Nanhe Pet Food Cluster Posts 14.9% Online Growth as 8th China Expo Opens in Xingtai

Executive Summary: Online retail of pet food made in Nanhe, Hebei province reached RMB 540 million in the first half of 2026, up 14.9% year on year and 1.5 percentage points faster than the national average, Xinhua Index Institute monitoring shows. The data was released as the 8th China Nanhe Pet Industry Expo opened in Xingtai on September 18, 2026 with 239 exhibitors, alongside national figures showing China’s online pet food sales at RMB 16.63 billion, up 13.4%.

Key Facts

Region

Nanhe District, Xingtai, Hebei, China — one of the country’s largest pet food production clusters

Channel

E-commerce — cat food leads as Chinese shoppers buy cat food online, with Tmall first and Douyin now second ahead of JD

Event

8th China Nanhe Pet Industry Expo and 3rd Pet Industry International Chain Expo, September 18–20, 2026

Date

September 18, 2026

Location

Taihang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Xingtai, Hebei

Scale

239 exhibitors; three zones (pet food chain, foreign trade chain, service chain)

Source

Xinhua Index Institute monitoring via China Financial Information Network (CNFIN)

What Happened

The 8th China Nanhe Pet Industry Expo, staged with the 3rd Pet Industry International Chain Expo under the theme “Eternal Love, Linking the World, ” opened on September 18, 2026 at the Taihang International Convention and Exhibition Center in Xingtai, Hebei. Two hundred thirty-nine domestic and international companies and merchants are exhibiting across three zones covering the pet food chain, the foreign trade chain and the service chain. The data released with the opening shows Nanhe’s pet food online retail reached RMB 540 million in the first half of 2026, up 14.9% year on year — outpacing the national online growth rate of 13.4%. Xingtai city officials and national media reported the city’s pet-related business entities exceed 26, 000, with the industry’s total scale above RMB 35 billion last year.

Background

Nanhe is the production base behind a large share of China’s budget and mid-market pet food, and the wider Xingtai region holds the country’s largest pet food production base and cat litter production base, with annual pet food production and sales ranked first nationally for consecutive years. Since the first county expo in 2017, the event has grown into a national meeting point where factories meet distributors, cross-border buyers and live-stream sellers. The 2025 launch of the international chain expo added an explicit foreign-trade track, reflecting how heavily the cluster depends on sales channels that reach beyond Hebei.

Industry Context

The national numbers explain why the cluster’s performance matters. China’s online pet food retail reached RMB 16.63 billion in the first half of 2026, up 13.4% year on year, with shipments of 350 million parcels, up 27.2%. More than a quarter of all pet food sales now happen online. Cat food held a 56.5% share of online sales, up 1.5 percentage points, while dog treats grew 21.0% to a 5.8% share — the fastest-growing category, a tailwind for dog treats manufacturer companies competing in that shelf. Platform share shifted too: Tmall remains first, and Douyin has overtaken JD for second place, confirming that content commerce now drives discovery in this category. Emotional products are rising fast — pet birthday cake sales grew about 20% and pet afternoon tea products about 80%.

Market & Business Impact

Consolidation is running in parallel with growth. The number of online pet food brands fell 8.4% to 13, 000, store count fell 16.6% to 35, 000, and listed products fell 7.7% to 607, 000 — the market is shedding marginal sellers as entry standards rise. Price medians declined across categories, and the RMB 20–40 band now accounts for close to 40% of Nanhe’s online sales, growing 48.1% year on year. For buyers sourcing from the cluster, that band is where much of what shoppers treat as cheap cat food now sells, while Nanhe companies push upward into mid-premium lines. Category winners are visible in the share data: Xianlang entered the national top three on baked-food capacity, and Nourse reached the top ten on the strength of hit single products.

Companies & Brands Involved

Nanhe’s cluster supplies both domestic channels and export markets, functioning as a de facto hub for pet supplies wholesale as well as branded retail. Expo exhibitors span food, treats, litter, apparel, smart devices and services. National brands referenced in the share data include Xianlang and Nourse. Distribution-side buyers and retailers can screen cluster companies through GPI’s company directory and compare category leaders in GPI Industry Rankings.

Data & Evidence

All market figures come from Xinhua Index Institute monitoring as published by China Financial Information Network (CNFIN) on September 19, 2026: Nanhe online retail RMB 540 million (+14.9%) in H1 2026; national online retail RMB 16.63 billion (+13.4%); parcels 350 million (+27.2%); cat food share 56.5% (+1.5 pp); dog treats +21.0% with a 5.8% share; brands 13, 000 (-8.4%); stores 35, 000 (-16.6%); products 607, 000 (-7.7%); RMB 20–40 band near 40% of Nanhe sales (+48.1%). Expo figures (239 exhibitors, three zones) and Xingtai scale figures (26, 000+ business entities, RMB 35 billion-plus industry scale in 2025) come from Hebei Daily and Farmers Daily reporting of September 18–19, 2026.

What This Means for the Pet Industry

GPI’s read: the Nanhe data captures the squeeze and the opportunity at once. Volume is still growing double digits online, but the seller base is shrinking, which means surviving brands are capturing more sales each — and the fastest growth sits in the budget band where Nanhe is strongest. For exporters and wholesalers, the message is that the cluster’s competitiveness now comes from intelligent, scaled production rather than just low quotes, and that Douyin fluency has become as important as factory capacity for anyone selling pet food in China.

Key Takeaways

• Nanhe’s pet food online retail reached RMB 540 million in H1 2026, up 14.9% year on year, ahead of the national 13.4% growth rate.
• China’s national online pet food retail reached RMB 16.63 billion in H1 2026 with 350 million parcels shipped, up 27.2%.
• The 8th China Nanhe Pet Industry Expo opened in Xingtai on September 18, 2026 with 239 exhibitors across food, foreign trade and service zones.
• Cat food holds a 56.5% online share while dog treats grew 21.0%, the fastest category, and Douyin overtook JD as the second platform.
• Online brand count fell 8.4% to 13, 000, confirming consolidation as the RMB 20–40 budget band grew 48.1% in Nanhe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Primary — China Financial Information Network (CNFIN), citing Xinhua Index Institute monitoring, September 19, 2026 (translated by GlobalPetIndex)
2. Secondary — Hebei Daily Client, ” ” (239 exhibitors, three zones), September 18, 2026
3. Secondary — Farmers Daily, “: 350 “, September 19, 2026

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• GPI Global Company Index
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