Authored by: Zirui Wang, Wenxin Yang, Tongxin Li, Nanzhi Luo, Chanyuan Liu
Summary
In this project, our title is "economy about" it "- Pet functional planning and Prospects“ Its main purpose is to provide effective emotional value for modern young people and pet lovers, and put forward some public welfare activities for the social environment. As an untapped industry with great potential, we hope to steadily develop this industry and make appropriate innovations.
Topic Selection
Topic Description
In today's increasingly rich material life, people's spiritual needs are gradually rising. And many types of pets are the important spiritual sustenance of the younger generation. According to the white paper on pets in China, the number of pets in China's cities and towns has far exceeded 100 million, and the hidden problems of pet food, housing, illness, burial, and so on have formed a considerable economic market - "other economy".
Due to the growing popularity of the pet economy, that is, the "other economy," many emerging industries related to pets have been spawned, and pet funeral is one of them. "I wanted to arrange a decent funeral for my dog, but I found that the service of some institutions was unsatisfactory, and even in some areas there was a lack of service of this nature. In addition to the temporary price increase, their rude attitude made people extremely uncomfortable," said Li Chao, founder of pet funeral company Chong Mu in Beijing.
Nowadays, the pet funeral industry is facing problems such as the inability to popularize due to high prices, uneven service quality due to lack of management by businesses, and environmental pollution caused by the inability to properly handle corpses. All this indicates that the "its economy" will face great challenges in the future, and will also be a huge opportunity.
"Death is a mirror, which can often reveal a person's attitude towards life," as the pet funeral master Li Lin said. Corpse cleaning table, farewell room, memorial wall... Pet funeral is a warm and worthy industry to explore and develop. It not only respects the spiritual world of the young generation but also represents the awe of all life.
This is the main topic of our project, economy about "it" - Pet functional planning and prospects. We will try to make an in-depth study of the pet funeral industry and solve the above problems from a commercial perspective. We will make a far-reaching project in the pet funeral industry to make the pet funeral industry truly popular and let this warmth spread to every pet enthusiast.
Relevance of the Topic
As a vital spiritual sustenance of the young generation, the death of pets often brings great sadness to their owners. Letting the pet die with dignity can provide the owner with psychological identity. However, at present, the pet funeral industry has problems such as poor service quality, high prices, and environmental pollution, which cannot meet the needs of owners. This not only affects the host's emotions but also brings about environmental hazards.
According to statistics, the number of pets in China's cities and towns has continued to grow, reaching a peak in recent years, but owners know little about pet funeral services. 80% of them only know the way of "burying," and 64% of them give up professional agency services because of "too expensive" and "not knowing." In addition, some pet carcasses are discarded at will, which seriously affects the city's appearance and may even spread diseases.
Nevertheless, the pet funeral market has great potential. Because it involves many departments, the management of the pet funeral industry is uneven, the price fluctuates greatly, and the service is not unified. But it also means that the market space can be expected. We focus on the three major problems it faces: 1) the service is not popularized; 2) environmental pollution; 3) management disorder. It is expected to mature the pet funeral industry through understanding, environmental protection, and standardization.
The development of the pet funeral industry is the embodiment of the further sublimation of people's spiritual life and also the care and sustenance under the pressure of modern urban life. The slogan of our project is "Cross it, cross him." It is intended to spread the awe of life. It is believed that through our efforts, the pet funeral industry will serve more owners, operate under environmental protection, and become a life-friendly and warm industry. This not only meets the economic needs but also responds to the spiritual needs, making life more colorful.
Research and Analysis
Survey
Respondents:
Pet owners
Enterprises (involved in the industry)
Government department
Conclusion for pet owners:
With the surge in the number of pets, the pet funeral service market has great potential but is still in its infancy. This survey shows that only about 32% of pet funeral services were used in the past, and 59% of pet keepers did not know much about the development status of the industry. They believe that the current pet funeral price is high (22%), the basic service is single (30%), the funeral facilities are simple (18%), and the service quality of different institutions is uneven (25%). For the funeral budget, the survey shows that the acceptable price range for pet owners is 700-1000 yuan (42.7%). If the price can be controlled within this range, the utilization rate will be greatly increased. In addition, pet owners' most desired core services were special souvenirs and ashes preservation (80.9%). The demand for funeral ceremonies is not high, but the online virtual memorial space is highly recognized by the owner and is regarded as an important post funeral service.
