Dry food is the big seller

The market research company Euromonitor International puts the volume of sales in the Danish pet supplies market in 2014 at $418 mio. Dog and cat food accounted for over half of this figure at $266 mio. Compared with market data from 2010, when the whole volume of sales was $388.5 mio, a clear upward trend is apparent here.

Denmark is a classic dry food market. Of the $121.7 mio spent on cat food in 2014, according to Euromonitor International, dry food accounted for $85.3 mio. Sales of wet food yielded only $34.6 mio and treats just $1.8 mio. 
The dominance of dry food was even more obvious in the canine segment. Out of a total sales figure of $144.4 mio, $97 mio was spent on dry food, while wet food only brought in $11.3 mio and treats/mixers accounted for $36.1 mio. When retailers are asked why dry food has such a strong showing in Denmark, many reply that nearly all vets recommend buying dry food to dog owners and that they would not buy wet food for health reasons. Veterinarians play a key role in the Danish pet supplies market, both as a sales channel and as opinion formers, and so nothing is likely to change in the existing market structure in the next few years.

Since the recession, which hit the Scandinavian country hard, the Danes have gained a reputation for being very price-conscious and always on the look-out for a bargain. Nevertheless, it is apparent that many Danish pet owners are ready to spend more on the welfare of their pets. The ongoing trend towards pet humanisation is evident above all from the growing demand for naturally produced pet foods. Grain-free pet food products gained popularity in Denmark relatively early on, not least because Danish companies such as Kingsmoor A/S were quick to pick up on this trend and make it acceptable nationwide. 
Barfing is also developing steadily in Denmark, even if it hasn't had quite as strong an impact as in western Europe in general. Vets advocate barfing as a form of nutrition for dogs, and so this segment is expected to continue growing in the country.
Small dog breeds are also reported to be gaining in popularity in Denmark. Outside of the big cities such as Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg, however, the country is mainly rural and so many large and medium-sized dogs are still…