Although hypermarkets only opened in the late 1980's, they are quickly spreading throughout the island and are expected to continue to grow in popularity. Family Mart iv. Three years ago, in 1991, it was quite popular in Taiwan to maintain a fish aquarium. Recently, however, fish prices have dropped considerably, hence only two thousand 2,000 fish stores currently remain. Though local brands are typically less expensive, imported pet food brands are commonly viewed as being significantly higher in quality.
Quality is the primary reason for pet owners willing to pay a higher price.
Larger pet food importers with significant market shares simultaneously employ duel channels of distribution. The first channel is to sell to a distributor, who in turn sells directly to the various retail outlets, breeders and veterinarians. The second channel is for the importer to sell directly to larger retail outlets, and breeders. Thus to effectively compete in the market, new companies need to offer additional services such as product information and literature, quality guarantees, and product exchange services. As a significant percentage of dog and cat food owners still regularly feed their pets table left-overs, pet food companies need to educate buyers as to the convenience and nutritional benefits derived from providing specialized pet food as opposed to table scraps.