Table of Contents
Executive Summary
-
- The impact of COVID-19 on pets
-
- Figure 1: Expected impact of COVID-19 on pets and pet food, short, medium and long term, 23 September 2020
- The market
- Pet food sales grow regardless of COVID-19
-
- Figure 2: Estimated value sales for pet food (cat and dog food only), IoI, NI and RoI, 2015-25
- Dogs most common pet, and lockdown increasing pet numbers
-
- Figure 3: Types of pets that consumers currently own, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Home isolation eased by pet companions
- Unemployment a threat to pet ownership
- The consumer
- Toys most popular accessories
-
- Figure 4: Types of pets that consumers currently own, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Dry food usage eclipses wet food usage
-
- Figure 5: Types of pet food that consumers typically buy for their cats and dogs, NI and RoI, August 2020
- NI pets more likely to be insured
-
- Figure 6: If consumers have pet insurance for any of their pets, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Figure 7: Level of pet insurance cover, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Pets are family to most owners
-
- Figure 8: Agreement with statements relating to pets, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Pets viewed as expensive
-
- Figure 9: Agreement with statements relating to pets, NI and RoI, August 2020
- What we think
The Market – Key Takeaways
-
- Pet food sales grow 2.5% in RoI and 2.1% in NI for 2019-20
- Dogs most common pet, and lockdown increasing pet numbers
- Home isolation eased by pet companions
- Unemployment a threat to pet ownership
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on employment
-
- Figure 10: Expected impact of COVID-19 on pets and pet food, short, medium and long term, 23 September 2020
- Pet food sales continue to grow despite lockdown
-
- Figure 11: Estimated value sales for pet food (cat and dog food only), IoI, NI and RoI, 2015-25
-
- Figure 12: Consumers who agree with the statement ‘I am cutting back on non-essential spending’, IoI, May-October 2020
-
- Figure 13: The impact consumers feel COVID-19 will have on selected factors, IoI, May-June 2020
- Lockdown pet increase
- Higher dog ownership makes it a more valuable segment
-
- Figure 14: Estimated value sales for cat food and dog food, NI and RoI, 2015-20
Market Drivers
-
- Dogs most common pet type
-
- Figure 15: Types of pets that consumers currently own, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Figure 16: If consumers own a pet, NI and RoI, 2017 and 2020
-
- Figure 17: Consumers who own any type of pet, by gender and age group, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Number of cats and dogs in Ireland have increased
-
- Figure 18: Number of cats and dogs in RoI households, 2016-19
- Pet owners more likely to stay at home
-
- Figure 19: Where consumers worked before and during COVID-19, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Increases in unemployment may cause more consumers to surrender pets
-
- Figure 20: COVID-19 adjusted unemployment rate (%), RoI, Jan-16 to Sept-20
- Figure 21: Unemployment claimant count (%), NI, Jan-16 to July-20
-
- Figure 22: How consumers rate their financial situation since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, IoI, May 2020
- Fear regarding COVID-19 remains high
-
- Figure 23: How worried consumers are about the risk of being exposed to COVID-19, IoI, March-September 2020
Innovations and Companies – Key Takeaways
-
- Companies in the pet industry utilising social media during COVID-19
- No additives/preservatives claim grows by 1.9% over five years
- Branded products are more popular than private label
Who’s Innovating?
-
- Dog snacks & treats is growing more than other pet categories
-
- Figure 24: New product launches in pet market, by category, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Top claims within pet products
-
- Figure 25: Top five claims within new launches in pet market, by claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Which is more popular: private label or branded?
-
- Figure 26: Branded and private label product launches, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Figure 27: Top 10 companies launching products, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Humanising pet products
Company Profiles
-
- Asda
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Gary’s Pet World
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Jollyes (NI only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Mars Ireland
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Maxi Zoo (RoI only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Nestlé Purina PetCare (Ireland)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Petstop (RoI only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Petmania (RoI only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Pets at Home (NI only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- The Pet Hut
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Tesco
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
-
- Toys most popular accessories
- Dry food usage eclipses wet food usage
- NI pets more likely to be insured
- Pets are family to most owners
- Pets viewed as expensive
Pet Accessories
-
- Over half have bought pet toys
-
- Figure 28: Types of pets that consumers currently own, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Women and the young more likely to buy their pets toys
-
- Figure 29: Consumers who have bought pet toys in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Christmas stockings bought by a fifth of pet owners
-
- Figure 30: Consumers who have bought Christmas stockings in the last 12 months, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, August 2020
Dog and Cat Food
-
- Dry food – the most commonly used
-
- Figure 31: Types of pet food that consumers typically buy for their cats and dogs, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Functional claims help to drive dry food usage
-
- Figure 32: Dry pet food products with functional claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20
- Dog owners more likely to buy treats for their pets
-
- Figure 33: Consumers who bought snacks/treats for their dog and/or cat, NI and RoI, August 2020
Pet Insurance
-
- NI consumers more likely to have pet insurance
-
- Figure 34: If consumers have pet insurance for any of their pets, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Insurance owners more likely to opt for high-level cover
-
- Figure 35: Level of pet insurance cover, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Strong desire for insurers to be experts
-
- Figure 36: Agreement with statements relating to pet insurance, NI and RoI, August 2020
Pet Behaviours
-
- Majority of pet owners see pets as one of the family
-
- Figure 37: Agreement with statements relating to pets, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Pets as family can create opportunities
- Pet/owner relationship likely strengthened by COVID-19
-
- Figure 38: Agreement with the statement ‘I feel that having a pet has helped reduce feelings of isolation during the COVID-19/coronavirus outbreak’ by age and gender, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Strong demand for more information on a raw diet
-
- Figure 39: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like more information on a raw diet for my pet’, by gender, NI and RoI, August 2020
Attitudes towards Pets
-
- Seven in ten see pets as expensive
-
- Figure 40: Agreement with statements relating to pets, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Expense an issue for NI 16-34 year olds
-
- Figure 41: Agreement with the statement ‘Looking after a pet can be very expensive’, by age group, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Greater need for guidance of healthy pet diets
-
- Figure 42: Agreement with the statement ‘There should be more guidance on what a healthy amount of food is to give to a pet’, by socio-economic group, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Two thirds want sustainable pet food
-
- Figure 43: Agreement with the statement ‘Pet food made using sustainable ingredients would be appealing (eg by-products from other food production)’, by age group, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Figure 44: Ethical causes consumers consider before buying food and drink, NI and RoI, August 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
-
- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
Back to top