The integration of pets in homes has triggered an offer of products and services around them. Restaurants, shopping centers and hotels are already going beyond just admitting customers accompanied by dogs and cats, and have developed a specific offer for them.
Starbucks , for example, began offering as early as 2019 in some of the markets where it operates a puppuccino : a small glass of whipped cream served especially for dogs, without any caffeine, just whipped cream. In recent years, more brands have jumped on this trend.
“It’s a plus that these places have. They add new products looking for people to arrive and not just be the ones who consume, they have empathy with this new Mexican family, with whom they have a ‘perrrhijo’ or a ‘gathijo’ and it costs them separate from him,” says Iván García, associate creative director at Rojo Colectivo.
The demand for new products and services for pets – beyond veterinarians – has gathered force amid changes that lead singles or married couples without children to give dogs and cats a higher status within the home.
For Grand View Research, some of the drivers of the pet services market are the increase in spending on pets, the humanization of pets, and the premiumization of products and services for pets, in which dogs have a greater share.
The consultancy estimates the size of the global pet services market to reach $50.1 billion by 2030 , with a compound annual growth rate (CARG) of 9.1% from 2022 to 2030.
In Mexico, restaurants and hotels have been pioneers in the pet friendly theme, however, retailers have begun to ride the wave. More and more shopping malls and even movie theater chains see pets as a new business niche.
Pet friendly restaurants in CDMX
In addition to Starbucks, the New York hamburger chain Shake Shack also includes pooch-ini on its menu, a dessert for dogs made of frozen cream or vanilla custard with an oatmeal, peanut, apple and rice flour biscuit.
The Frody ice cream chain also has an option for ‘perrhijos’ in addition to their famous chocolate bunny popsicles. It is a bacon ice cream called Luky Bites.
Cinemas and squares to go with dogs and cats
In addition to allowing walking pets to enter, some centers have outdoor spaces, specific areas such as cleaning stations for four-legged assistants or care services. It is important to consider that dogs must always be on a leash.
In Mexico City and the metropolitan area, the places that receive customers accompanied by dogs are Centro Comercial Mítikah , Antara, Encuentro Fortuna, Encuentro Oceanía, Garden Santa Fe and Mundo E.
In addition to shopping centers, Liverpool is one of the stores that allows the entry of dogs since the beginning of this year. In some of its units, the department store chain lends strollers for small and medium-sized dogs, who accompany their humans to make purchases.
And how about a trip to the movies? Cinemex offers specific functions in which four-legged companions are allowed to sit in specific places, while some adjustments are made such as the reduction in projection volume, a low level of air conditioning and a light faint.
