--- title: "American Pet Products Association: Pets Won’t Get Left Out at Holidays" id: "14566" type: "post" slug: "american-pet-products-association-pets-wont-get-left-out-at-holidays" published_at: "2012-11-26T21:04:48+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:12:19+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/26/american-pet-products-association-pets-wont-get-left-out-at-holidays/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/11/26/american-pet-products-association-pets-wont-get-left-out-at-holidays.md" excerpt: "The American Pet Products Association is predicting that pets may have a banner year this holiday season." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "holiday shopping" - "pet industry" - "pet products" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "For-Profit CEO / President / Owner / Partner" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » American Pet Products Association: Pets Won’t Get Left Out at Holidays As people begin tackling their holiday shopping lists, one industry group is predicting strong sales for an unexpected set of recipients—pets. Fifty-three percent of dogs and 38 percent of cats receive gifts at Christmas, according to [an American Pet Products Association 2011/2012 National Pet Owners Survey (opens in a new tab)](http://www.americanpetproducts.org/pubs_survey.asp) . [APPA said (opens in a new tab)](http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/11/prweb10139802.htm) pet products have been habitual leaders among retail segments during the holidays, even during the tougher years of the recession, and this year will likely continue the trend. Sixty-two percent of U.S. households include a dog, cat, bird, or other animal companion. Americans [spent roughly $53 billion on their pets in 2012 (opens in a new tab)](http://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp) , according to the survey. And while nearly half of that was spent on food, pet owners also shelled out for supplies and over-the-counter medicine; veterinary care; and grooming and boarding services. Last month [Forbes reported (opens in a new tab)](http://www.forbes.com/sites/caroltice/2012/10/30/why-one-recession-proof-industry-just-keeps-growing/) there are now 35 pet-service franchises in the United States, and pet hotels continue to pop up around the country. Only time will tell if people spend more on their pets this holiday season than their human loved ones, but if sales from pet products match the overall holiday trend, they’ll see a moderate growth. The National Retail Federation is estimating this year’s holiday sales will increase 4.1 percent to $586 billion, down from last year’s growth of 5.6 percent. “While moderate compared to what we experienced the last two holiday seasons, the forecast is a very pragmatic look at what to expect this year given the current rate of economic growth,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz [said in a statement (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=1433) . “There’s still some general anxiety amongst consumers when it comes to how the state of the economy is impacting their spending plans, but retailers can expect to see excitement around their promotions and plenty of bargain hunters both online and in stores in the coming months.” (iStockPhoto/Thinkstock) [Katie Bascuas](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Katie Bascuas is a former associate editor at Associations Now in Washington, DC. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#holiday shopping](https://associationsnow.com/tag/holiday-shopping/) [#pet industry](https://associationsnow.com/tag/pet-industry/) [#pet products](https://associationsnow.com/tag/pet-products/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) - [VideoExploring New Frontiers: Leadership, Resilience and the Future of SpaceflightAugust 27, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/27/exploring-new-frontiers-leadership-resilience-and-the-future-of-spaceflight/) - [VideoCharlene Lopez Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/charlene-lopez-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2012%2F11%2F26%2Famerican-pet-products-association-pets-wont-get-left-out-at-holidays%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !