Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Premiumization continues to drive modest sales gains for category
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of pet food, at current prices, 2013-23
- Dry dog food and treats most commonly purchased
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- Figure 2: Dog food and treat purchases, March 2018
- Cat owners more likely to purchase wet food
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- Figure 3: Cat food and treat purchases, March 2018
- The opportunities
- Younger owners’ pet food preferences mirror their own food interests
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- Figure 4: Pet food purchase factors – Cat food, by age, March 2018
- Younger pet owners an opportunity market for treats
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- Figure 5: Pet food and treat behaviors, March 2018
- Pet owners look to food makers for safety, transparency
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- Figure 6: Attitudes toward pet food and treats, March 2018
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Premiumization continues to drive modest sales gains for category
- Modest growth for dog and cat food
- Treats continue to fuel category growth
- Minimal growth in number of pet-owning households
Market Size and Forecast
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- Premiumization continues to drive modest sales gains for category
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- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of pet food, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 8: Total US sales and forecast of pet food, at current prices, 2013-23
Market Breakdown
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- Dog and cat food account for three quarters of category sales
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- Figure 9: Share of pet food sales, by segment, 2018
- Modest growth for dog and cat food
- Treats continue to fuel category growth
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- Figure 10: Total US sales of pet food, by segment, 2013-18
Market Factors
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- Minimal growth in number of pet-owning households
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- Figure 11: Dog- and cat-owning households, 2013-18
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Purina aims for super-premium as value- and mid-priced brands decline
- General Mills breaks into pet food market with Blue Buffalo acquisition
- Super-premium brands expand in mass channels
- Small dogs continue to get bigger
- Refrigerated gains ground
- Treats continue to gain
Company and Brand Sales of Pet Food
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- Purina aims for super-premium as value- and mid-priced brands decline
- Little change overall for Mars, Inc. and JM Smucker
- General Mills breaks into pet food market with Blue Buffalo acquisition
- Sales of pet food by company
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- Figure 12: Sales of pet food, by company, 2017 and 2018
What’s Working?
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- Super-premium brands expand in mass channels
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- Figure 13: Multi-outlet pet food sales of select super-premium brands, 2017 and 2018
- Small dogs continue to get bigger
- Refrigerated gains ground
- Treats continue to gain
- Dreambone offers alternative to rawhide chews
- Tyson’s Nudges rise on real meat claim
What’s Struggling?
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- Weight management products shed market share
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- Figure 14: Multi-outlet sales of select weight management dog food and cat food brands, 2017 and 2018
What’s Next?
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- Are pet owners ready for vegetarian pet food?
- Responding to pet owners: brands set to offer more transparency
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Dry dog food and treats most commonly purchased
- Cat owners more likely to purchase wet food
- Cat food purchases more narrowly driven by taste
- Focusing on behavior could help to keep treats segment on growth track
- Younger pet owners an opportunity market for treats
- Younger pet owners express strong interest in added nutrition
- Pet owners look to food makers for safety, transparency
Pet Food and Treat Purchases
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- Dry dog food and treats most commonly purchased
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- Figure 15: Dog food and treat purchases, March 2018
- Small to medium-sized dogs more likely to get wet food, toppers
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- Figure 16: Dog food and treat purchases, March 2018
- Cat owners more likely to purchase wet food
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- Figure 17: Cat food and treat purchases, March 2018
- In their words: homemade barriers to toppers and mix-ins
Pet Food Purchase Factors
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- Cat food purchases more narrowly driven by taste
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- Figure 18: Pet food purchase factors, March 2018
- Younger owners’ pet food preferences mirror their own food interests
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- Figure 19: Pet food purchase factors – Cat food, by age, March 2018
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- Figure 20: Pet food purchase factors – Dog food, by age, March 2018
- Premium factors appeal to a small but growing number of mass shoppers
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- Figure 21: Pet food purchase factors – Cat food, by retailer shopped most often, March 2018
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- Figure 22: Pet food purchase factors – Dog food, by retailer shopped most often, March 2018
- In their words: healthy and wholesome
Pet Food and Treat Behaviors
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- Focusing on behavior could help to keep treats segment on growth track
- Pet owners read labels
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- Figure 23: Pet food and treat behaviors, March 2018
- Younger pet owners an opportunity market for treats
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- Figure 24: Pet food and treat behaviors, March 2018
- Cat owners less likely to treat on a regular basis
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- Figure 25: Pet food and treat behaviors, by type of pet owned, March 2018
- In their words: for pet food, stick with what works
- In their words: treat time is a mix of routine, discipline, and emotion
Pet Food and Treat Concepts
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- Healthy treats draw strong interest
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- Figure 26: Interest in pet food and treat concepts, March 2018
- Younger pet owners express strong interest in added nutrition
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- Figure 27: Interest in pet food and treat concepts, by age, March 2018
- In their words: the perfect treat
Attitudes toward Pet Food and Treats
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- Pet owners look to food makers for safety, transparency
- Owners agree that treats help to strengthen bonds
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- Figure 28: Attitudes toward pet food and treats, March 2018
- Younger pet owners look for variety
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- Figure 29: Attitudes toward pet food and treats, by age, March 2018
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 30: Total US sales and forecast of pet food, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2013-23
- Figure 31: Total US sales and forecast of cat food, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 32: Total US sales and forecast of dog food, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 33: Total US sales and forecast of other pet food, at current prices, 2013-23
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- Figure 34: Total US sales and forecast of pet treats, at current prices, 2013-23
- Figure 35: Total US retail sales of pet food, by channel, at current prices, 2013-18
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 36: Multi-outlet sales of cat food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Figure 37: Multi-outlet sales of dog food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
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- Figure 38: Multi-outlet sales of other pet food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
- Figure 39: Multi-outlet sales of pet treats, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2017 and 2018
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