Pet Wants owners get to sell food that pet parents feel good about: slow-cooked, limited-ingredient, and made in small batches for people who care about what goes in the bowl. It’s the kind of food people go looking for when they want their pet to feel their best, and that’s a big part of why customers come back for it. But it’s not the only thing that draws franchisees to Pet Wants.
Grooming is part of the Pet Wants model, offered through professional grooming or self-serve wash bays. It’s another way to get to know the people and pets you serve, with regular visits that turn customers into regulars. It also connects owners to one of the fastest-growing parts of the industry.
Pet spending reached $158 billion in 2025, and the American Pet Products Association projects $165 billion in 2026. Within that total, APPA data shows grooming, boarding, training, and other services added an estimated $14.3 billion in 2025. Looking ahead, Mordor Intelligence forecasts that pet services will be the fastest-growing segment of the global pet care market over the next five years.
Demand starts with how people see their pets. In one industry survey, 71 percent of owners describe their pets as family members, and dog ownership climbed from 51 percent to 53 percent of U.S. households in 2025, according to APPA. When a pet is family, grooming becomes routine care rather than an occasional errand.
Mordor Intelligence also reports that grooming salons inside pet specialty retail stores held about 58 percent of the U.S. grooming segment in 2025, so customers are used to finding grooming where they shop for their pets. Growing on your own timeline is a core part of the Pet Wants model, and that includes bringing grooming online when the timing is right for your business and your market. Kariann Harker in Colorado Springs began building customers at farmers markets and pet events while she searched for a storefront, rather than waiting on a build-out. Phasing in grooming as the business grows reflects that same flexibility.
If you’re considering a franchise, it’s important to know that pet food is the biggest category in the industry, at $68.3 billion in 2025, and services are the growing one. With grooming, an owner serves the same pet lover in two ways, which gives customers another reason to walk in. When you evaluate a pet franchise, ask how the business is built to grow beyond the core product. Pet Wants starts with the largest category in the industry and builds in a service that’s growing.