Net sales for the pet segment increased

Central Garden & Pet Company, a leading innovator, marketer and producer of products for the lawn and garden and pet supplies markets, has announced financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended 25 March. Second-quarter net sales for the pet segment increased by 8.4 per cent to $298.4 mio from the same period a year ago. Pet organic sales grew by 1.3 per cent, impacted to some degree by timing differences compared to the previous year, which benefited this year's first quarter and held back growth in the second quarter. To give some perspective, consumption in the Nielsen pet categories for the company's products over the 13-week period ending 25 March grew by 3.0 per cent. Fiscal year-to-date organic growth in the pet segment was 3.6 per cent. The pet segment's second-quarter branded product sales were $240.5 mio, up by 10.9 per cent compared to a year ago, while sales of other manufacturers' products were $57.9 mio, a decrease of 0.9 per cent.