Pet Salon on Wheels
Building trust and recall through mobile pet grooming services for urban India
Market Opportunity
India's Pet Care Market is Booming
India's pet care industry has witnessed explosive growth driven by rising urban pet adoption, increasing disposable income, and a shift towards premium convenience-led services. Grooming and wellness services are among the fastest-growing segments, especially in Tier-1 cities where pet parents actively seek stress-free, at-home experiences.
The opportunity extends beyond grooming revenue—it's a trust acquisition layer that drives repeat purchases of pet food, accessories, and wellness products on Zepto.
$3.6B
Current Market
Total pet care spend in India (2024)
$7.0B
Projected Growth
Expected market size by 2028
52%
Services Share
Grooming, vet care, and wellness
TAM, SAM, SOM
Market Sizing: A Two-Phase Approach
1
2
3
4
1
TAM: $3.6B
Total pet care spend
2
SAM: $794M
Digitally discoverable home services
3
Phase 1 SOM: $17.8–22.3M
Zepto-operated mobile salon
4
Phase 2 SOM: $20.9–26.1M
+ Local groomer marketplace
My serviceable obtainable market focuses on Tier-1 cities where 50% of demand exists. Phase 1 excludes local groomers to establish trust and validate demand through Zepto-operated services. Phase 2 expands by digitising local groomer discovery, capturing the 74% market share currently served through fragmented offline providers.
Pet Parent Segments
Demand for grooming and wellness services is driven by distinct behavioral forces—pet stress tolerance, owner time flexibility, and trust in service providers.
Dog Owners
  • High frequency, high logistics cost.
  • Large dogs and reactive behavior make salon visits inconvenient.
  • Mobile services reduce both pet stress and owner effort.
Cat Owners
  • Low volume, high anxiety.
  • Cats are highly sensitive to unfamiliar environments, making at-home grooming disproportionately valuable.
Senior Pets
  • Health-driven demand.
  • Owners prioritise gentle handling, shorter sessions, and familiar environments over speed.
Multi-Pet Households
  • Efficiency seekers.
  • Coordinated at-home services reduce time cost and drive higher average order value with bundled offerings.
Competitive Landscape
Where Current Solutions Fall Short
PawSpace or Others
  • Standardised service
  • Lot negative comments on hygeine, behaviour and time
Local Groomers
  • Dominate volume but fragmented discovery and inconsistent quality.
  • Strong candidates for platform aggregation.
Pet Spas
  • Premium experience but location-dependent.
  • Solve for luxury but limiting frequency for mass-market pet parents.

Zepto's opportunity:
  • "Pet Salon on Wheels" is not primarily a services business
  • Trust acquisition layer for pet parents,
  • High-frequency engagement touchpoint, and
  • cross-sell enabler for pet food, hygiene products, and subscriptions.
Unit Economics: Sustainable at Scale
Phase 1: Zepto-Operated Mobile Salon
Average Order Value
₹2,075 ($25) per booking
Services per Van/Day
6–8 services (bounded by pet handling time)
Monthly Revenue per Van
₹3.8L ($4,550) at steady utilisation
Contribution Margin
20–30% (₹400–600 per order)
Phase 1 economics focus on controlled rollout, trust building, and demand validation—not immediate margin expansion.
Phase 2: Local Groomer Marketplace
25%
Platform Take Rate
No service execution cost or van capex
₹374
Revenue per Order
From ₹1,500–1,800 GMV
User Research
Top Insights from Pet Parents
We conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with pet parents across Tier-1 cities to understand grooming expectations, pain points, and willingness to adopt mobile services.
01
Trust Over Speed
"Bella is friendly, but it takes her 2–3 months to get comfortable with new people. I'd rather have the same groomer every time than save 20 minutes with someone new."
02
High Grooming Frequency
"Bella gets groomed twice a month—it's just part of our routine now. I'd definitely sign up for a subscription if it meant one less thing to worry about."
03
Pricing Acceptance
"Our vet does complete grooming for ₹4,200 a month. If I can get that quality at home without the stress, I'm happy to pay."
04
Owner Presence Required
"Pari doesn't like water, and I need to be there during her bath. I can't just hand her off to someone—she needs me there to feel safe."
05
Pet-Specific Context
"Bella absolutely hates teeth brushing and gets anxious around loud noises. The groomer needs to know this before they arrive, not figure it out on the day."
Strategic Product Roadmap
Based on research insights, Zepto should prioritise trust-first design, subscription models, and groomer continuity to build lasting relationships with pet parents.
Persistent Pet Profile
Store pet dislikes, health notes, and comfort preferences. Auto-share with assigned groomer before every visit.
"Same Groomer" Subscription
Monthly grooming plans with default groomer continuity. Builds trust over time, especially for sensitive pets.
Owner-Present Grooming Mode
Explicit option for owners to stay during grooming. Designed for cats and sensitive breeds to reduce anxiety.
What Success Looks Like
  • Establish Zepto as the trusted platform for pet care services
  • Drive repeat purchases of pet food, accessories, and wellness products
  • Build a sustainable marketplace connecting pet parents with quality local groomers
  • Create a high-frequency engagement touchpoint that strengthens ecosystem pull-through
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