Study on the US pet food market

The market research company Packaged Facts has released its new report, Pet Food in the U.S., 10th Edition. The report says among other things that all eyes are on premium and natural products in the $20 bn pet food market. As mass-market pet food sales stagnate, with growth of less than half of one per cent for the 52 weeks ending 27 January 2013, the action is in premium and super-premium foods, where growth has reached double digits in some segments. Another market driver is the fact that, more than ever, pet speciality and mass-market brands are growing significantly more alike in terms of offerings. In order to differentiate, marketers are turning to trends such as grain-free, "meat first" and human-grade products.
As pet superstores draw shoppers away from supermarkets and mass merchandisers with increased customer service and a greater range of products, discount and online retailers are putting the pressure on pet retailers across the board, offering quality products at substantially lower prices, states Packaged Facts.
Although pet-owning households have slowly increased their income level, with 29.4 per cent of dog- or cat-owning households making $60 000 a year or more in 2012, the percentage of pet owners shopping at discount stores remains high, at nearly 25 per cent. Additionally, although online shopping for pet products is significantly lower than in other retail channels at just over 6 per cent in 2012, dog and cat owners are more likely than the population at large – at 15 per cent and 23 per cent respectively - to shop online in general, leading to the potential for more online shopping growth in the pet market.