Abstract
Cat and dog owners are increasingly anthropomorphic - they treat their pets like little humans. This is driving value growth in a market where volume sales are struggling with the preference for smaller animals and the shift from wet to dry food, particularly in dog food.
Value growth has continued by around 3% year-on-year recently, and is likely to continue. The trends in human food consumption are being witnessed in the pet food market, with a greater emphasis on convenience and health. Manufacturers are tying new products in with these key trends to drive growth. In the future, organic and provenance-assured foods will become more prevalent.
Key themes:
- Owners increasingly "humanise" their pets
- Struggling volume growth with the shift from wet to dry food
- Convenience and naturalness are the key drivers of new product development
- Organic, provenance and lifestage-specific foods are opportunities for growth.
Definitions:
Mintel defines cat and dog food as any foods that are specifically formulated and marketed for cats or dogs, including treats. Market size data include cat and dog food sold through all retail outlets including food sold through veterinary practices.
For the purposes of this report, specific definitions are as follows:
- Wet food - has a moisture content of 60-85% and is mostly packed in tins, foil or plastic.
- Dry food - has a moisture content of around 10% and includes complete foods.
- Semi-moist food - has a moisture content of 25-30% and includes complete foods.
- Some liquid, such as cat milk, is also included.
- Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (rsp) unless otherwise stated.
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