Pet Craze Spurs Growth of Home Interior Market

A sit-down table where pets can go in and out. (image: Gmarket)

SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — With the advent of the era of 10 million “PetFam (pet family)” people who regard pets as family members, the home interior market for pets is also growing rapidly.

The concept of interior design is also changing from a place where people can live to a place where pets and people can live together.

According to major online shopping mall Gmarket, sales of residential environment-related items related to pets increased significantly during the month from October 15 to November 14 compared to the same period last year.

Anti-slip tape, which helps keep pets from slipping in the house, sold more than twice as well as the same period last year.

Sales of related products have more than tripled as more and more people have changed their home flooring to non-slippery flooring materials exclusively for pets.

Furthermore, sales of waterproof sofa covers increased by 150 percent, pet doors skyrocketed by 493 percent and fences that create separate spaces for pets rose by 58 percent.

The growing number of people raising pet cats also spurred a 145 percent increase in hammock sales, while sales of cat sleeping bags and blankets rose 105 percent, cave homes were up 79 percent, and sales of cat poles soared 207 percent.

Recently, furniture that can be used with pets has also been introduced, such as a sit-down table where pets can go in and out.

“As more and more people consider pets as family members, the residential environment is also changing to be suitable for living together,” a Gmarket official said.

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)