With estimated 2011 total U.S. pet industry expenditures of $50.8 billion, pet owners are not afraid to spend on their pets, even during a challenging economy. This is not surprising considering that more than three quarters of pet owners think of their companion animals as members of the family. Owners’ passion for their pets has helped make the pet industry fairly recession-proof, as sales have consistently posted decent gains each year from 2007 (when the recession began) through 2011. Moreover, the presence of pets in a household can influence sales in other categories such as household cleaners, allergy products, paper towels, and other items that help to maintain a pet-owning household. Marketers therefore have the opportunity to tap into this bond between pets and their owners to maximize sales across a variety of categories—not only pet products.

With this in mind, Mintel has taken an in-depth look at the relationship between humans and their pets in order to provide insights on the following topics:

What are some of the key pet owner market drivers, and how much influence do they have on the pet product industry, both now and in the near future?

What are some of the major pet ownership trends in America, and how can they be converted into sales opportunities?

What is being done in terms of innovation, and is it in tune with what pet owners are looking for?

What are some of the emerging product categories within the pet industry, and what kind of impact are they having on more established product lines?

How much of an influence do children have on pet ownership? What influence do other demographic factors (age, income, race, etc.) have on the pet industry?