To sum up, the current development of the pet funeral industry is still facing the dilemma of high prices and homogenization of services, but if these two bottlenecks can be broken through and the core demands of the target population can be solved, the future growth rate will be expected. The industry can meet consumer demand by reducing costs on a large scale, enriching service content, and strengthening online construction. In the long run, the pet funeral industry has great development potential and can become a warm industry that cares for life and serves the public.
Conclusion for Enterprises (involved in the industry):
With the increasing number of household pets, the market demand for pet funeral services is also rising steadily. According to the development status and trend of the pet funeral industry, our reporter interviewed the person in charge of a pet funeral company who has worked in this field for many years. The company provides whole process services from pre funeral to post funeral, including body preservation, funeral supplies customization, farewell ceremony design, etc.
The person in charge said that in recent years, they feel that the customer demand continues to grow rapidly and relatively, and the owners have higher requirements for Perfect Funeral services. Customers value the professionalism, delicacy, and sense of etiquette of the service most. According to the analysis of the person in charge, the most prominent problem in the industry at present is the uneven professional ability of employees, and the service quality of some institutions needs to be improved.
In order to solve this problem, their company has invested resources to train employees, ensure the standardization of service skills, and use online marketing to improve customer experience, making preliminary progress. Looking forward to the future, pet funeral business can be expanded in terms of funeral supplies customization, bone ash products, pet cemetery construction, etc. Online memorial service also contains a lot of potential. The person in charge suggested that the industry could jointly establish associations and formulate professional norms, and hoped that government departments could strengthen supervision.
To sum up, as an emerging industry, pet funeral has a strong development momentum, but it also faces problems such as talent professionalism and an imperfect regulatory system. Professional operation in the industry, strengthening self-discipline, and cooperation with the government will help the pet funeral industry better develop and serve an increasing number of customer groups.
Conclusion for government department:
The head of the Department said that the current pet funeral industry is developing rapidly, but due to the relative absence of supervision, there are still unlicensed operations, hidden dangers in public security management, and food hygiene problems. In terms of promoting industry norms, the Department has formulated funeral management regulations and dog keeping regulations, requiring enterprises to obtain funeral service licenses before they can legally carry out relevant businesses, which has played a positive role in promoting the development of the industry.
However, the person in charge also pointed out that the current regulatory force is still limited, law enforcement is not strict in some regions, and the self-discipline of enterprises needs to be improved. Therefore, further measures such as strengthening supervision must be taken. In the next step, the Department plans to introduce new regulations such as health standards for funeral places, funeral process and template management, and environmental pollution control. At the same time, it is also considering the establishment of a special regulatory department or group.
For enterprises, the person in charge called on them to standardize the operation process, strengthen customer service and employee training, and improve the service quality. Departments and industry organizations also need to strengthen communication. When consumers choose services, they need to give priority to qualified enterprises and pay attention to the identification of staff and the transparency of prices.
In general, Chongqing municipal government will actively promote the development of the pet funeral industry in a standardized and healthy direction and strive to make it truly a perfect and harmonious modern service industry to better meet the needs of the people.
Remarks:
Survey method: online video conference and questionnaire
Sample size: 50
Economic Data
With the rapid growth of the number of family pets, the market demand for pet funeral services is also steadily expanding. In 2021, the number of dogs in China reached 91 million, an increase of about 17% over 2020. In the same period, the pet funeral market was about 450 million yuan, an increase of 15% over the same period last year. It is expected that the market size will reach 1 billion yuan (AskCI, 2021) by 2025.
In terms of user structure, the current scale of online funeral users is about 450,000 and offline users are 1.2 million (AI media consulting, 2022). This shows that digital funeral services are in the stage of rapid rise, and there is still much room for improvement in penetration and consumption in the future. At the same time, the steady improvement of residents' income level will also promote the increase of funeral expenditure. In 2021, the per capita disposable income of urban residents in China reached 35,128 yuan (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022).
