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Sensor Tower · Sensor Tower · March 2025
How Pet Brands Marked Their Retail Media Territory
Retail Media was a major battleground for Pet Supplies in 2024, with brands vying for pet owners’ attention across a range of retailers and channels. From Chewy leading the pack to the tug-of-war between Purina and Mars Petcare, we’ll unpack how Pet Supplies became a top-tier category on Retail Media.
Chewy Led the Pack in Pet Supplies Advertising
In 2024, Chewy dominated the Pet Supplies industry on Retail Media, generating 3x more pet impressions and attracting 3x more pet advertisers than any other retailer. While pet stores led the category, pet brands also extended their presence across big-box stores, grocery stores, delivery services, and beyond. The result? Pet Supplies became a top-performing category on Retail Media in 2024, ranking 4th in terms of total impressions earned. For context, that means Pet Supplies outpaced categories like Food & Beverages, Consumer Electronics, and Household Supplies.
Retailers Took Different Paths to Fetch Consumer Attention
When it comes to reaching pet owners, each retailer took a unique approach to their channel strategy. At category leaders Chewy and Petco, Facebook took center stage, while PetSmart and Instacart both prioritized YouTube. The two big-box leaders, Walmart and Target, took a different approach, leaning heavily into TikTok to engage pet owners. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the pet brands that adapt their strategies to each retailer’s platform strengths will have a competitive edge.
Purina PetCare Set the Pace
On Retail Media in 2024, Purina PetCare outpaced all other Pet Supplies brands, advertising at an impressive 18 different retailers, with Chewy as their primary partner. Purina’s Retail Media strategy prioritized their Pro Plan lineup while supporting 23 brands across their portfolio. The massive scale that Purina PetCare (5.8B) and Mars Petcare (3.3B) generated on Retail Media can not be overstated. In fact, across all measured retailers and product categories, Purina and Mars Petcare were the two largest advertisers on Retail Media in 2024.
Mars Petcare Unleashed a Strong Finish
The Pet Supplies category proved to be dynamic month-to-month in 2024. While Purina led the category overall, Mars Petcare dialed up the competition in the latter half of the year. By October, Mars Petcare claimed the category’s top spot, fueled by a Facebook and Instagram campaign at Petco promoting their Orijen cat food.
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