Shopping cart Petsnewsletter Email
	Aquaria Dogs Cats Birds Small Animal Reptiles
Over 34000 products !	ShoppingShippingServicesChat Forum

Home >

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, October 12, 1999 - Although the Internet has yet to capture the attention of most Internet pet owners, satisfaction among those who are buying from online pet stores bodes well for the future success of the industry. According to NPD Online Research, almost 30% of Web users who have visited an Internet pet store purchased online. Among those buyers, over half reported being very satisfied with their online buying experience, and almost all intend to shop again online.

NPD found that most buyers of Internet pet supplies were female. According to the survey, women made up 68% of all Web-related sales. Females also spent more money on their pets online, about twice that of males.

"Americans have a great affinity for their animals, so it comes as no surprise that the Internet is tapping into this market," confirms Pamela Smith, vice president of NPD Online Research. "We found that most Internet pet owners discover online pet stores while browsing the Web. However, due to the current blitz of pet site advertisements, traffic and sales should increase substantially."

Despite the wide selection of pet products available, toys were the most popular of Internet pet store purchases. Forty percent of owners polled had bought toys for their pets online. Edibles were also popular, as 31% confirmed buying food and 30% treats. Non-food accessories were purchased by 26% of shoppers, and health products by 17%. Almost half of all buyers reported spending up to $25 during an average visit, while 37% spent between $25 and $50.

According to NPD, convenience was the main reason for buying pet supplies off the Web. Three of the top 5 reasons for buying online reflected a saving of time and effort, including more suitable shopping hours, effortless delivery and avoidance of lines.

Most Frequent Reasons For Shopping Online Pet Stores

Reasons	Responses
Convenience of 24 hour shopping	54%
Orders delivered to front door	48%
Low prices	47%
Online discount promotion	35%
No waiting or standing in line	34%

Petsmart.com was the most frequently visited online pet store, according to NPD. Fifty-two percent of survey participants visited petsmart.com, while 36% frequented pets.com. Other popular sites included petopia.com (15%), petswarehouse.com (9%) and petstore.com (8%).

About the Study

The NPD online pet store survey was conducted as part of the NPD Online Research omnibus survey. Two thousand and nine individuals from NPD’s Online Panel, a Web representative sample of individuals prerecruited to participate in surveys, responded to the questionnaire in late September. The NPD online omnibus survey gives marketers the opportunity to share survey costs in order to monitor consumer attitude and behavior on a wide range of topics.

About NPD Online Research

NPD Online Research, a division of The NPD Group, is a leader in developing World Wide Web-based technologies to conduct and deliver market research and analysis. The NPD Online Panel is a prerecruited sample of Internet representative individuals used for conducting marketing research on the Web. NPD also offers SiteSelect® sampling technology, allowing marketers to conduct random sample surveys on their own sites. Clients include leading companies such as Yahoo!, Excite, AOL, Lycos, Go Network, iVillage, First USA, GTE and Kraft Foods.

About The NPD Group

The NPD Group is an international marketing information company headquartered in Port Washington, NY. Founded in 1953, the firm specializes in tracking consumer purchasing and behavior. NPD offers both custom research capabilities and syndicated databases for more than 20 industries including apparel, automotive products, consumer electronics, cosmetics and fragrances, financial services, food, foodservice, footwear, housewares, information technology, interactive entertainment, pharmaceuticals, toys, and more. A leader in conducting research on and about the Internet, NPD is also the developer of the revolutionary Web audience measurement technology now marketed by Media Metrix, Inc. NPD has offices and affiliations in 36 countries, covering North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.