TikTok's pet product sales are declining, entering a seasonal trough.
In early September, overall pet product sales on TikTok's US site fell 9.86% year-on-year. Within specific categories, most categories, such as cat and dog food, cleaning and beauty, saw declines exceeding 10%, while pet accessories saw a drop of over 20%. This decline is driven by multiple factors: cooler weather and the end of the molting season have reduced demand for pet care products; the back-to-school season and return to work have reduced pet activity, leading to a decrease in related spending on leashes, cleaning, and other items. Furthermore, tariffs and inflationary pressures have made consumers more cautious, significantly tightening overall spending.
This off-season effect is not surprising for cross-border sellers, but it does serve as a reminder to monitor cyclical changes in product categories and adjust product selection and stocking strategies accordingly.
A Bright Spot: Pet Apparel Sales Defied the Trend
Against the overall downward trend, pet apparel performed exceptionally well, with sales increasing by 34.75%. A crystal pet necklace sold over 3,500 units in the past month, and the accompanying video has been viewed over 4 million times. Holiday spirit and emotional spending are becoming new drivers of sales. With Halloween and Christmas approaching, demand for holiday-themed apparel and autumn and winter warm clothing is expected to continue to grow. Merchants can quickly reach target consumers by participating in trending hashtags like the #HalloweenPetChallenge on TikTok and leveraging fun, contextualized short videos.
Notably, pet accessories and apparel not only meet functional needs but also emphasize emotional and status symbols. For example, high-end pet accessories brand Big Dog Chains has surpassed $10 million in annual revenue thanks to its unique designs and emotional appeal. These examples demonstrate that the consumer trend of treating pets like family members continues to grow, providing new entry points for cross-border sellers.
Seller Challenge: Peak Season Approaches, Increasing Supply Chain Pressure
Although pet supplies are generally entering their off-season, with the holiday season approaching, cross-border sellers will soon experience a new peak in demand. The stability of the supply chain is crucial to seizing this market opportunity.
Failure to stock up in a timely manner: With peak demand for holiday goods, relying on cross-border direct mail for delivery can easily lead to missing the optimal sales window due to time constraints.
High return rates: Pet apparel products often have sizing and fit issues, leading to high return rates. If sellers lack overseas warehouse support, processing returns and exchanges can be time-consuming and costly, leading to potential losses.
Intensified platform competition: Platforms like TikTok and Amazon are placing increasingly stringent demands on sellers' logistics fulfillment. Failure to meet delivery deadlines can negatively impact store ratings.
These pain points are precisely the key issues that overseas warehouses can address.
U-Speed's US overseas warehouse: A Logistics Assistance for Cross-Border Pet Sellers
For pet supplies, a product category characterized by seasonality and high return rates, U-Speed's US overseas warehouse service provides sellers with a one-stop solution from warehousing to returns and exchanges.
U-Speed operates two US overseas warehouses, one in the East and one in the West Coast. These warehouses are officially certified by Temu and SHEIN semi-managed warehouses, accepting general merchandise, sensitive goods, and all-electric products, covering a wide range of pet product needs, from apparel and accessories to small electronics.
Warehousing and Processing Capacity: The 20,000-square-meter warehouse is equipped with light and heavy-duty racking, forklifts, a WMS system, 24-hour surveillance, PDAs, pallets, and fire protection equipment. It can handle over 100,000 packages daily, fully capable of handling peak orders during peak season.
Efficient Drop Shipping: U-Speed's US overseas warehouse is integrated with major platforms such as TikTok, TEMU, SHEIN, and AliExpress. Seller orders are automatically synchronized to the system, making it easy to operate and enabling fast drop shipping.
Returns, Exchanges, and Second-Hand Sales: For products with relatively high return rates, such as pet apparel, U-Speed supports return labeling and data upload within 48 hours, ensuring rapid access to secondary sales channels and reducing inventory backlogs.
Professional Team Support: The warehouse is managed by a Chinese team that strictly adheres to SOP procedures, ensuring 24-hour on-time delivery. U-Speed also has business teams in both China and the United States, enabling real-time resolution of emergencies at every stage of the logistics chain and ensuring smooth operations for sellers.
Why choose U-Speed during the peak holiday season?
With major holidays like Halloween and Christmas approaching, pet apparel and accessories are expected to experience explosive demand. To capitalize on this boom, sellers must rely on efficient logistics and warehousing support.
U-Speed's US overseas warehouse, with its comprehensive facilities, efficient drop shipping system, flexible returns processing, and professional local teams, not only helps sellers improve fulfillment efficiency, but also significantly enhances the customer experience and reduces operational risks.
For cross-border sellers hoping to capitalize on the peak holiday season, deploying U-Speed's US overseas warehouse in advance is not only a cost-saving option, but also a key to market success.
