You’re walking home late at night through your city. There’s an eerie quietness; all you can hear is your own footsteps and the distant hum of some traffic – the last few souls finding their way home at the end of a long day. Suddenly, the footfall you hear doubles – someone is walking behind you. Naturally, you quicken your pace, not daring to take a look behind, cursing yourself for being paranoid. Before you think of what to do next, someone’s hand is on your shoulder and attempting to separate you from your bag. Fight or flight kicks in at this moment – do you surrender your belongings or you do you try to defend yourself. What can you defend yourself with?
This nightmare scenario is thankfully still relatively rare; however, it is something more and more people have a heightened awareness of. There is a trend for people wanting to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, wanting to protect themselves and their loved ones. In Europe, there are many different restrictions about what you can carry on your person for self-defence – it’s not as easy as in certain other places, such as the United States (although that country has different state pepper spray laws). However, there are options. Items like pepper spray are seeing an uptick in interest, which, while being a worrying trend overall, can open up some extra sales opportunities for shooting retailers. Licensed firearms dealers are seen as trusted places where people can learn more about self-defence items and purchase them. In challenge comes opportunity…
Why do people want to carry pepper spray?
The above outlined scenario is one good reason to want to carry pepper spray, but the trend towards self defense products is more complex than that. The modern world feels a bit more uncertain than it used to – there are global conflicts, there is political and ideological division, and there is tension. The shooting industry has witnessed firsthand the growing interest from end users to obtain products that can help them feel more prepared. Whether that’s products to help you survive in an emergency situation, or something that can protect you and your family in an attempted mugging, robbery, or break in – pepper spray and other associated self defense products are getting a lot of attention.
Growth in interest in pepper spray is not something that is just anecdotal – several major studies, including a recent one by Cognitive Market Research, show that the market is large and growing. It estimates that the pepper spray market in Europe accounts for about 30 per cent of global sales and is worth roughly US $9.78 billion. It also forecasts that the European pepper spray market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 12.7 per cent through to 2033.
Is pepper spray legal in my country?
This is perhaps the most vital question when it comes to this topic. Can people even carry pepper spray legally in the country you trade in? There are many answers to this, as you would expect.
In the United Kingdom, the pepper spray laws are very strict – it is categorised as a prohibited weapon according to Section 5 of the Firearms Act of 1968. Other European countries where it is illegal to purchase pepper spray or carry it as a civilian include Belgium, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway.
In Germany, pepper spray laws say that you can carry it for the purpose of defending yourself against animals, provided it’s labelled as such. They must feature the material testing institute mark and must not be carried in demonstrations or protests. It can be used for self defense, as long as it is deemed justifiable.
In France, pepper spray laws say it is legal for anyone over 18 to buy it, but the product is classified as a Category D Weapon. This means you can own and have it within your home, however transporting it or carrying it in public is not permitted unless you can provide a strong reason as to why. Legitimate reasons to carry pepper spray are usually judged on a case-by-case basis by French authorities.
Other countries where pepper spray is legal include Austria, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain; however, in most of these countries, it is only legal with restrictions or with the carrier obtaining a specific licence. Often, the public must meet standards such as having no criminal record and may also be required to carry a lower concentration of certain chemical substances compared to police or other law enforcement agencies.
If in doubt, check the laws around pepper sprays and chemical or organic substances in your country with your local or national authority.
Open up a new market at IWA
If you are a licensed firearms dealer or a speciality retailer in the general outdoors market, considering stocking some pepper spray could be a smart move for your bottom line. Even without examining the data too closely, it is clear that people are looking to purchase defense sprays more readily than they were even 10 years ago, just because of the current global mood.
So, where do you start if you’re interested in selling pepper spray and other personal protection products? IWA OutdoorClassics is a great place to start. As well as being the essential meeting place for hunting and shooting sports industry professionals, IWA also has a thriving self defence sector within its halls. Many exhibitors at the 2026 edition of the show will be presenting products that are perfect for personal protection, including pepper sprays. Because the show is largely geared towards hunting and shooting, those companies are used to helping retailers expand into this area, able to answer any questions you may have about legality or proper use of such products.
Head on over to Hall 5 at the Nürnberg Messe from 26 February to 1 March and find many companies that specialise in tactical and self-protection equipment – your eyes may be opened to a new market sector that could help boost your profits for next year and beyond.
