lion's share (47% of turnover), driven by the sale of kibble and pâté. Online sales, a segment on which start-ups are pinning their hopes, account for 15%. Garden specialists and pet shops, which are playing a big role in this battle, are also holding firm, at around 20% for the former and 15% for the latter. They are multiplying new products and services. Maxi Zoo, for example, was the first to launch a veterinary telehealth service.