The pet aisle is now fully seasonal. Halloween and Christmas ranges went on shelf earlier than ever this year, and the price points retailers chose tell suppliers a lot about how to plan the 2027 season.
Halloween: a $920 million costume category
The National Retail Federation projects US pet costume spending of $920 million this Halloween, up 7% from $860 million last year, based on a survey of 7,889 consumers in early September. Pumpkins (11.6% of respondents), hot dogs and ghosts were the most popular pet costumes. A Google Trends analysis by Camp Bow Wow found hot dog, chicken, shark, spider, princess, ghost, dinosaur, pumpkin, dragon and lion were the most-searched dog costumes this year.
Retailers also merchandised earlier. PetSmart ran in-store costume events on October 17 and 25, Pets at Home in the UK rolled out a Halloween line spanning costumes, bedding, toys and treats, and Aldi added Halloween-themed cat scratching houses alongside costumes. The lesson for buyers: the window is short, so focus on a few proven costume types and get them on shelf by early October.
Christmas: gifts at $10 or less
Petco launched its 2026 holiday campaign on October 13 with hundreds of new arrivals — 70% of them priced at $10 or less — plus weekly "Nice List" promotions across toys, apparel, accessories and treats from November 21 to December 25, and buy-one-get-one offers on holiday products over Black Friday and Cyber Week.
In the UK, Morrisons launched its Christmas pet range on October 22 with prices starting at £1.50: a knitted dog jumper at £5, a reindeer rope toy at £4 and a catnip-and-crinkle mittens set for cats at £2, alongside 90 new products across its pet aisle. The retailer cites research that 81% of owners buy their dog a Christmas present.
What sells in the gift window
Across these ranges the pattern is consistent:
- Low, giftable price points — most items sit under $10 or £5, which favours plush, crinkle and catnip toys, simple knit or fleece apparel, and small accessories.
- Seasonal themes on core products — the same hoodie, plush toy, scratcher or bed, refreshed with a holiday print, colourway or character.
- Disciplined assortments — a few strong themes per season rather than covering every idea.
Supply side: Chinese pet furniture exports are surging
Chinese factories are scaling up the categories these ranges depend on. In Lu'an, Anhui, exports of bamboo and wood pet products — cat trees, cat platforms and pet fences — reached RMB 110 million in January–September, 1.59 times higher than a year earlier, with much of it shipped to Europe. In Cixi, Zhejiang, exports of pet appliances, leashes and other pet supplies passed RMB 57.4 million in January–August, 2.1 times the same period last year. Local customs offices have also rolled out remote inspection and online certificates, cutting clearance paperwork for many shipments to about half an hour.
How to plan 2027 holiday sourcing
- Treat October as the selling peak, not the shipping date: Halloween goods were on shelf by early October this year, so 2027 seasonal stock should be designed in the first half of the year and shipped in Q3.
- Build seasonal lines on core SKUs — apparel, plush toys, beds and scratchers — with holiday prints or colourways, so development stays fast and MOQs stay manageable.
- Work back from your shelf price: if the target is under $10, confirm materials, pack size and packaging cost at the RFQ stage.
- Ask for gift-ready packaging — header cards, hang tags or display boxes — together with the first order.
Yling Pet supplies wholesale pet apparel, plush and catnip toys, beds, cat furniture and accessories for brand buyers and retailers. MOQ, seasonal artwork and packaging are confirmed per SKU on RFQ.
Sources: National Retail Federation Halloween survey via PetRetailNews (October 26, 2026); Camp Bow Wow Google Trends analysis; Petco press release (October 13, 2026); Morrisons press release (October 22, 2026); Lu'an Customs export report (October 26, 2026); Cixi Customs data via China National Radio (October 6, 2026).
