As Petkokjok Increase... Convenience Stores See Soaring Sales of Pet Supplies

Increase in Remote Work Due to Social Distancing
Attraction of Disaster Relief Fund Usage
Weekday Sales > Weekend Sales
Popularity of 'Walk Substitutes' Like Dog Toys

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] As the time spent with pets increased due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), related sales in convenience stores also surged. The advantage of being able to use disaster relief funds is also interpreted as a factor that partially induced this trend.

CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, announced on the 27th that an analysis of major product sales from February to May, when COVID-19 became widespread, showed that sales in the pet supplies category increased by 42.1% compared to the four months immediately before the outbreak (October to January).

By item, sales of toys increased the most, by 51.4%. This is a notable figure compared to the already high sales growth rates of pet food and snacks, which increased by 38.2% and 40.5%, respectively. As walking pets became difficult, it is interpreted that more toys were purchased than usual to replace play and exercise indoors.

It is analyzed that demand for related products increased as the so-called ‘Petkokjok’ (people who spend leisure time at home with their pets) grew due to the spread of COVID-19 and spending leisure time at home with pets. In fact, sales of pet supplies increased significantly on weekdays compared to weekends. Before COVID-19, the weekday (Monday to Friday) sales share of pet supplies was 35.4%, but after COVID-19, it rose sharply to 51.2%. Weekend sales dropped from 64.6% to 48.8%.

Reflecting this trend, CU launched the pet toy ‘Dog Toy Macaron’ this month. The product is modeled exactly after CU’s mega-hit product, the ‘Chewy Macaron.’ Each package contains one pink or mint-colored macaron-shaped toy, made of polyester, which offers waterproofing and durability.

Seo Ji-hoon, product planner (MD) of BGF Retail’s daily necessities team, said, “Pet supplies are also one of the categories where sales at convenience stores significantly increased after the use of emergency disaster relief funds,” adding, “As lifestyles changed due to COVID-19, interest in pets has increased more than usual, and related consumption seems to have increased accordingly.”

Meanwhile, CU launched the pet supplies brand ‘Howlgo’ in 2018, the first in the industry, and operates a dedicated pet supplies corner called ‘CU Pet House’ in over 3,000 stores nationwide. CU’s annual sales growth rate for pet supplies has also continued to grow, with 55.4% in 2017, 63.7% in 2018, and 51.6% in 2019.