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Positive Comments: Sports Brands’ Cross – border into the “Pet Economy” Unveils a Win – win New Situation of Emotional Consumption and Business Innovation
In recent years, China’s pet economy has been galloping at an average annual growth rate of over 10%. It is estimated that its scale will exceed 811.4 billion yuan in 2025. This “emotional consumption” blue ocean has become a key lever for sports brands to break through the traditional market. From Adidas’ global launch of the Originals pet series and Jordan’s release of the “Cool Kids” summer limited – edition products, to Reebok’s launch of a pet flagship store and Asics’ signing of a dog brand ambassador, behind the collective “pet – chasing” of sports brands lies the precise capture of market trends and the in – depth reconstruction of business logic.
Firstly, the “emotional attribute” of the pet economy highly aligns with the “lifestyle” positioning of sports brands, injecting new value narratives into the brands. The younger generation (nearly 70% are post – 90s and post – 00s) regards pets as “family members”, and their consumption logic has shifted from “pragmatism” to “anthropomorphism and scenarization”. Pets not only need basic necessities but also “ritual – sense equipment” to participate in outdoor sports and social activities with their owners. The functional advantages of sports brands (such as waterproof fabrics and breathable technology) can precisely meet the needs of pets in “light outdoor” scenarios like hiking, camping, and the Dog Buddy Warrior Race. Their products (such as pet windbreakers and sun – hats) are not only practical tools but also symbols extending the owners’ taste. For example, Reebok’s pet windbreakers quickly opened up the market with their waterproof technology, and Adidas’ pet short – sleeved shirts convey the brand concept of “vitality and health” through breathable cotton fabrics. This dual binding of “emotion + function” upgrades sports brands from “selling products” to “selling lifestyles”, effectively narrowing the distance with young consumers.
Secondly, the pet market provides a testing ground for sports brands to implement technologies and optimize the supply chain. The traditional sports apparel market has encountered a growth bottleneck due to product homogenization and over – reliance on co – branding (for example, Puma’s sales in the Asia – Pacific region shrank by 4.7%, and Under Armour had a net loss of $201 million). The characteristics of “small – batch, multiple SKUs” of pet supplies happen to be an ideal scenario for brands to test flexible production capacity. For instance, sports brands can transfer mature fabric technologies (such as Adidas’ breathable cotton and Reebok’s waterproof fabric) to pet clothing, which can not only verify the adaptability of the technologies but also reduce the trial – and – error cost through small – scale production. At the same time, the supply – chain management experience of pet products (such as quickly responding to the size requirements of different dog breeds) can be fed back to the traditional clothing line, promoting the improvement of overall production efficiency. This “using the new to drive the old” strategy provides a new path for sports brands’ technological innovation and supply – chain upgrading.
Finally, the construction of the pet ecosystem expands the brand’s user stickiness and business boundaries. Sports brands not only launch pet products but also transform the “pet owner” group into long – term brand users by holding pet – themed events (such as pet camping parties and the Dog Buddy Warrior Race) and providing one – stop services in cooperation with pet medical/food enterprises (such as pet health management and customized rations). For example, Asics found through research that 83% of pet owners increased their physical activity due to pet – keeping, and then signed the dog ambassador Felix, deeply binding the brand with “healthy living”. The North Face conveys the “spirit of exploration” through pet tents, making the brand values tangible in the pet scenario. This ecological layout not only enhances users’ emotional loyalty but also opens up a composite consumption scenario of “pet + sports + socializing”, creating more diverse revenue sources for the brand.
Negative Comments: When Crossing over into the “Pet Economy”, Be Wary of Real – world Challenges under the “Emotional Filter”
Although sports brands’ cross – border into the pet market has broad prospects, the challenges behind it cannot be ignored. From product design to market competition, from user experience to public – opinion risks, multiple tests are forcing brands to return to the “essence of demand” and avoid falling into the trap of “emotional marketing outweighing actual value”.
Firstly, the misalignment between product functionality and actual demand may lead to accusations of “rip – off”. The core of pet supplies is to solve the pain points of pets in specific scenarios (such as outdoor waterproofing and summer sun protection), but some brands tend to “emphasize design over function”. For example, some consumers reported that although the pet windbreaker of a certain international brand was fashionable in appearance, the fabric had insufficient waterproofness and would still seep water in heavy rain. Some brands ignored the body – type differences among dog breeds (such as the short legs of Corgis and the large size of Golden Retrievers), and the one – size – fits – all design made the clothes ill – fitting, greatly reducing the practicality. More importantly, the non – pet – owning group’s doubts about high – priced pet supplies (such as Gucci’s 70,000 – yuan pet bed and Celine’s 14,000 – yuan dog bowl) have been intensifying. The topic of “pet windbreakers are a rip – off” has appeared on the hot search multiple times. If sports brands cannot prove the value of their products with technical details (such as specific waterproofing indexes and sun – protection UPF values), they may face a brand – trust crisis.
