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Pet Food - US - August 2016

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The issues
Solid sales growth as pet owners look to provide their pets with the best
Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of pet food, at current prices, 2011-21
Dog owners more likely owners to shop in pet specialty retailers
Figure 2: Retailer where pet food is purchased most often, by type of pet owned, June 2016
Price, taste factor strongly into purchase decisions, especially for cats
Figure 3: Dog and cat food attribute importance, June 2016
The opportunities
Younger pet owners especially interested in natural and organic
Figure 4: Dog food attribute importance, by age, June 2016
Younger pet owners less satisfied, potentially more open to new ideas
Figure 5: Pet food behaviors, by age, June 2016
Opportunity to build sales of treats and toppers
Figure 6: Pet food behaviors, June 2016
What it means
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Solid sales growth as pet owners look to provide their pets with the best
Dog food accounts for nearly half of category sales
MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Solid sales growth as pet owners look to provide their pets with the best
Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of pet food, at current prices, 2011-21
Figure 8: Total US sales and forecast of pet food, at current prices, 2011-21
MARKET BREAKDOWN
Dog food accounts for nearly half of category sales
Figure 9: Share of pet food, by segment, 2016
Cat food and treats drive growth
Sales slip for other pet food
Figure 10: Sales of pet food, by segment, 2011-16
MARKET FACTORS 
Households and households with children
Figure 11: Percentage of households with children, 2003-13
Pet ownership and homeownership
Figure 12: Homeownership rate, by age of householder, 2010-15
Median household income creeps up
Figure 13: Median household income, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2004-14
KEY PLAYERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Big food companies increasingly dominate mainstream pet food market
Purina ONE leads premiumization in mass retail channels
Little dogs getting bigger
Treats, especially treats for cats, represent a growth opportunity
A focus on recognizable ingredients, functional health benefits
COMPANY SALES OF PET FOOD
Big food companies increasingly dominate mainstream pet food market
Nestlé
Mars Inc.
J.M. Smucker Co.
Company sales of pet food
Figure 14: MULO sales of pet food, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
WHAT’S WORKING?
Purina ONE leads premiumization in mass retail channels
Rachael Ray Nutrish gains momentum
Cesar gets big on little dogs
Treats, especially treats for cats, represent a growth opportunity
WHAT’S STRUGGLING?
Private label struggles to maintain share
Brands associated with safety issues struggle to regain momentum
WHAT’S NEXT?
A focus on recognizable ingredients, functional health benefits
Ancestral diets
Breed-specific
Treats focus on ingredients and functional health
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Mass merchants and pet specialty stores most common channels
Price, taste factor strongly into purchase decisions, especially for cats
The veterinarian and product label most common sources of information
Opportunity to build sales of treats and toppers
For treats, opportunity to combine emotion with function
WHERE PET FOOD IS PURCHASED 
Mass merchants and pet specialty stores most common channels
Figure 15: Retailer where pet food is purchased most often, June 2016
Young adults more likely to shop at Walmart or online
Supermarkets appeal most strongly to older shoppers
Figure 16: Retailer where pet food is purchased most often, by age, June 2016
Dog owners more likely to shop in pet specialty retailers
Figure 17: Retailer where pet food is purchased most often, by type of pet owned, June 2016
Retailer preference consistent across race/Hispanic origin
Figure 18: Retailer where pet food is purchased most often, by race/Hispanic origin, June 2016
In their words
PET FOOD ATTRIBUTE IMPORTANCE
Price, taste factor strongly into purchase decisions, especially for cats
Figure 19: Dog and cat food attribute importance, June 2016
Younger pet owners especially interested in natural and organic
Figure 20: Dog food attribute importance, by age, June 2016
Figure 21: Cat food attribute importance, by age, June 2016
Pet specialty shoppers more likely to look beyond price and taste
Figure 22: Dog food attribute importance, by retail channel shopped most often, June 2016
Figure 23: Cat food attribute importance, by retail channel shopped most often, June 2016
PET FOOD INFORMATION SOURCES
The veterinarian and product label most common sources of information
Young pet owners tend to be information seekers
Figure 24: Pet food information sources, by age, June 2016
PET FOOD BEHAVIORS
Opportunity to build sales of treats and toppers
Figure 25: Pet food behaviors, June 2016
Younger pet owners less satisfied, potentially more open to new ideas
Figure 26: Pet food behaviors, by age, June 2016
Dog owners more likely to treat daily
Figure 27: Pet food behaviors, by type of pet owned, June 2016
ATTITUDES TOWARD PET FOOD
For treats, opportunity to combine emotion with function
Overcoming skepticism and ingredient concern
Figure 28: Attitudes toward pet food, June 2016
Dog owners more likely to be interested in various specialized foods
Figure 29: Attitudes toward pet food – Any agree, by type of pet owned, June 2016
In their words
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Sales data
Fan chart forecast
Consumer survey data
Consumer qualitative research
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
APPENDIX – MARKET 
Figure 30: Total US sales and forecast of pet food, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2011-21
Figure 31: Total US sales and forecast of cat food, at current prices, 2011-21
Figure 32: Total US sales and forecast of dog food, at current prices, 2011-21
Figure 33: Total US sales and forecast of other pet food, at current prices, 2011-21
Figure 34: Total US sales and forecast of pet treats, at current prices, 2011-21
Figure 35: MULO sales of dog food, cat food, and pet treats, by subsegment, 2011-16
APPENDIX – KEY PLAYERS 
Figure 36: MULO sales of dry cat food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
Figure 37: MULO sales of wet cat food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
Figure 38: MULO sales of dry dog food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
Figure 39: MULO sales of wet dog food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
Figure 40: MULO sales of other pet food, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016
Figure 41: MULO sales of pet treats, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2015 and 2016

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