On the whole, there are two major driving forces for the development of the pet funeral market. First, the expansion of the number of pet raising drives the growth of potential demand for funeral services; second, the application of mobile Internet technology has created a new model of online services. If relevant enterprises can seize the opportunity of market expansion and digital upgrading, carry out professional and large-scale operation, and improve service quality, the industry has broad prospects.
At the same time, a sound regulatory system is also the key factor to promote the healthy development of the pet funeral industry.
Source: National economic operation in 2021 (2022), National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China.
Expert Interview
Economists:
Promoting Economic Benefits in the Pet Funeral Industry:
To enhance economic efficiency, the most favored approach is to engage in public welfare campaigns to raise awareness and attract a broader customer base.
Economic Future of the Pet Funeral Industry:
The industry's potential is vast and remains largely untapped. However, it faces challenges such as the prevalence of incomplete and unqualified business licenses.
Psychological Experts:
Alleviating the Impact of Pet Loss:
Pet owners should confront their emotions, seek psychological support, and find solace in the emotional support provided by others.
Providing Emotional Value in the Pet Funeral Business:
Collaborate with psychological counseling services to offer preferential rates to customers, enhancing the emotional value of the services provided.
Public Relations Experts:
Industry Integration and Industrial Chain Development:
The pet funeral industry should seek more connections with other pet-related sectors to create a more integrated and mature industry chain.
Societal Value of the Industry:
The industry's greatest societal contributions are twofold: firstly, its public welfare role in improving the urban environment, and secondly, providing significant emotional value to pet owners and the younger generation.
Literature Research
Main Data Sources:
CNKI Papers: Academic papers sourced from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database.
White Paper on Pets in China: Authoritative first-hand materials providing comprehensive insights into the pet industry in China.
Original Survey Data: Primary data collected from online interviews and questionnaires conducted by our team.
Relevant Secondary Reference Data:
In 2021, the number of dogs in China reached 91 million, marking a 17% increase from 2020. (Source: China Pet Industry Development Report 2021)
The size of China's pet funeral market was approximately 450 million yuan in 2021, with a 15% growth from the previous year. It is projected to reach 1 billion yuan by 2025. (Source: AskCI Consulting)
The online user base for pet funeral services in 2021 reached 450,000, while the offline user base numbered 1.2 million. (Source: AI Media Research)
The per capita disposable income of urban residents in China was reported to be 35,128 yuan in 2021. (Source: National Bureau of Statistics)
Market Prospects:
The data indicates that the pet funeral market has excellent market prospects, which reaffirms our previous conclusions. This is further supported by the economic data mentioned in the 'Economic Data' section of our PDF documentation.
Focus Group
Number of investigation team: 5
In this survey, focusing on the theme of "animal funeral," we started from asking "the prospect of the animal funeral industry," and for the purpose of understanding contemporary people's views on this behavior, formed a five-person survey team to conduct questionnaires or interviews on the owners, veterinarians, and other people, and reached the survey results and conclusions.
Through the questionnaire survey of many netizens and pet lovers, we came to the conclusion that 78% of owners would plan to hold funerals for pets through professional pet funeral service agencies. The price range of 450-1000 yuan is more acceptable. The vast majority of people would choose to bury them in water or cremation, and would choose souvenirs such as pet hair, teeth, and even carry out fundraising activities.
For the pet funeral industry, there are not enough people who know about it. With the increase in the number of pets, the potential of the pet funeral service market is huge. If we can solve the problems of price and the core demands of the target population, the development speed will be faster.
Solution Development
Improving Existing Business Practices
Market Characteristics:
a. Strong Market Demand: Due to the increasing status of pets in people's minds, the number of pet owners is expanding, and the life span of pets is limited. Thousands of pets die every year, and the demand for pet funerals is increasingly prominent.
b. The Industry is Highly Professional: The pet funeral industry involves fields such as animal anatomy, animal medicine, environmental science, and psychology. The industry has high requirements for employees and is highly professional.
c. Fierce Price Competition: The price of the pet funeral industry is relatively high, but the price of some small pet funeral companies is relatively low, and the market competition is increasingly fierce.
d. A Wide Range of Information Sources and Channels: The pet funeral industry carries out marketing and promotion through Internet platforms, social media, advertising, and other forms, with a wide audience.
