From March 3 to 5, the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted the international exhibition of pet products and services PetIndustry and the North-West Veterinary Congress. Over the three days, the events welcomed 4,500 professionals from 22 regions of Russia. The exhibition covered 9,000 sq. m and featured products and services from 140 pet business companies from Russia, Belarus, China and Türkiye.
The official opening ceremony of PetIndustry and the North-West Veterinary Congress was attended by Kirill Dmitriev, President of the National Pet Industry Association and member of the Public Council under Rosselkhoznadzor; Kirill Plemyashov, Rector of Saint Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine; Angela Lopatinskaya, Deputy Head of the Saint Petersburg Veterinary Administration; Ekaterina Rybakova-Aleksandrova, Head of the Pushkin Branch of the Saint Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Lyubov Vorozheikina, Director of the non-profit partnership Saint Petersburg Veterinary Society and organiser of the North-West Veterinary Congress.
In his welcoming remarks, Kirill Dmitriev noted that despite all the challenges facing both the industry and the country, the pet industry continues to demonstrate resilience in times of crisis.
“The pet industry is not just a business; it is also a mission to make pets and their owners happy. This is an important social task, as 75% of Russians already have a pet,” Dmitriev said.
Previously, pet food manufacturers had focused primarily on import substitution and expanding their product ranges. This year, however, their priorities have shifted towards more detailed product development. Russian producers brought fully fledged functional nutrition systems to the exhibition, including veterinary diets, single-protein formulas, products with a high content of fresh meat, and even the country’s first protein shakes for animals.
The PetIndustry venue also featured a special “New Products Gallery,” where pet businesses presented innovative solutions ranging from programmable collars to pet foods containing salmon and venison.
The business programme included more than 30 events across four thematic tracks: business events featuring market expert presentations. veterinary medicine through the North-West Veterinary Congress, the DOG-PROFI programme for breeders and the BIG GROOMING BOSS National Conference for groomers.
During the BIG GROOMING BOSS National Conference, experts discussed financing for grooming businesses. Denis Vasilyev, President of the NARGI-Groomingfest Association, spoke about market challenges, the importance of accurate accounting, sound planning and attracting investment. For 2026, he advised businesses to include VAT in their prices, take out loans only for development purposes, cooperate with veterinarians and grow through the Association’s clubs.
“We must remember that we are transforming the animal care market and raising the culture of pet ownership through the grooming community and by setting our own example. We help make the grooming business ethical and profitable,” Denis Vasilyev concluded.
Experts discussed the current state of the sector at the round table “Taxes, Labelling and Online Sales: What Will Shape the Development of the Pet Industry in 2026?”, organised with the support of RBC St Petersburg. Kirill Dmitriev, Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Pet Industry Association, reported that in 2025 the Russian pet products market grew to RUB 590 billion, accounting for 2.5–3.5% of the global market. He noted that pet food makes up 83% of Russia’s pet products market.
In addition to growing domestic production, exports of Russian pet food are also increasing. Belarus remains the main export market, while supplies are also being sent to Turkiye, Qatar, Jordan and other countries.
“In 2025, we saw an increase in the pet population, a trend towards the humanisation of pets, rising prices and uncontrolled growth in online sales. In 2026, we expect moderate market growth, stronger demand in categories such as treats, specialised nutrition and animal health products, as well as an increase in production by 100,000–150,000 tonnes. Changes in tax legislation, product labelling and the online sector will affect market development. Everyone must be ready for change — it is impossible to keep operating as before while trying to meet today’s requirements. We are facing major changes in production, imports and wholesale and retail supply chains,” the expert noted.
Participants in the round table “2025 Results and 2026 Trends: Where Can Pet Businesses Make Money?” observed that cat and dog food continues to dominate the structure of the Russian market. The online segment of specialised stores is growing, the average transaction value is increasing, agricultural enterprises are becoming more involved, and pet food exports are expanding. Experts agreed that, in order to succeed, businesses need to operate omnichannel, build trust and act as a bridge between pet owners and their animals.
“Consumers are becoming more informed, and trust matters more than loud advertising. Omnichannel presence is also important: you need to engage with customers through the channel where they expect to find you. We have more opportunities ahead of us than negative factors,” concluded Alexander Kolchin, Content Director at the ZooInform information and publishing centre and a sales business coach.
On March 3 and 4, the exhibition hosted the Business Contacts Centre. The event brought together 18 supplier companies and more than 50 purchasing companies from 20 regions of Russia and abroad, including Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Chelyabinsk, Smolensk and Kaliningrad, as well as Minsk, Yerevan and other cities. The purchasing companies included major pet market and retail players such as Four Paws, Mokry Nos, VezdeKhvost, Demi-Murr, Kupi-Korm, Kot i Pyos, Veterinary Service No. 1, Dr Sotnikov Veterinary Clinic, VkusVill, Samokat, Alidi West, FixZone, TD Real and others
The North-West Veterinary Congress, organised by the Saint Petersburg Veterinary Society, was held alongside the PetIndustry exhibition. The event brought together veterinary professionals, practising veterinarians and students. Participants discussed modern approaches to animal treatment, innovative solutions and current advances in surgery and traumatology. The congress attracted 2,000 attendees and featured 200 speakers.
The exhibition was organised by ExpoForum International.
The exhibition’s general partner was the VIK Group of Companies.
Partners included Xu Cuihua and the TRIOL Association of Pet Business Entrepreneurs.