Zoomark Days Industry Insights: the Italian pet industry is stepping up the pace to lead the way into the future 

“With the Zoomark Days, we wanted to get even closer to companies and industry professionals, forging connections between them and sharing knowledge with those who work in this sector on a daily basis,” explains Pascale Sonvico, Exhibition Manager at Zoomark. “The Industry Insights were created precisely with the aim of keeping this dialogue alive, offering concrete opportunities for discussion and in-depth analysis of the hottest topics that are transforming the market.”

“Following the first event in April, which engaged industry players in a stimulating in-depth discussion on e-commerce,” continues Sonvico, “the second Industry Insights event on the 30th September provided a further opportunity for the Italian pet industry to meet, exchange views and reflect collectively on the future of a market that has always been at the forefront of trends in developing valuable innovations. “

Organised in collaboration with the Italian trade magazine PetB2B, the event combined vision and commercial innovation, regulatory analysis and a candid assessment of the challenges and opportunities currently facing the market, providing the audience with numerous opportunities for debate and discussion.

Even the choice of venue for discussing the future of the pet industry was no coincidence: from the 28th floor of the Libeskind Tower, PwC’s headquarters in the most modern district of Milan and indeed of Italy, it felt natural to look to the future from a different perspective.

The talks throughout the day were of the very highest calibre. The analysis of market data provided by Paolo Garro of Circana confirmed significant growth in value terms for pet food (+3.8 %) and pet care (+5%), driven by the trend towards premiumisation and functional products.

In the first debate of the morning, featuring contributions from Giorgio Massoni of Forza10 – Nasta Petfood and Guglielmo Ruggeri of IMG, the strong impact of supply chain challenges emerged, linked to international events over the last five years and the effects of climate change, which are having an ever-greater impact on production and the sourcing of raw materials.

Adapting to changes in the pet market is also crucial for success and requires constant responsiveness to legislative updates, such as the European PPWR Directive, introduced with the aim of reducing packaging waste, which is now law across Europe, albeit with a phased implementation schedule extending until 2040.

The presentation by Alberto Palaveri of Assografici (Italian National Association of the Printing Industry) highlighted the importance of packaging communication, emphasising that packaging is one of the most widely ‘read’ media, not least because it contains key messages about the product – and this also applies to the pet market. The product and its packaging share risks and challenges, as well as success. For this reason, the Vice-President of Assografici sent an unequivocal message to the pet industry: collaborate now to build the business.

Another recent European regulation, the GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation), has refined the legislation on product safety to protect consumers. To round off the morning’s proceedings, Paola Cane of Mia Solutions outlined the evolution of safety culture, emphasising the need to comply with regulations and take full responsibility when manufacturing, importing or distributing all types of pet accessories (from harnesses and leads to bowls, cushions and pet carriers).

Among the key changes is the prohibition, in the event of a product recall, on using misleading terms that might downplay the perceived danger and encourage the continued use of the item. The GPSR also protects third parties other than the purchaser: in addition to the animal using the product, it safeguards vulnerable individuals such as children or the elderly who might handle the accessory incorrectly.

Building bridges between distant and inaccessible markets is part of Zoomark’s long-standing philosophy. Similarly, Industry Insights are designed to connect the pet industry with players from other sectors. The Italian pet industry community, gathered in Milan for the latest Industry Insights by Zoomark Days, made the most of this valuable opportunity for discussion amongst professionals facing the same market dynamics, further enriched by the involvement of new, exceptional partners such as PwC Strategy Italia, which hosted the event.

In his presentation, Alberto Vigada of PwC Strategy Italia certainly drew the participants’ attention to the imminent challenges that must be addressed to avoid destroying value, urging manufacturers to optimise industrial efficiency and plant utilisation, to position themselves in the highest-value segments (super-premium, functional and vet-diet) by selecting the most profitable markets – including overseas ones – and by forging strategic category and private-label partnerships with retailers, whilst not neglecting direct channels and e-commerce. Only those who focus on efficiency and distinctiveness will be able to anticipate the future.

Riccardo Chechi of QBerg, meanwhile, presented the findings of the research: “Mystery Shopping in the Pet Retail Sector”. Carried out by mystery shoppers, the survey analysed the service provided by staff at 50 outlets, including independent pet shops and specialist chains. Although some shortcomings emerged, the assessment highlighted a good overall level of competence: based on the total scores awarded by the undercover customers, Italian shop assistants achieved an average final score of 7 out of 10. This is an encouraging result, though it still leaves plenty of room for improvement, which the industry and retailers are called upon to address together.

For companies looking to the future, investing in digital transformation is a strategic and decisive factor.

The final presentation before the PetB2B Forum was delivered by Omnipet by Guttadauro Network, a sponsor of Industry Insights specialising in IT services and cyber security. According to Luigi D’Alessandro, in Italy only 14 out of 100 companies have achieved digital maturity. Reassuring the audience that AI will not replace day-to-day jobs, he reiterated how important it is for Italian pet companies too to boost digitalisation if they intend to increase production capacity, optimise warehouse organisation, streamline orders and manage shipments.

In the afternoon, the Industry Insight by Zoomark Days hosted the Pet B2B Forum with two round-table discussions.

The first focused on the changes to be implemented in the production chain and distribution network, both now and in the future, brought Dan Franco of Rinaldo Franco, Carlo Gheda of Gheda Pet Food and Paolo Castegnaro of Trixie onto the stage, where they shared their business experiences.

This was followed by panel contributions on the pet shop of the future, featuring Luciano Fassa from Monge, Vito Bolognese from Pet Village and Vincenzo Francioso from Conad PetStore.

Price will once again be a decisive factor for a significant segment of consumers. Therefore, although the specialized channel remains essential for the pet community, it will be up to retailers to adapt to the new generation of pet parents, coexist with social media and e-commerce, and offer unique services that cannot be obtained online.

 With the industry-focused meetings now concluded, Zoomark Days continues on a multi-stop journey, bringing the next Retail Labs – dedicated to the worlds of retail and grooming – to Salerno on 19th October 2026 and in Bari on 9th November.