Future Trends:
At present, China's pet funeral market as a whole shows a trend of large-scale and centralized development. Some large-scale pet funeral companies occupy obvious advantageous positions in the industry competition and have strong customer stickiness, so they have a certain market share. At the same time, in the current society, topics such as "the establishment of pet cemeteries by state-owned enterprises" often appear. It is precisely based on the objective needs of the pet funeral industry and driven by the pressure of public opinion that some regional governments and real estate developers in China have joined in and gradually entered the market. The future development pattern will be more complex.
Strategy:
a. Brand Building: Provide high-quality and efficient services in the market, form brand influence, and create a good brand image from customers' word-of-mouth.
b. Specialization: Obtain relevant qualifications in the industry (such as the license for cremation of pet corpses, etc.) to standardize the company's terms and regulations (such as providing video when handling corpses, and providing relevant protection when cleaning).
c. Channel Expansion: Let more consumers know and understand the industry through advertising in other places and various media. And cooperate with pet-related platforms and shopping malls to achieve a wider publicity effect.
d. Diversified Service System: With the continuous change of the pet market and pet feeding habits, diversified services have become an important direction for the development of pet funeral enterprises (such as increasing memorial gift sales, sacrificial ceremony production, and other services), and different service schemes are customized for different customers.
Proposing a Policy Change
The policies or regulations that restrict the development of the pet funeral industry market can mainly include the following aspects:
Environmental Regulations: Some environmental regulations may restrict or prohibit pet funeral services, especially if these services involve toxic chemicals or large-scale emissions.
Land Use Policy: In certain regions, land use policies may restrict or prohibit the establishment of pet cemeteries on specific land.
Health and Public Safety Regulations: Some health and public safety regulations may impose strict requirements on the location and maintenance standards of pet cemeteries, which may pose significant challenges to some pet funeral service providers.
Animal Welfare Regulations: Although animal welfare regulations typically protect animals from abuse, they may also impose restrictions on the operation of pet funeral service providers.
To address these issues, the following potential alternative solutions can be evaluated:
Environmental and Sustainable Plan: Promote green and environmentally friendly pet burial methods, such as natural burial and sea burial, while promoting eco-friendly pet cemetery design.
Flexible Land Use Policy: Allow the establishment of pet cemeteries in specific and suitable locations, and establish reasonable management and maintenance regulations.
Optimize Health and Public Safety Regulations: Develop reasonable regulations for the location, maintenance standards, and operating procedures of pet cemeteries to ensure public health and safety, while not overly limiting pet funeral service providers.
Strengthen Animal Welfare Supervision: Ensure that all pet funeral services comply with animal welfare standards, while encouraging more humane and life-respecting service methods.
For the formulation of new policies or regulations, the following principles can be proposed:
Balancing the Interests of All Parties: New policies or regulations should balance the interests of pet owners, pet funeral service providers, communities, and environmental protection.
Science and Humanization: New policies or regulations should be based on scientific data and research, while taking into account human emotions and needs.
Enforceability and Supervision: New policies or regulations should be clear, understandable, and can be effectively implemented and supervised.
Assessment of potential costs and benefits of proposed policies or regulations:
Economic Costs: Such as the cost of setting up a pet cemetery, the cost of managing a pet cemetery, etc.
Social Benefits: Such as improving animal welfare levels and meeting people's emotional needs.
Impact on Other Policies: Such as land use policies, environmental protection policies, etc.
In contrast, existing policies or regulations may have the following issues:
Lack of Specificity: There may be no specific regulations for the pet funeral industry, resulting in a lack of clear guidance for the development of the industry.
Poor Implementation: Due to inadequate regulation or other reasons, existing policies or regulations may not be effectively implemented.
Lack of Public Awareness: Due to a lack of publicity or education, the public may lack understanding of existing policies or regulations, which may lead to some non-compliant behaviors.
Therefore, for the formulation of new policies or regulations, it is recommended to consider the above factors to ensure that the new policies or regulations can effectively solve problems and receive community support.