Secondly, the disadvantage in cost – performance and the competitive pressure from local brands are testing the brand’s pricing strategy. The traditional sports – apparel market has fallen into a growth bottleneck due to product homogenization and over – reliance on co – branding. The “small – batch, multiple SKU” characteristics of pet supplies happen to be an ideal scenario for brands to test flexible production capacity. For example, sports brands can transfer mature fabric technologies (such as Adidas’ breathable cotton and Reebok’s waterproof fabric) to pet clothing, which can not only verify the adaptability of the technologies but also reduce the trial – and – error cost through small – scale production. At the same time, the supply – chain management experience of pet products (such as quickly responding to the size requirements of different dog breeds) can be fed back to the traditional clothing line, promoting the improvement of overall production efficiency. This “using the new to drive the old” strategy provides a new path for sports brands’ technological innovation and supply – chain upgrading.
Finally, the conflict between user experience and rule design may trigger public – opinion risks. The contradiction between the “need for try – on” of pet clothing and brand rules is particularly prominent. Since pets cannot cooperate in try – ons like humans, if offline stores enforce the rule of “pay first, then try on” (such as the sales rule of Adidas Originals’ flagship store), it is very likely to arouse consumers’ dissatisfaction. In addition, the after – sales standards for pet products (such as whether to accept returns and exchanges for ill – fitting sizes and how to define fabric – quality problems) are not yet perfect. Some brands have been complained about for “bullying customers due to their large size” because of their complex after – sales processes. If these detailed problems are not handled properly, they may damage the brand image and offset the goodwill accumulated through emotional marketing.
Suggestions for Entrepreneurs: Deeply Explore the Essence of Demand and Build Core Competitiveness with “Emotion + Function”
In the wave of sports brands’ cross – border into the “pet economy”, entrepreneurs should avoid blindly following the trend. They should be driven by both the “emotional needs of pet owners” and the “actual needs of pets”, and create differentiated advantages from three dimensions: products, strategies, and users.
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Product End: Take “Functionality” as the Core and Deeply Explore Scenario – based Design
The core value of pet supplies is to solve the pain points in specific scenarios (such as outdoor waterproofing, summer heat dissipation, and sports protective gear). Entrepreneurs need to conduct targeted research and development based on the physiological characteristics of pets (such as dog – breed body types and hair thickness) and usage scenarios (such as hiking, camping, and daily walks). For example, design high – waisted windbreakers for short – legged dogs (Corgis) to prevent their bellies from getting muddy, and develop breathable mesh sun – protection clothing for long – haired dogs (Golden Retrievers). At the same time, replace vague promotions with specific technical parameters (such as waterproof level IPX5 and sun – protection UPF50+), enhancing the credibility of the products. -
Strategy End: Balance “High – end” and “Cost – performance” and Explore Localization Paths
Facing the premium of international brands and the low – price competition of local brands, entrepreneurs can adopt a “tiered pricing” strategy: the basic models (such as daily leashes and collars) should aim to capture the mass market with high cost – performance, while the high – end models (such as professional outdoor windbreakers and smart positioning collars) should meet segmented needs through technological differentiation (such as waterproof fabrics and GPS positioning). At the same time, strengthen local research and development. For example, according to Chinese pet owners’ preference for “cute designs”, integrate Chinese – style elements into products (such as panda – patterned leashes) to enhance emotional resonance. -
User End: Build a “Product + Service” Ecosystem and Strengthen Emotional Connection
The essence of the pet economy is the “emotional economy”. Entrepreneurs need to shift from “selling products” to “selling experiences”. On the one hand, optimize offline try – on and after – sales services (such as providing a free try – on period and launching a pet – size measurement tool kit) to reduce users’ decision – making costs. On the other hand, build a “pet – owner social circle” by holding pet – themed events (such as pet sports meets and camping parties) and launching membership benefits in cooperation with pet medical/food enterprises (such as free physical examinations and discounts on customized rations), enhancing user stickiness. -
Risk End: Establish a Rapid Feedback Mechanism to Avoid Public – opinion and Compliance Risks
The quality standards and regulatory systems for pet supplies are not yet perfect. Entrepreneurs need to actively establish internal quality – control processes (such as entrusting third – party testing institutions to verify waterproof and sun – protection performance) to avoid complaints caused by quality problems. At the same time, pay attention to user feedback (such as social – media comments and offline – store complaints), and quickly adjust product designs (such as optimizing size charts and improving fabrics) through an iterative model of “running fast in small steps” to avoid public – opinion crises caused by rules like “pay first, then try on”.
Conclusion
The explosion of the “pet economy” provides an opportunity for sports brands to “return to the peak”. However, the key to cross – border lies in “centering on pet needs” rather than simply applying “miniature versions” of human products to pets. Only by considering both functionality and emotional value and deeply exploring local needs can sports brands gain a foothold in this blue ocean and truly achieve the business goal of “innovating on the basis of the old”.
