"Catch the Fempat Tribe"... Retail Industry Races to Secure Market Lead

GS Retail Expands 'About Pet' Product Range Threefold
Emart Diversifies Sales Channels for 'Mollis'
Lotte Mart Launches 'Collioli' Care Management Service

On the 8th, customers are browsing the store with their pets at Collioli in Lotte Mart Eunpyeong Branch, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] As the domestic pet population reaches 15 million, the distribution industry is accelerating efforts to secure a leading position in the 'pet business.'

According to GS Retail on the 8th, the number of products handled by the pet specialty mall 'About Pet' has expanded from around 3,200 last year to about 10,000 currently. Monthly visitors have increased by 650% compared to the early days of its opening. The rate of personalized product recommendations based on past data leading to actual purchases reaches 90%, resulting in a repurchase rate that has doubled.

About Pet provides pet care consultations, parenting content, and optimized product curation. It is also considering expanding its business to various services such as pet-friendly accommodation, companion photography, training and education services, playgrounds, and complex cultural facilities. Efforts are also focused on enhancing delivery competitiveness. Currently, same-day and early morning deliveries are available in some areas of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi, and the next-day arrival rate of parcels delivered nationwide has been raised to 98%.

‘Molly’s,’ a pet supplies specialty store operated by E-Mart, is diversifying its sales channels by entering E-Mart, Molly’s, SSG.com, and Naver Smart Store. The number of products sold at Molly’s increased from about 2,000 in 2020 to about 2,500 in 2022. Molly’s sales increased by 4.7% from January 1 to April 4 this year compared to the previous year.

Lotte Mart operates the pet total store ‘Collioli’ at nine locations including Zeta Flex Jamsil and Eunpyeong branches. Here, customers can receive pet care and management services such as hospital and grooming, and there is a specialized zone for pet health functional foods. CJ OnStyle handles about 1,400 brands at the pet specialty mall ‘All Pet’ and regularly holds ‘All Pet Day’ every month to showcase exclusive products.

A distribution industry official said, "As the number of ‘Petfam’ who regard pets as family members increases, we are making various efforts to expand customer touchpoints," adding, "We will continuously increase customer inflow through excellent products and various benefits."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.