Sales soar as pet owners turn to CBD

Sales of pet supplements, including CBD products, skyrocketed in 2020, with the pandemic seemingly heightening pet health and wellness concerns.

The coronavirus pandemic has elevated to new heights concerns over pet health and wellness, with the constant spotlight on disease and prevention causing Americans to embrace myriad strategies to keep their pets healthy. 

Market research firm Packaged Facts’ November/December 2020 Survey of Pet Owners, which is featured in the brand new report, Pet Supplements in the U.S., 8th Edition, shows that 41 percent of pet owners are paying closer attention to their pets’ health and wellness because of COVID-19, with 14 percent changing the health care products they buy their pets.

The end result has been a boon to the pet supplements industry. 

Packaged Facts estimates that pet supplement sales skyrocketed 21 percent in 2020 to reach nearly $800 million, quadrupling the rate of growth seen in 2019.

David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts, commented: “Interest in pet supplements has risen across the board, but condition-specific formulations directly related to COVID-19 concerns, such as those boosting the immune system and offering stress-reducing or anxiety-reducing benefits, have seen demand soar.”

Pets anxiety can be brought on by changing habits and schedules, causing pets to exhibit a range of undesirable behaviours and problems for pet owners attempting to work from home. 

Additionally, although the influx of new pets into households has been a welcome distraction for many, new pets can become stressed out while attempting to acclimate to their new environments.

This state of affairs is occurring at the same time as the mainstreaming of CBD products, which are perhaps most famous for their anxiety-reducing properties. 

CBD is also said to provide anti-inflammatory benefits and aid in immune system regulation, additional spot-on areas of interest in COVID-19 era. 

Other immune-building supplements often feature probiotics—a cross-over from human supplements that continues to gain momentum in the pet market.