A consumer plays with a cat at a pet cafe in Beijing in June.Zou Yu/Xinhua
With improved consumption and an increase in the number of dog and cat owners, a new business concept, pet cafes, is gaining popularity nationwide.
For Yu Miao, a 30-year-old cat owner in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, one of the criteria when choosing a coffee shop is whether pets are allowed.
“There are a lot of coffee shops in Hangzhou. I have a cat, so I sometimes take my cat with me, so I want to choose a cafe where I can go to a cafe with my cat,” she says.
In recent years, with the number of animal lovers like Yu on the rise, pet-friendly coffee shops have become more popular, like mushrooms after a spring shower.
At this pet-friendly cafe in Hangzhou's Hubin commercial district, coffee fans flock to grab a cup of coffee with their trusty four-legged friend in tow. Inside the store he is divided into two sections. The outer part is for dogs. The venue can accommodate up to 60 of these furry creatures of various breeds, which are popular with young beer fans.
Duan Mu, the coffee shop's owner, said it has been popular since it opened in April, with the number of passengers sometimes exceeding 500 per day, especially on weekends.
“Due to limited living space and busy jobs, many young people are now unable to raise their own pets. Pets here meet their need to play together. More To attract tourists, we have also introduced water puffers, alpacas and ducks,” he said. he said, referring to several animals he cares for in the store.
As the pet-keeping market expands, pet-friendly cafes are becoming more popular in other cities as well. “On a normal business day, our occupancy rate is around 70-80%. On weekends, you may have to wait in line to get a seat. All of our customers come here to enjoy interacting with the animals, so we have to wait. We think it's worth it,” said a pet-friendly coffee shop owner named Li in Beijing.
In fact, the emergence of businesses derived from the pet economy is no coincidence. Behind this trend is a huge group of animal lovers who are willing to pay for the well-being of their farm animals. According to a recent report by market consulting firm iiMedia Research, the market size of China's pet economy will reach 493.6 billion yuan ($68.6 billion) in 2022, and the penetration rate of households with pets is increasing year by year. The market is expected to reach 811.4 billion yuan by 2025.
China's first cat-friendly coffee shop opened in Guangzhou in 2011. As of February, there were more than 4,000 pet-friendly coffee shops in China, according to data from corporate data provider Qicchacha.
There are two main types of cafes that allow pets. Some stores keep dogs and cats in the store so consumers can play with them. These venues charge an admission fee in addition to the cost of drinks and snacks. Some charge by the hour, while others have no time limit. In Shanghai, for example, admission tickets to limited-time cat cafes range from 40 yuan to 200 yuan per hour.
Another model allows pets to visit and enjoy coffee with their owners. There is no entrance fee, but you must order if you wish to remain on the premises. Some coffee shops that allow pets have a minimum charge.
Pets are the main attraction of a pet-friendly coffee shop, but they can also come with some drawbacks. Many store owners said there are occasional incidents where cats bite or scratch customers. Although all cats are fully vaccinated, some customers ask for compensation, especially if children come home injured. Parents who don't know the situation often make things even more complicated. This case also occurs among dogs and other animals.
Industry experts say these uncontrollable animal-related factors often increase the operating costs of pet-friendly cafes, not to mention the various infectious disease prevention and medical costs for the pets themselves. Ta. Additionally, there are hygiene-related food and beverage hazards posed by animals.
People.cn columnist Zhang Shule said pet-friendly coffee shops need to address the above issues to increase customer loyalty and brand image.
“On the other hand, in order to aim for long-term growth, we need to develop a variety of services, such as introducing pet grooming services.Young people prefer to pursue personalized and unique user experiences.Pet friendly “Pet-friendly coffee shops should carefully consider how to improve their products and services to win the hearts of consumers,” Zhang said.
