ddp design fair

People are bringing home a new companion animal more than ever before. The number of companion animals has increased as people are spending longer hours at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “Pet-fam”, a combination of the word “pet” and the word “family”, which refers to those who view their pets as family members. As the saying goes, “It takes love to adopt a pet, and it takes money to raise a pet.”, the so-called “Pet-fam” people do not hesitate to spend money on their animal companions, and they really love and care for their pets. Perhaps they love their pets more than they do people. To capture the hearts of “Pet-fam” people, luxury brands are taking the lead to launch a product line for pets. And there is a growing market for pet-related products. The global dog clothing market is expected to increase to 34 trillion won by 2022, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. As “Pet-fam” people are spending generously on their animal companions whom they consider family, they are becoming increasingly powerful players on the world’s luxury brand market.

People buy products from luxury brands because they care for their animal companions as they would for their family members, but another significant reason is because of the influence of social media. This is because there are some animals on Instagram that have as much influence as humans. If you search hashtag #doginfluencer, you will see photos of friendly pet dogs, but also dogs wearing luxury brands and showing off their cool style. If you see dogs that are cute but also prove to have better style than humans, you cannot help but think, they are definitely popular for a reason. They are animals, but they are cute, cool, pretty and so charming.

Just as the items owned by influencers attract a fair amount of attention and get sold out very fast, dog owners also want to know about the products dog influencers are using and buy them, hoping that their pets whom they consider family will look cool as those influencers. In other words, pet owners select and use the best products, including garments, as a way to express their love for their animal companions. From this, you can see how much influence companion animals have on people.

However, of course, there is also an opposing view on the consumption of luxury pet products. Some say that it does not make sense for animals to wear expensive items and eat gourmet meals, especially when it is even difficult for us to make ends meet. Some people feel deprived when they see animals being treated better than humans. At the same time, many people say that we also need to show consideration to former pets, once loved unconditionally, that get abandoned by their owners owing to personal circumstances. As a majority say that pet owners should love their animal companions whom they consider family until the day they die, it is clear that the level of awareness toward companion animals has grown across the nation. Despite such negative opinions, people will continue to love pets, and the market of pet products is expected to grow. Luxury brands sell pet products under the categories of women, men, lifestyle or accessories. However, as the frenzy continues, it is expected to grow to a level comparable to other categories in the future.