A growing market

A report by Euromonitor states that the population in the UK is ageing and it is common for people to take on a pet upon reaching retirement, as their children have left home and they have more time to dedicate to the care of an animal.
The proportion of households with a cat thus increased from 18.3 per cent in 2006 to 20.9 per cent in 2016 (7.7 mio cats in total). The proportion of dog-owning households rose from 22.8 per cent in 2006 to 23.9 per cent in 2016 (8.723 mio dogs in total), but has recently declined by 0.1 per cent compared with 2015 (24 %).
Premium dog and cat food recorded 6% growth in 2015 over the previous year, while economy dog and cat food stagnated. In the premium dog and cat food segment, therapeutic food is gaining share while the demand for indulgence is benefiting wet dog and cat food, especially in high-meat variants. Premium wet dog food recorded 5% growth in value sales in 2015.