China’s pet economy has seen a boom in the last few years as more people are better off and fewer people are getting married. Besides food, toys, and other necessities, a niche trend has been gaining traction online – pet apparel.
The phrase brings to mind miniature windbreakers, fleece jackets, and even boots designed to keep dogs cosy and clean on long walks outside. But to Chinese pet owners – most of whom are under 30 and highly educated – pet apparel is about far more than just practicality.
Most Chinese pet owners are under 30 and highly educated.
Hot trends in pet apparel
Searching for pet clothing on the e-commerce site Taobao reveals a bewildering variety of options. Users can choose from among 18 specialised brands with names like Dogbaby and Petstyle and filter for vests, onesies, bodysuits, matching couples’ sets, dungarees and more.
The top searches are for Spring Festival-themed red jackets emblazoned with gold lettering, modelled by bichon frisés and corgis. At just 20 RMB (3 USD) a piece – and rarely ever over 100RMB (15 USD) – pet owners keen on dressing up their fur babies can easily afford to amass a considerable collection of items for all occasions and moods.
According to pet industry leader Yao Guan, the most notable trends are pet hanfu – imitation Han dynasty clothing – and pet ‘JK’ clothing – cutesy Japanese school uniforms. In the hanfu trend, dogs and cats are dressed up in flowing dresses in pastel colours, often paired with a bejewelled headdress with ribbons. For ‘JK’ clothing, pets sport plaid skirts and sailor neckline tops. These fashion subcultures most associated with young women and teenaged girls are clearly now fair game for furry friends. One article by CBN Data even called pet apparel a form of “street style”.
With around 500,000 pet apparel-related ‘notes’ currently posted on the lifestyle-sharing site, Xiaohongshu (or Little Red Book), the pet apparel trend has not yet hit a viral level. But it is showing a steady increase in popularity. The e-commerce platform Tmall saw a 50% year-on-year increase in pet clothing sales during this year’s New Year Shopping Festival, and with the close tie between singledom and pet ownership, these figures are likely to increase in the years ahead as marriage rates decline.
Read More at https://daoinsights.com/opinions/whats-behind-the-growing-popularity-of-pet-apparel-among-young-chinese-pet-owners/