Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Estimated value sales for all pet food, NI and RoI, 2012-17
- Forecast
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- Figure 2: Indexed estimated value sales for all pet food, NI and RoI, 2012-22
- Market factors
- Ireland a nation of pet lovers
- Weight issues becoming an issue for pets
- Pet food brands reducing unhealthy ingredients in food products
- RoI consumers’ personal finances improve, mixed picture in NI
- Companies, brands and innovations
- The consumer
- Dry food sees strongest usage among pet owners
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- Figure 3: Types of pet food that consumers typically buy for their cats and dogs, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Toys bought by half of Irish pet owners in 2017
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- Figure 4: Types of pet accessories that consumers have bought in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, November 2017
- NI pet owners more likely to have pet insurance than those in RoI
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- Figure 5: Types of pets that consumers currently have pet insurance for, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Figure 6: Types of pet insurance that consumers currently have, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Traceability and ingredient labelling very important to Irish pet owners
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- Figure 7: Agreement with statements relating to pet food and pet accessories, NI and RoI, September 2017
- Figure 8: Agreement with statements relating to pets, NI and RoI, September 2017
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- Figure 9: Agreement with statements relating to pet insurance, NI and RoI, September 2017
- What we think
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Pet foods a growing market
- Dogs are the most popular type of pet
- Obesity becoming an issue for pets
- Personal finances improve for RoI consumers
Market Size and Forecast
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- Value of pet food sales increases year on year
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- Figure 10: Estimated value sales for pet food (cat and dog food only), IoI, NI and RoI, 2012-22
- Dog food sales more valuable than cat food sales
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- Figure 11: Estimated value sales for cat food and dog food, IoI, 2015-17
Market Drivers
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- Over six in 10 own at least one pet
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- Figure 12: Types of pets that consumers currently have in their household, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Women more likely to own a cat or dog
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- Figure 13: Ownership of cats and/or dogs, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Figure 14: Actual and projected population (%) for RoI and NI, by age, 2011 and 2026
- Increased consumer prices in NI could see spending on pets re-evaluated
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- Figure 15: Consumer price index, all items, UK/NI, January 2015-October 2017
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- Figure 16: Consumer price index, all items, RoI, January 2015-October 2017
- NI consumers more likely to feel ‘worse off’
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- Figure 17: How consumers currently rate their financial situation, NI and RoI, August 2016 and August 2017
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- Figure 18: How consumers describe their finances compared to a year ago, NI and RoI, September 2017
- Growing importance of discounters to pet market
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- Figure 19: Consumers who have visited food vs non-food discounters once per week, NI and RoI, February 2016
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- Figure 20: What effect consumers think Brexit will have on the economy, NI and RoI, September 2017
- Animal shelters seeing increased admissions
- Pet food bank established in Scotland
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- Figure 21: Selected types of charities that consumers have donated to in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, June 2015
- Obesity a growing issue for Irish pets
- Pet food companies taking on the fat cats (and dogs)
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- Figure 22: Top five sub-categories of pet food launched, by those claiming to be L/N/R calorie or L/N/R fat, UK and Ireland, 2013-17
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Pet food prices increase at highest rate in three years in March
- Pets at Home and Petstop basing growth on enhanced store portfolio with low prices
- Nestlé Purina Pets at Work Initiative designed to help other companies become pet-friendly
Who’s Innovating?
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- Dog snacks and treats launches dominate new product launches in booming market
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- Figure 23: New product launches in pet food market, by category, UK and Ireland, 2013-17
- Mars and Nestlé Purina lead the way in new products launched
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- Figure 24: Top 10 companies launching new pet food products, UK and Ireland, 2013-17
- Tesco and Asda following suit by launching pet food without preservatives
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- Figure 25: Claims category of new products launched in pet food market, UK and Ireland, 2013-17
Companies and Brands
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- Maxi Zoo (RoI Only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Petstop (RoI Only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Petmania (RoI Only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Jollyes (NI Only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Gary’s Pet World
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- 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
- Asda (NI Only)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Mars Ireland
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Nestlé Purina PetCare (Ireland)
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Brand NPD
- Recent Developments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Consumers show strong preference for dry pet food
- Toys the preferred pet accessory
- Most consumers do not have insurance for their pets
- Traceability important to Irish pet owners
Types of Pet Food Consumers
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- Dry food most used type of food for cats and dogs
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- Figure 26: Types of pet food that consumers typically buy for their cats and dogs, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Dry food usage high among all demographic types
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- Figure 27: Consumers who buy dry cat and/or dog food for their pets, by social class, NI and RoI, November 2017
- ‘Humanisation’ of pets helping to drive usage of snacks and treats
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- Figure 28: Consumers who buy snacks/treats for their pets, NI and RoI, November 2017
Purchasing of Pet Accessories
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- Half of pet owners have bought toys for their pets
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- Figure 29: Types of pet accessories that consumers have bought in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Toys less likely to be bought by mature pet owners
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- Figure 30: Consumers who have bought pet toys in the last 12 months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, November 2017
- A third have bought grooming equipment
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- Figure 31: Consumers who have bought pet grooming accessories in the last 12 months, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Buying Christmas presents for pets more popular with women
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- Figure 32: Consumers who have bought Christmas stockings for their pets in the last 12 months, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Figure 33: Christmas-themed pet food and pet accessories launched, UK and Ireland, 2013-17*
Ownership of Pet Insurance
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- Seven in 10 RoI pet owners don’t have insurance
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- Figure 34: Types of pets that consumers currently have pet insurance for, NI and RoI, November 2017
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- Figure 35: Consumers who currently own dog insurance, by gender, NI and RoI, November 2017
- NI owners opt for mid- to high-level cover, RoI opt for basic
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- Figure 36: Types of pet insurance that consumers currently have, NI and RoI, November 2017
- Figure 37: Pet owners who currently have high-level pet insurance cover, by social class, NI and RoI, November 2017
Attitudes towards Pets
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- Consumers want traceability in pet food
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- Figure 38: Agreement with statements relating to pet food and pet accessories, NI and RoI, September 2017
- Traceability important across all demographics
- Two thirds check pet food labels – pointing to interest in clean labelling
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- Figure 39: Agreement with the statement ‘It is important to check labels closely to ensure there are no hidden ingredients’, by gender, NI and RoI, September 2017
- Pet owners willing to embrace apps to improve pet health
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- Figure 40: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be interested in buying pet accessories that can be controlled by an app (eg feeder/ monitor)’, by daily internet usage, NI and RoI, September 2017
- Pets seen to improve quality of life and treated as family members
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- Figure 41: Agreement with statements relating to pets, NI and RoI, September 2017
- NI consumers more likely feel it is important to have all pets insured
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- Figure 42: Agreement with statements relating to pet insurance, NI and RoI, September 2017
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Consumer research
- Data sources
- Market size rationale
- Abbreviations
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