Straining at the leash for high fashion

Pet industry spawns booming market in the form of clothing and travel accessories with big brands taking the lead, He Qi reports in Shanghai.

Doggies in ancient Chinese costumes, internet-famous dog Niu Niu and robotic dog LOVOT as well as hundreds of furry friends in designer clothing shared the same stage during this year's pet fashion show in Shanghai, indicating a booming market for the pet industry.

Over 1 million pet dogs and more than 1.2 million cats attended the annual pet week with their owners, according to the rough estimate of the event organizer.

The 2025 Pet Fashion Trend report revealed during the fourth Petjoy Fashion Week held in Shanghai from March 28 to 30 that China's pet industry reached a scale of 701.3 billion yuan ($96.6 billion) in 2024, with year-on-year growth of 18.3 percent. It is projected that the pet products market will reach 48.4 billion yuan in 2025.