Shenwan Hongyuan Group has released a research report indicating that the total online sales of pet food during the 618 shopping festival reached 8.4 billion yuan, representing a 12% year-on-year increase (compared to 7.5 billion yuan in 2025). Domestic brands continue to hold a dominant position, with Chinese brands occupying 7 out of the top 10 spots (6 in 2025). Among the top 20 pet brands, domestic ones account for 13 positions (13 in 2025). Foreign brands have a first-mover advantage and offer a comprehensive product range to meet specialized needs, while domestic brands are in the early stages of developing functional foods, with their products primarily focusing on gastrointestinal health, coat beauty, and weight management.

The outlook for China's pet food industry remains positive over the medium to long term. Leading brands have established a preliminary competitive edge, widening their lead over smaller brands, and industry consolidation is expected to continue.

Key Findings from the 2026 618 Festival

According to Syntun data, total sales across major e-commerce platforms during the 2026 618 period increased by 0.9% year-on-year. Among popular categories, pet food sales growth was a leader, with total online sales reaching 8.4 billion yuan, up 12% from 7.5 billion yuan in 2025.

Domestic Brands Maintain Market Leadership

Domestic brands hold 7 of the top 10 spots, up from 6 in the previous year. Looking specifically at the Tmall rankings, the leading brand lineup has stabilized. From 2024 to 2026, Fresh is Best, Royal Canin, LANSHI, and Myfoodie consistently ranked in the top four. The 2026 rankings continued the trend from 2025, with no new brands entering the top ten, and the top five remaining as Fresh is Best, Royal Canin, LANSHI, Myfoodie, and Fruite.

Fresh is Best secured the top spot across three key Tmall 618 lists for two consecutive years (2025-2026). It first entered the rankings at No. 5 in 2023, rose to No. 3 in 2024, and has held the No. 1 position since 2025.

LANSHI has seen its ranking improve consistently from 2023 to 2026, holding the No. 3 position across the three Tmall 618 lists for the past two years. It debuted at No. 9 in 2023, climbed to No. 4 in 2024, and reached No. 3 in 2025, maintaining that rank in 2026.

Honest Kitchen ranked No. 7 on the Tmall Pet Brand and Cat & Dog Food lists during the 2026 618 period. It first appeared on the charts at No. 6 in 2023 and held that position through 2024 and 2025 before moving to No. 7 in 2026.

Performance of Listed Company Brands

Major brands owned by listed companies performed well and maintained leading positions. For Guobiao Pet Products Co., Ltd., its Myfoodie brand saw a slight overall ranking decline. During the 2026 618 festival, Myfoodie ranked No. 4 on the Tmall Pet Brand list (down 2 spots), No. 4 in Cat & Dog Food (down 2 spots), No. 6 in Cat Main Food (up 2 spots), No. 1 in Cat Snacks (unchanged), No. 4 in Dog Main Food (down 3 spots), and No. 2 in Dog Snacks (down 1 spot).

Its Fruite brand maintained stable overall rankings, holding steady at No. 5 on the Tmall Pet Brand and Cat & Dog Food lists. It ranked No. 4 in Cat Main Food (down 2 spots) on Tmall and No. 6 on JD.com's Cat Main Food list (up 2 spots).

For Zhong Chong Co., Ltd., its Wanpy and Leading brands showed improvement. The Wanpy brand's ranking increased, appearing at No. 15 on the Tmall Cat & Dog Food list (new entry), No. 4 in Cat Snacks (unchanged), and No. 5 in Dog Snacks (down 1 spot).

The Leading brand's ranking continued to rise, improving across all five Tmall lists it appeared on during the 2026 618 period. It ranked No. 12 in Pet Brands (up 7 spots), No. 12 in Cat & Dog Food (up 2 spots), and No. 9 in Cat Snacks (new entry).

For Petpal Pet Nutrition Technology Co., Ltd., its Jueyan brand achieved total Gross Merchandise Volume of 50 million yuan across all channels during the 2026 618, a 32% year-on-year increase. It ranked No. 1 on Tmall's Dog Snacks Transaction List (up 1 spot), No. 1 on JD.com's Dog Wet Food & Snacks Single Product List, and No. 1 on Douyin's Dog Jerky Snacks Best Value List.

Industry Growth and Trends

Data from JQ Consulting shows that the combined online GMV for the pet food industry on Tmall, JD.com, and Douyin from January to June 2026 was 15.79 billion yuan, a 6.1% year-on-year increase (compared to 10.6% in 2025). Despite broader consumer spending pressures, the pet food sector has demonstrated resilient growth.

The trend towards market concentration is evident, with industry consolidation continuing to increase. The online CR5, CR10, and CR20 for China's pet food market in the first half of 2026 reached 28.0%, 41.6%, and 55.6%, respectively, representing increases of 5.4, 4.7, and 5.2 percentage points year-on-year.

Functional and prescription foods are emerging as new industry trends. Foreign brands hold an advantage in these segments with their comprehensive product portfolios catering to specialized needs, while domestic brands are in the initial stages of developing functional foods focused on areas like gut health, coat care, and weight management.

Potential Risks

Key risks include volatility in raw material prices, underperformance of self-owned pet food brands, and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.