How dog owners shop now

Buying dog food used to be a simple errand: a trip to the shop and a heavy bag on the way home.

Today, it might be a subscription that turns up every month, a marketplace order placed from the sofa, a bag picked up at the pet shop after a walk, or a new brand spotted on social media. Many owners use more than one of these, and each does a different job.

Here’s how dog owners are shopping now, what each route is good for, and how we’re planning Ancient Fields around it.

Spending more, choosing carefully

Start with what owners are spending. UK Pet Food’s latest market figures show owners spent 4% more on pet food but bought 1% less, so they paid more, on average, for the food they bought. That can reflect both price rises and owners trading up to higher-quality products.

Price still matters, though. In November 2025, Pets at Home cut prices on more than 1,000 food products by an average of 12%.

So owners want quality, but they also want to know they’re paying a fair price for it. That balance also helps explain why people now use several ways to buy. Different routes win on different things: convenience, advice, price or discovery.

Online for choice and convenience

Euromonitor’s latest review of UK pet care says retail ecommerce leads distribution, helped by convenience and choice. It’s easy to see why: comparing foods, checking ingredients and getting a heavy bag delivered are all easier online. It’s also where many owners trade up: Mintel calls online a key channel for premiumisation.

But it’s a lead, not a takeover. Mintel also finds that pet purchases are still evenly spread across channels.

Shops for advice

Pet shops still have an important place, especially with younger owners. Mintel finds that pet specialists are popular with younger shoppers, the age group where UK Pet Food has seen dog ownership climb.

A good shop offers something a screen can’t: advice from someone who knows their stuff, and the chance to see a product up close before you buy. For a new brand, it can also be where owners first hear about it, from someone whose opinion they trust.

Subscriptions for the everyday

Dogs eat every day, so dog food is something owners buy again and again. That makes it a natural fit for subscriptions and repeat orders, and Euromonitor’s review of UK dog food names convenience and subscription models among the forces driving retail innovation and competition.

At Pets at Home, subscriptions grew to 15.2% of consumer revenues in its 2026 results, up from 13.0% the year before. That figure covers its repeat deliveries and its pet health plans.

For owners, it’s one less thing to remember. And a repeat order is a good sign that a food is working for owner and dog.

Social for discovery

Owners are discovering brands in new places, too. Euromonitor points to social commerce, buying through social media platforms, as a fast-growing route for pet products, and one that’s engaging younger people in particular.

A recommendation from another owner, a video of a dog tucking in, a post from a brand they follow: any of these can be where the search for a new food begins.

Getting the best from each

Each way of buying has its strengths, and a few simple habits help you make the most of them:

• Subscriptions: check you can pause, skip or change how often deliveries arrive, so you’re not left with a stockpile if your dog’s needs change.
• Marketplaces: check who the seller is, and buy from the brand itself or an established stockist where you can.
• Shops: take a photo of your current food’s label, so staff can help you compare like with like.
• Social media: a great video won’t tell you whether a food is complete or complementary, so check the pack before you switch.

Planning Ancient Fields around it

Ancient Fields will be sold through its own website, subscriptions, marketplaces and selected retail partners, and each route plays its part. Our own website lets us tell the full story of the range and stay close to the owners who buy it, and subscriptions make repeat orders easy. Marketplaces meet owners where many already shop. Selected retailers bring advice and the chance to see the range in person, and we’ll back them with product information, training resources and account support.

Because we manage our brands across ecommerce, marketplaces and trade channels, we’ll hear from the owners buying Ancient Fields and the shops stocking it, and learn from every channel. There’s more on how that works in From idea to shelf.

We’re keen to work with independent retailers as well as wholesalers and distributors. If you’d like to stock Ancient Fields, start a trade enquiry.

Questions about how dog owners shop

Do most dog owners buy pet food online?

Ecommerce leads, according to Euromonitor, but Mintel finds pet purchases are still evenly spread across channels.