In recent years, the pet industry has become a "golden track" for capital and entrepreneurs. On social media, success stories of the pet economy are everywhere—taglines like "annual income of $1 million" and "doubled profits" have lured countless people to jump in.
But reality is far harsher than expected.
After entering the market, many brands realize the pain points: factory quality risks, poor packaging design, unprofessional teams, misplaced distribution strategies, and inadequate market research. Any of these pitfalls can turn a "promising brand" into a "failed venture."
Today, we uncover the 5 most hidden pitfalls in pet brand building to help you avoid catastrophic losses.
1. Factory Pitfall: Low Prices Hide Quality "Time Bombs"
"We’re 20% cheaper than competitors!"
"Raw materials and craftsmanship are guaranteed—rest assured to cooperate!"
These are the most common promises startups hear when negotiating with factories. But the harsh truth is: low price = low quality.
Pain Point 1: Quality Out of Control Destroys Brand Reputation
A emerging pet food brand chose an OEM factory with an extremely low quote to cut costs. After the first batch hit the market, consumers complained about "poor palatability," "pets vomiting after eating," and even "spoilage due to broken packaging."
The brand urgently recalled the products, but it was too late—negative reviews flooded social media, brand credibility collapsed overnight, and repeat purchase rates plummeted to rock bottom.
Core Issue: To lower costs, factories may cut corners on raw materials, craftsmanship, and quality control. Brands with no supply chain management experience fail to spot these risks and end up paying for quality disasters.
Pain Point 2: After-Sales Disputes Stall Cooperation
Worse, low-cost factories often lack sound after-sales systems. When problems arise, factories may shirk responsibility or even disappear entirely. Brands are left to bear returns, compensation, and other losses alone—straining cash flow instantly.
Avoidance Guide:
Prioritize factory qualifications, quality control systems, and past cooperation cases over price.
Clarify quality standards, after-sales responsibilities, and breach of contract compensation in contracts.
Start with small trial orders to verify quality before scaling up.
2. Packaging Design Pitfall: Outdated Aesthetics = No Sales
"Packaging doesn’t matter—good products sell themselves!"
This is a common mistake among startups. But in an era of overcapacity and fierce competition, packaging is the product’s first impression.
Pain Point 1: Tacky Design Turns Off Consumers
A pet supplies brand’s owner designed packaging based on personal preference—using gaudy red and green colors with cheesy slogans. After launching, sales were dismal. Consumers commented: "This packaging looks like cheap street goods—I dare not use it for my pet."
Core Issue: Pet consumers are mostly young people who care not only about product functions but also about "aesthetics," "tone," and "social value." Packaging that fails to meet their taste is filtered out immediately.
Pain Point 2: Homogenization Makes Brands Invisible
Another group of brands falls into the opposite trap—copying popular designs. They blindly follow trends like "cute style" or "minimalist style," resulting in identical packaging that consumers can’t remember.
Avoidance Guide:
Align packaging design with target users’ aesthetics (e.g., Gen Z prefers "premium feel" and "healing vibes").
Highlight brand differentiation (e.g., eco-friendly materials, unique unboxing experiences).
Conduct market research in advance to avoid homogenization.
3. Team Pitfall: Amateurs Leading Professionals = Low Efficiency
"The pet industry has low barriers—just gather a few people and start!"
This is a misconception among many entrepreneurs. In fact, the pet industry requires cross-disciplinary capabilities: product development, supply chain management, marketing, customer service—none can be missing.
Pain Point 1: Inexperienced Core Members Cause Wrong Decisions
A pet food brand’s founder came from the FMCG industry and had limited knowledge of pet nutrition. He blindly pursued "high protein" and "functional" formulas, resulting in products with poor palatability—pets refused to eat them, and repeat purchase rates were extremely low.
Core Issue: Teams lack pet industry experience, leading to wrong product positioning and ineffective marketing strategies.
Pain Point 2: Confused Division of Labor Lowers Efficiency
Other brands suffer from "one person doing multiple jobs"—marketers double as customer service, and operators double as designers. The result is mediocrity in everything, and brand development stagnates.
Avoidance Guide:
Core teams must have pet industry experience (e.g., pet nutritionists, veterinarians, senior operators).
Clarify job responsibilities to avoid "jack-of-all-trades but master of none" structures.
Provide regular training to improve team professionalism.
4. Distribution Channel Pitfall: Blind Stocking = Cash Flow Crisis
"Online is too competitive—offline is more stable!"
"Stock first, optimize later!"
These are common misconceptions in channel selection. Wrong channel strategies can lead to overstocking and cash flow breakdowns.
Pain Point 1: High Offline Costs & Slow Payment Collection
A pet supplies brand stocked heavily in pet stores and supermarkets to expand the market quickly, only to discover:
High channel commissions (30%-50%) squeezed profits;
Long payment cycles (3-6 months) caused cash flow problems;
Poor sales in some channels led to overstocking.
Pain Point 2: Fierce Online Competition & High Traffic Costs
Other brands focus solely on online channels but face:
High platform commissions (e.g., Tmall, JD);
Soaring costs for bidding rankings and live-streaming sales;
Traffic monopolized by top brands, making it hard for new brands to break through.
Avoidance Guide:
Combine online and offline channels to avoid reliance on a single one.
Prioritize high-traffic, fast-payment offline channels (e.g., chain pet stores).
Focus on targeted traffic online (e.g., seeding on Douyin and Xiaohongshu).
5. Market Research Pitfall: Blind Following = Fast Failure
"The pet economy is booming—any product will sell!"
This is the most dangerous mindset. Without in-depth market research, brands are like "headless flies."
Pain Point 1: Blind Following Causes Homogenization
A brand quickly launched freeze-dried pet food after seeing its popularity, only to find:
Dozens of similar brands already existed on the market;
Consumers had lost interest in "freeze-dried" products;
Fierce price wars led to meager profits.
Pain Point 2: Ignoring User Needs Leads to Unsold Products
Other brands create products in isolation without researching user pain points. For example, a "smart feeder" failed because consumers complained about "complicated operation" and "unsuitability for pets."
Avoidance Guide:
Research user needs (e.g., pet breeds, feeding habits, consumption pain points).
Analyze competitors’ strengths and weaknesses to find differentiated positioning.
Conduct small-scale testing to verify market demand before large-scale promotion.
Conclusion: The Pet Industry Is Not About "Easy Money"—It’s About "Refined Operations"
The pet industry has great potential, but its barriers are much higher than expected. Factories, packaging, teams, channels, and research—every link can become a "fatal flaw" for brands.
To survive and thrive, you must:
Strictly control the supply chain to ensure quality;
Value packaging design to enhance competitiveness;
Build a professional team to avoid amateur leadership;
Optimize channel strategies to reduce risks;
Conduct in-depth market research to avoid blind following.
The pet industry is not a "short-term trend" but a "long-distance race." Only by carefully polishing products, optimizing operations, and building reputation can you stand out in this competitive market.
Before entering, ask yourself: Am I ready?
