Standardization, Pricing, and Regulation in China's Pet Services Market: An Empirical Diagnosis
Abstract
This study focuses on the Chinese pet services market, looking at three specific service segments: grooming, bathing, and boarding. Using a mixed-methods approach consisting of a literature review, web-based surveys, interviews with stores to gain information, and mystery shopper analysis, this research analyzes consumer behavior, service demand intensity, price elasticity, SOP compliance, and regulatory standards in the industry systemically. The penetration rates observed in the empirical results are 26.51% for grooming and bathing services and 27.71% for boarding services compared with just 3.61% of pet owners who had never actually used any commercial pet services. When it comes to consumer decision-making, service selection is heavily based on hygiene and safety, geographic closeness and convenience, and price transparency. But the industry is afflicted by systemic ills: unstandardized pricing, arbitrary holiday surcharges, inadequate disinfection procedures, an absence of defined service contracts, and incomplete regulatory credentials. Only 31% of surveyed establishments implement SOPs fully, 38% have all relevant certifications, and a critical 17% are covered by liability insurance. This study finally introduces a five-dimensional analysis structure and provides robust empirical evidence with business optimization and a set of practical insights for industry regulation and consumer protection along with the five aspects of demand, pricing, standardization, compliance, and competition.
How to Cite This Article
Ming-Chia Chen, Shiyu Huang, Yuxin Lin (2026). Standardization, Pricing, and Regulation in China's Pet Services Market: An Empirical Diagnosis . International Journal of Management and Organizational Research (IJMOR), 5(4), 01-08. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54660/IJMOR.2026.5.4.01-08