Brightfield Group released a detailed study on the pet CBD consumer, including owner demographics, pet demographics, path to purchase, product types used, and purchase habits. The results are enlightening.
Who is more likely to buy CBD for their pets?
If we compare the Brightfield study to recent U.S. census data, we see that the demographics of people who buy CBD for their pets are closely aligned with census demographics. For example, 12.6 percent of the CBD-responsive pet owners were African American, while the last census registered around 13 percent of the U.S. population is African American.
The pet owners ranged across all income levels and age groups. People ages 26-30 were the biggest bracket, but at 17.2 %, they were closely followed by other age sets. The largest group of pet owners (25%) said they make between 50,000 and 75,000 a year, but every income bracket showed some sales.
“The big takeaway is that people of all races, ages, orientations, and income levels are buying CBD for their pets.”
Though no clear profile of the average consumer emerges, some groups are currently leading the pack. Men are slightly more likely to buy CBD for their pets than women. (57.3% of the responding pet owners identified as male, while only about 50% of the U.S. population identifies as male.) People who identify as LGBT seem slightly more likely to buy CBD for their pets. (9% of respondents identified as lesbian, gay, or bi, which is higher than the national average of 4.5%.) Democrats led Republicans in purchases by a wide margin. (43.1% of consumers were Democrats, 28.2 Republican.) But the far more interesting takeaway is that people of all races, ages, and income levels are buying CBD for their pets.
Why do people give CBD to dogs and cats?
The data on motivation was more dramatic than the demographic data, as were the demographics of the animals themselves. People are motivated by the same concerns. The hope of reducing stress was the number one reason people give CBD to their pets. (64.3% of users said they wanted to reduce overall stress, while 39.8% said they use CBD to reduce situational anxiety.) The next most popular reasons were improving mood/treating depression (36.1%), improving general well-being (36%), and helping with pain management (34.5%). And 89% of these stressed out and depressed animals were dogs. Cat owners only make up 36% of purchasers.
Where do you buy CBD for pets and what to buy?
The majority of respondents were buying CBD online (24.5%), followed by CBD speciality stores (20.5%), and chain stores like PetCo and PetSmart (14.4%). Other answers included local pet store, cannabis dispensary, box store, and veterinarian. Edibles had a clear lead (60%) over other products, with tinctures a close second (54.3%). Evidently the pet demographic isn’t yet hip to vaping.
Check out the full study for additional interesting information, including a look at people who aren’t currently buying CBD for their pets, but are interested.
