Zoomark Days: Italian Pet Industry Steps Up The Pace To Lead The Way Into The Future

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Zoomark held its second Industry Insights event on September 30 in Milan, bringing pet-industry professionals together to discuss market data, regulation and business strategy. Speakers reported value growth in pet food and pet care, while highlighting supply-chain pressures, new EU requirements and the need for efficiency and differentiation.

Zoomark’s second Industry Insights event brought Italian pet-sector companies and professionals together in Milan on September 30 to discuss market growth, supply-chain pressures, regulation and business strategy. The event, organized with trade magazine PetB2B, presented data showing value growth in pet food and pet care and highlighted issues that companies will need to address as they plan for the future.

Paolo Garro of market research firm Circana presented figures showing that pet food value grew 3.8% and pet care value grew 5%. The source attributes the gains to increased demand for premium and functional products. It does not give the measurement period, geographic coverage, or comparison basis for those figures, so they should not be read as a specified year-over-year rate.

Speakers Giorgio Massoni of Forza10 – Nasta Petfood and Guglielmo Ruggeri of IMG discussed how international events over the past five years and climate change have affected supply chains, production and raw-material sourcing. The event also addressed European packaging and product-safety rules. The source describes the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) as having a phased implementation schedule extending to 2040, and the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) as setting requirements relevant to pet accessories.

Other sessions focused on commercial choices and retail service. Alberto Vigada of PwC Strategy Italia urged companies to improve industrial efficiency, focus on higher-value segments, choose profitable markets and build partnerships with retailers, while retaining direct sales and e-commerce options. Riccardo Chechi of QBerg presented a mystery-shopping study of 50 pet retail outlets; shop assistants received an average score of 7 out of 10. The source does not provide further detail on the scoring method or survey dates.

Growth Meets Cost and Compliance Pressures

The event’s findings point to a pet market with opportunities for businesses but also practical pressures that can affect costs, product design and customer trust. Reported growth in premium and functional products offers a signal about where consumer value is increasing, although the source provides too little information about the underlying data to establish how broad or durable that trend is.

Supply disruptions and climate-related effects on raw materials can complicate production and sourcing. At the same time, packaging and product-safety rules require companies to review how products are made, packaged, sold and handled after a safety issue. These demands matter to manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers, as well as to consumers and people who may handle pet products.

The speakers’ recommendations—greater efficiency, sharper market positioning and partnerships—were presented as strategies for responding to those conditions, not as guaranteed routes to success. The retail survey also suggests that service quality is part of the sector’s competitive picture, while its reported average leaves room for improvement.

A Second Industry Insights Meeting

Zoomark described Industry Insights as a way to keep dialogue among companies and sector professionals active between its larger industry events. Pascale Sonvico, Zoomark’s exhibition manager, said the initiative was intended to create opportunities for discussion and analysis of changes affecting the market.

The September gathering was the second event in the series. According to Sonvico, the first, held in April, focused on e-commerce. The later meeting was organized with PetB2B and hosted at PwC’s headquarters in Milan’s Libeskind Tower. Its programme combined market data, regulation, commercial strategy and discussion among participants.

The source places the regulatory discussion within a changing European framework. It says the PPWR has a phased implementation schedule through 2040 and describes the GPSR as refining product-safety rules. Paola Cane of Mia Solutions discussed responsibilities for businesses that manufacture, import or distribute pet accessories, and the source says GPSR recall notices must not use misleading language that minimizes a product’s perceived danger.

“Only those who focus on efficiency and distinctiveness will be able to anticipate the future.”

— Alberto Vigada, PwC Strategy Italia

Data and Implementation Details Missing

The source does not identify the year of the September 30 event or specify the time period, geographic scope or comparison baseline for Circana’s growth figures. It also does not provide the full mystery-shopping report, including when the visits took place, how outlets were selected or how the 7-out-of-10 score was calculated.

The report summarizes speakers’ accounts of regulatory requirements but does not give a detailed compliance guide or list every deadline businesses must meet under the PPWR and GPSR. The actual effect of these rules on individual companies, and how supply-chain pressures may develop, is not established in the material. The article is based on a press release, and independent corroboration of the figures and claims is not included.

Companies Face Practical Follow-Through

The immediate next steps described at the event are for businesses to examine their sourcing and production resilience, review packaging and product-safety responsibilities, and decide where operational improvements or partnerships may be useful. The source does not announce a new Zoomark programme date, a regulatory deadline specific to attendees, or a formal industry action plan.

Further information that would clarify the market outlook includes the full Circana data series, the underlying QBerg survey methodology and guidance from relevant authorities on regulatory implementation. Until those details are available, the event’s figures and recommendations provide a snapshot of the issues discussed rather than a complete measure of the Italian pet market.

Key Questions

What happened at Zoomark Days?

Zoomark held its second Industry Insights event in Milan on September 30, in collaboration with PetB2B. Professionals discussed market trends, supply chains, European regulations and business strategy.

What growth figures were presented?

Paolo Garro of Circana reported value growth of 3.8% for pet food and 5% for pet care, attributing the gains to premium and functional products. The source does not state the measurement period or comparison baseline.

What pressures did speakers identify?

Speakers discussed supply-chain effects linked to international events and climate change, alongside the need to respond to European packaging and product-safety requirements.

What did the pet-shop survey find?

QBerg’s mystery-shopping study covered 50 outlets, including independent shops and specialist chains. The source reports an average staff score of 7 out of 10, but does not provide the survey dates or full methodology.

What remains uncertain about the report?

The source does not identify the event year, explain the time window or baseline for the market-growth numbers, or publish full details of the retail survey. It also does not set out a specific follow-up programme or action plan.

Source: rss