Creating a Social Entrepreneurial Venture
Pet Lifelong Development Service ("One-Stop Service")
Owners can purchase this service from the time they acquire a pet. It is not a one-time consumption; they pay approximately 180 to 200 yuan per month. The service includes:
Pet Health Insurance: Provide private doctors for pets. When pets fall ill, they can receive a certain discount on treatment and store purchases, potentially even for free. A free medical check-up is provided every quarter (the discount is generally about 7.5%).
Pet Living: Pet food, clothing, or toys can be purchased at a discount, with additional rewards available at some Japanese stores.
Pet Showers and Grooming: These services will be provided free of charge once a month.
Funeral Memorials: Customers who have paid the full fee for two years receive certain funeral memorials free of charge after their pets' death (such as pet ashes or memorial walls). Pet owners can also access free psychological counseling (cooperation will be established with psychological consulting companies or individuals offering relevant services).
Benefit Analysis: This model ensures a steady monthly profit and establishes a customer base, enhancing customer loyalty. Services are customized according to the wishes of the pet and its owner.
Love Donation
Under the principle of voluntary consumer donation, all proceeds will be used to adopt stray animals and find suitable owners for them. A portion of the proceeds will also be allocated to handle the remains of stray cats and dogs.
Benefit Analysis: This approach helps to establish a positive brand image without expending principal funds, relying instead on fundraising efforts.
Getting Feedback
Based on the feedback we received from community stakeholders, it has come to our attention that there are several areas for improvement within the pet funeral industry. While the number of people owning pets is increasing, there is also a rise in the number of stray animals. This indicates that there is a need for the pet funeral industry to develop, which presents an opportunity for growth.
Moreover, many stray cats and dogs are being buried randomly or dumped on the roadside. This disorderly practice highlights the need for a proper solution to the burial of stray animals. We propose establishing relevant institutions to handle the burial of stray animals in the future, which will require raising the necessary funds.
Our group's investigation has also revealed that some organizations are profiting from animal funerals, but the fees charged by these institutions should align with the general spending capacity of customers. Most pet owners are willing to spend between 700 and 1000 yuan on pet funerals. We recommend that fees charged in the future should not exceed this range.
In summary, there are several issues that need to be addressed in the pet funeral industry to provide better services for pets and their owners. Taking the necessary steps to address these issues will ensure that pet owners can say goodbye to their beloved pets in a dignified and respectful manner.
Reflection and Learn
What Are Successful
I think the most successful part we have done is "Topic Selection". In this part, we had a lot of heated discussions. We judged and weighed the pros and cons of each topic, constantly screened various topics, and finally determined the topic of "pet burial",namely 'Economic about it'. We hope that through the research of this topic, we can provide emotional value to more pet lovers, do some public welfare things for the society, and also meet the basic needs of profitability. To sum up, this is the most successful part in our point of view.
What to Improve
In the course of the study, we did not appear to be time-efficient in the investigation. There are many problems in the questionnaire survey and interview. For instance, some questionnaire takers cannot actively cooperate with us, and some answers will appear that are meaningless to our research. At this time, we need to screen out the answers unrelated to the topic first, and then conduct statistical analysis. During the interview, due to our unfamiliarity with some equipment, the efficiency of our video production was also very low, but fortunately we could complete it within the stipulated time. That’s exactly what we need to improve.
Summarize Learnings
In this learning process, under the leadership of the teacher, our team not only learned a lot of professional knowledge about economics, but also learned how to complete a project, which is really a good experience. To begin with, from an academic point of view, we learned to analyze problems from the perspectives of businesses, buyers and the government. We also learned to do questionnaire surveys, interviews and other survey methods, as well as how to analyze data and integrate information. Besides, in team learning, we learned about each person's strengths and brought them into full play, and completed the research together. Although we sometimes have differences of opinion, we can recover in time through mediation within the group. Ultimately, we have learned a lot from this task from both academic and interpersonal perspectives.
Comments From the Evaluation Panel
The report provided by your team is an impressive and comprehensive analysis of the chosen topic regarding economic challenges faced by the community. It showcases a well-structured and logically organized document, making it easy for readers to navigate and understand the entire project. Your team's research and analysis are commendable, with all five types of studies meticulously completed and findings backed by strong data. The report's logic and structure are exceptional, ensuring a smooth and coherent flow of arguments and information.
Comments