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A First Insight survey of 2,151 US consumers finds that Gen X is most likely to buy pet products monthly, while Millennials lead in weekly or more frequent shopping and active pet subscriptions. Boomers are most likely to prioritize premium pet spending; the survey also finds differences in shopping channels, purchase drivers and brand preferences.
A survey of 2,151 US consumers by retail analytics platform First Insight finds that pet spending habits differ by generation: Gen X leads monthly purchases, Millennials are most likely to shop weekly or more often, and Boomers are most likely to say pet products are a premium spending priority. The findings offer retailers a snapshot of how purchase frequency, channel preferences and brand choices vary across age groups.
Buying pet products once a month was the most common pattern, reported by 35% of respondents. Gen X had the highest monthly-purchase share, at 38%. Nearly three in 10 respondents shopped weekly or more often; Millennials led that group at 39%. Shopping once every few months was reported by 11% overall and was most common among Gen Z, at 13%. Another 5% said they bought pet products rarely or only once or twice a year, a pattern reported by 8% of Gen Z.
On spending, 29% of Boomers identified pet products as a category where they were willing to pay a premium, compared with 21% of Gen X and Millennials and 20% of Gen Z. Across all respondents, 22% said they seek value products and 13% said they opt for private-label pet products. Gen Z reported private-label preferences more often in food and beverage (31%), household items (24%) and health and wellness (16%); pet products ranked lowest among those categories for the group, at 14%.
Online retailers were the leading pet-product channel for Gen Z (36%), Millennials (37%) and Boomers (37%); Gen X most often favored big-box retailers, at 39%. Active pet food or supply subscriptions were reported by 27% of Gen Z, 24% of Millennials and 16% each of Gen X and Boomers. Across the full sample, 31% said they would be willing to subscribe to pet products, including 35% of Millennials and 33% each of Gen X and Boomers.
Retail Strategies Meet Generational Differences
The results suggest that pet retailers may need to account for different shopping rhythms and spending priorities rather than treating pet owners as one market. Monthly purchasing is common, but Millennials’ stronger representation among frequent shoppers and active subscribers points to a different pattern from Gen X’s preference for big-box stores and Boomers’ greater stated willingness to pay a premium.
These differences matter for decisions about product assortment, promotions and subscription offers. The survey also points to possible room for subscription growth: 31% said they would be willing to subscribe, compared with active participation rates that vary by generation. That gap is an indication of stated interest, not evidence that consumers will convert or that subscriptions would increase sales.
Purchase considerations vary as well. First Insight reported that quality was the leading driver across generations, ranging from 24% among Gen Z respondents to 46% among Boomers. The survey says sustainability, social proof and packaging each influence Gen Z purchase decisions, with reported figures in the 39%–41% range. Retailers may use these findings to test how messaging and product presentation perform with different customer groups, though the survey does not establish which changes would produce better business results.
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How the Survey Maps Pet Shopping
The findings were reported by GlobalPETS and attributed to First Insight, a retail analytics platform. The source describes a survey of 2,151 US consumers and reports answers on purchase frequency, price preferences, retail channels, subscriptions, decision drivers and brand preferences. It does not give a survey fieldwork date in the material provided.
Some results show distinct brand patterns. Purina ONE ranked first overall, cited by 39% of respondents, and had its strongest reported showing among Boomers, at 53%. Pure Balance ranked second overall at 26% and was more popular among Millennials, at 32%. Ollie ranked third overall at 18%, with its strongest appeal among Gen Z, at 24%. Stella & Chewy’s was cited by 17% overall and by 18% of both Gen Z and Millennials.
The percentages describe responses within the survey; they are not sales figures or proof that one generation’s choices cause broader market changes. The source material does not specify sampling methods, margin of error or whether respondents were weighted to represent the US population. Those details affect how widely the results can be generalized.
“Quality is the leading driver of pet product purchases across generations, though its importance varies by age, ranging from 24% among Gen Z respondents to 46% among Boomers.”
— First Insight, as summarized by GlobalPETS
Limits Behind the Survey Figures
The source material does not state when the survey was conducted, how participants were recruited, whether the sample was nationally representative or what margin of error applies. Those omissions make it difficult to judge how closely the results reflect all US pet owners or whether the reported differences are statistically meaningful.
The findings are survey responses, not observed purchases. For example, willingness to subscribe does not establish that a respondent will start a subscription, and a reported brand preference does not show market share. The source also does not provide detailed definitions for measures such as “channel participation rate” or the question wording behind premium and value preferences.
First Insight’s interpretation that Gen Z makes conscious trade-offs between interchangeable staples and categories tied to health, identity and self-expression is an explanation offered alongside the data. The survey figures provided do not independently establish respondents’ motives.
Subscription Interest Is the Next Test
The source report does not announce a follow-up study, a retailer response or a scheduled next milestone. The next useful evidence would be dated survey results with fuller methods, followed by data showing whether stated subscription interest becomes active enrollment and repeat purchasing.
For retailers, the findings provide a basis for testing targeted approaches: online offers for groups that most often use that channel, big-box availability for Gen X shoppers, and subscription messaging tailored to reported interest. Any claims about the success of those strategies would require subsequent sales or customer-retention data; this survey alone does not show their effects.
Key Questions
Which generation buys pet products most often?
Millennials led the group that shops weekly or more often, at 39%. Monthly buying was the most common overall pattern, and Gen X had the highest share of monthly shoppers, at 38%.
Boomers led, with 29% identifying pet products as a premium spending priority. The reported shares were 21% for Gen X and Millennials and 20% for Gen Z.
Which generations currently use pet product subscriptions?
The survey reports active pet food or supply subscriptions among 27% of Gen Z, 24% of Millennials and 16% each of Gen X and Boomers. These are survey figures, not subscription-provider enrollment totals.
What pet shopping channel was most popular?
Online retailers were the most popular channel among Gen Z (36%), Millennials (37%) and Boomers (37%). Gen X respondents most often preferred big-box retailers, at 39%.
Does the survey prove that these habits represent all US pet owners?
No. The survey covered 2,151 US consumers, but the source material does not provide sampling methods, a margin of error or details on representativeness. Its results should be read as reported survey responses, not as a definitive measure of all pet owners’ behavior.
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