Rising prices, the premiumisation of products, and the development of a culture of interaction with animals are among the current trends in the pet products and services market. Experts discussed what is happening in the sector at the round table “Taxes, labelling, and online retail: what will shape the development of the Pet Industry in 2026?”, organised with the support of RBC St Petersburg.
Kirill Dmitriev, Chairman of the Management Board of the National Pet Industry Association, reported that in 2025, Russia’s pet products market grew to RUB 590 billion, accounting for 2.5–3.5% of the global market. According to Nielsen data, inflation accounted for at least 88% of growth in the FMCG market, meaning that the market expanded primarily because of price increases, the expert stressed. Natural demand accounted for 12% of domestic market growth.
Dmitriev noted that pet food accounts for 83% of Russia’s pet goods market. Its largest category is cat food, with a market value of RUB 347 billion. Pet food production is increasing, as are exports of Russian-made pet foods. Belarus is the main export destination, accounting for 69% of supplies, while exports are also sent to Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, and other countries.
“In 2025, we saw an increase in the pet population, a trend towards humanising pets, rising prices, and uncontrolled growth in online sales. In 2026, we expect moderate market growth, stronger positions for such categories as treats, specialised nutrition, and animal health products, as well as an increase in production of 100,000 to 150,000 tonnes. Changes in tax legislation, labelling requirements, and the online sector will influence market development. Everyone needs to be ready for change—we cannot continue living by old rules while trying to meet today’s realities. We are facing major changes in production, imports, and wholesale and retail supply chains,” he said.
Anastasia Goretskaya, Marketing Director of the Small Companion Animals Division at the VIK Group, said that Russia is currently home to more than 80 million pets, including 50 million cats. Average monthly spending per pet amounts to RUB 4,400. According to the expert, more than half of Russians consider animals to be family members or children. Consumers are becoming more conscious, while pet-friendly culture is developing in both companies and government institutions.
“We are seeing growing trust in Russian medicines, and one of the trends is increasing competition among Russian companies,” she added.
Denis Eremenkov, Director of the FAVA plant, noted that prices are expected to rise by up to 10% in 2026, with the full burden falling on end consumers.
“We are fighting for product quality and can see that trust in Russian pet foods is growing. We will dedicate 2026 to improving product quality: if we want people to buy our products, we must make them better. Every year, we grow alongside the market by 10–14%,” he said.
Serzh Ivanov, Marketing Director at Petshop, also predicted price increases. At the same time, he noted the premiumisation of pet food and the increasing penetration of industrially produced pet food.
“Russian manufacturers are doing a great job. We offer high-quality products at affordable prices. Since 2022, marketplaces have been the main growth driver, but now we will see some slight cooling. Rapid delivery services are growing faster than marketplaces; this niche will be a major trend in 2026,” he said.
Alina Morozova, Brand Manager for AlphaPet’s veterinary product line, said that consumers are price-sensitive but remain willing to pay and are trying to better understand pet food ingredients.
“We believe in the consumer, and based on the results of 2025, we do not see a decline in demand for premium pet food. There is price competition on the market, but the focus should be on an expert approach and high quality. For us, 2026 will be about strengthening the brand through an expert approach to pet health,” she noted.
Vladimir Sotnikov, Chief Veterinarian at Sotnikov Veterinary Clinic of Neurology, Traumatology, and Intensive Care, stressed that veterinary services must remain accessible.
“Yes, we have to raise prices, but we must reorganise our work so that it remains accessible to most people. Doctors’ task is to treat patients, and this is not a scalable business. Our main goal is to identify diseases and manage them,” he added.
Nikolay Bespalov, Development Director at RNC Pharma, spoke about the veterinary medicines market, which has shown positive trends over the past three years, both in volume and in value. According to him, product ranges are expanding, there is demand for new medicines, and online channels are seeking to take away the upper-price segment from offline retail.
“We are seeing growth in sales of domestically produced medicines. For example, in retail, the share of Russian-made products exceeded 50% in 2025 and reached 56% in value terms. Inflation remains high, and lower-priced products are being squeezed out of the assortment. Price competition will become more pronounced, while the market will continue to develop both quantitatively and qualitatively, although growth rates will be more modest than over the past three years,” the expert said.
Round-table participants also discussed one of the market’s pressing issues: mandatory labelling of pet food and veterinary medicines. Representatives of the Centre for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT), the operator of the state-run Chestny ZNAK (“Honest Sign”) product-labelling system—Yegor Zhavoronkov, Head of the Socially Significant Goods Department, and Yulia Kuzmina, Head of the Non-Excise Food Products Department—outlined the stages of introducing labelling for pet food and veterinary medicines. They noted that labelling codes help combat counterfeit products and ensure product quality. According to the experts, labelling does not have a significant impact on product prices.
The specialists discussed the practical aspects of applying product labels and noted that the market includes legal trade as well as grey-market and black-market schemes.
“Labelling is important and necessary, but there are several problematic issues. We would very much like to achieve the introduction of batch-level accounting for pet food rather than item-by-item accounting,” Kirill Dmitriev said.
The participants noted that the industry will continue to develop and change as competition grows and popular product niches evolve. The round table was moderated by Elena Krom, Editor-in-Chief of RBC St Petersburg.
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