A Look at Pet Owner Shopping Behavior on National Dog Day
Pattern analyzes how consumer demand for dog supplies changes around National Dog Day. In this article, we cover:
- Does dog food demand peak on National Dog Day?
- Does National Dog Day impact consumer demand for all dog products?
- Does National Dog Day impact consumer demand for cat products?
- How Pattern can lead to your brand’s advantage
National Dog Day began on August 26, 2004, and has been a celebratory tradition for dog owners ever since. As this year’s National Dog Day approaches, our team took a deep dive into how consumer demand historically changes around this time. What we discovered has interesting implications for how brands can prepare their marketing approach to meet dog owners’ needs during this “holiday”.
Does Dog Food Demand Peak on National Dog Day?
To find out when dog food demand was the highest, our team compared monthly Amazon “dog food” search queries from every day of 2020, 2021, and 20222 and found some intriguing insights. Most notably, consumer demand for dog food peaks annually in January, with January 2022 seeing a 79% increase in demand compared to December 2021.
As you can see from the chart, however, dog food demand also sees a peak in search traffic in the summer around August. This increased interest might be related to National Dog Day preparations. Even when comparing dog food demand versus dog treat demand, we see the same patterns:
While COVID-Delta variant concerns might have contributed to a dip in demand during summer 2021, we can see that August 2022 is on track to surpass last year’s performance significantly.
Does National Dog Day Impact Consumer Demand for All Dog Products?
We wanted to see if these same patterns held true for dog products as a whole. Our team looked at a broad range of search queries, including:
- Dog beds
- Dog bowls
- Dog brushes
- Dog carriers
- Dog collars
- Dog dishes
- Dog food
- Dog houses
- Dog leashes
- Dog ramps
- Dog steps
- Dog toys
- Dog treats
Again, we evaluated the time period between 2020 – 2022, and again, our findings indicated a strong uptick in demand around January followed by a slight rise in the late summer.
In 2021, demand fell during the time that typically sees an increase just as it did in our dog food and dog treat analysis. However, 2022 is proving that dog owners are eager to get back to a sense of normalcy when it comes to their National Dog Day celebrations.
Does National Dog Day Impact Consumer Demand for Cat Products?
Who’s shopping for cat supplies on National Dog Day? It turns out a lot more people than you might think: As we looked at consumer demand trends for dog food around National Dog Day, our team was surprised to find that demand for cat food was higher at this time for both 2020 and 2021.
What’s even more interesting is that the opposite is true for National Cat Day (October 29). On October 29, 2020 and October 29, 2021, consumer demand for dog food was higher than for cat food despite the feline festivities. This trend held true across all cat and dog products as well:
Historically, demand for cat food takes a dip in July, seeing a comeback compared to dog food in August. As we can see in the chart for 2022 below, this trend is expected to continue.
This pattern illustrates that the age-old competition between cats and dogs is alive and well — even when it comes to non-traditional holidays and their impact on shopping behavior.
Using National Dog Day Trends to Your Advantage
While dog products are popular year-round, our data suggests that brands can expect to see an uptick in demand in both January and around National Dog Day.
Applying our National Dog Day trends to a broader scope, our data shows that non-traditional holidays and celebrations have a direct influence on Amazon shopping behavior. Being able to understand when consumer behavior might change gives brands a competitive edge as they are better able to forecast demand and plan their online marketing strategy. Pattern empowers brands with data like these, allowing them to keep their finger on the pulse of what their consumers want and when they want it most.
If you’re interested in using data powered by Pattern to inform your e-commerce strategy, request a demo with our team today.
