Project Hive Pet Company has a line of five treats and five toys that generate revenues and associated company donations to the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund. To date, the partnership has resulted in more than 2 million square feet of healthy bee habitat planted, with a goal of planting 50 million square feet over the next five years. Source: Pet Food Industry, April … [Read more...]
Pet food draws big-name investment, private equity focus
The pet food and pet care markets have been attracting outside investment interest for well over a decade, writes Debbie Donaldson-Phillips. She says you know an industry has seized the spotlight when it earns the attention of a large and well-known investment firm like Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley recently released a report on the pet industry, predicting the U.S. market to … [Read more...]
CBD pet products popularity continues to grow
Cannabidiol and hemp are fast-growing trends in the pet space: Consumers spent US$426 million on pet CBD in 2020 The segment is expected to reach US$629 million in sales by the end of 2021 The most common uses for these ingredients are functional, with calming, stress/anxiety and hip/joint relief at the top of the list according to a Brightfield Group … [Read more...]
Pet products landscape is continuously evolving
“The omnimarket experience has redefined the way pet owners search for, find and buy pet products. It transcends retail channels and product categories,” shared David Sprinkle, publisher and research direction for Packaged Facts. He said, “. . . the humanization of companion animals is increasingly evident with pet food, especially evident with fresh pet food, with pet food … [Read more...]
Debunking pet food myths and misconceptions
Ryan Yamka, PhD, challenges the World Small Animal Veterinary Association guidelines and pet food recommendations. He calls for an update to fill gaps and provide proper security for those recommending pet foods. This statement motivated posting Yamka’s article, “Based on WSAVA guidelines, a pet food company only needs to provide a complete nutrient analysis for one formula … [Read more...]
AKC on alternative meat diets and the grain free question
There has been confusion and misinformation in past months about boutique, exotic ingredients, or grain-free diets (BEG) and the prevalence of DCM. The recent issue of AKC Family Dog presents information on the DCM story and what is being considered as food sources for dogs. Source: AKC Family Dog,January/February 2020. Update: The grain-free question. Link. Where’s … [Read more...]
Younger pet owners’ pet food and care decisions don’t rely on tradition
Younger consumers are independent, do-it-yourselfers, and less reliant on traditional authority figures and similar experts, writes Debbie Phillips- Donaldson. She describes factors that may explain changing influences on pet owner decision making. In the old paradigm, consumers trusted veterinarians and major brands backed by vets, as well as large pet specialty … [Read more...]
Functional foods’ effects on dog, cat health summarized (slideshow)
Pet owners are often faced with new information about the best way to feed their dogs and cats. Following human trends, pet food offerings are diverse and confusing. We share this article series for perspectives on pet food inputs, reasoning and trends. Source: Pet Food Industry, October 27, 2019. Link. A meta-analysis of functional foods research summarized 17 peer-reviewed … [Read more...]
Age not a factor with dog owners trying newer dog food brands
EVERYONE tries new pet food brands summarizes the findings presented in this article. Marketing towards a specific pet owner age group may reduce a campaign’s effectiveness, according to research published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. The key message is to not target narrowly and that brands should sell to all buyers of the category.” - Peilin … [Read more...]
Marketers must appeal to the special bond Gen Z, Millennials have with pets
The younger generations of pet market consumers are critical to the bottom line of pet product and service marketers, says David Sprinkle. . . . Gen Z and Millennial pet owners are on the cutting edge of humanization in the relationships between pet owners and their pets. Source: Pet Food Industry, December 21, 2018. Link. Market research firm Packaged Facts estimates … [Read more...]
Pet foods questions need science-based answers
Pet owners sometimes blame pet food for causing an overweight pet. Pet obesity discussions generally follow one of two main themes: that many pet owners are in serious denial about their pets’ weight or that pet food may play a role in the pet’s obesity. Both lines of thinking originate because some pet owners don’t understand pet nutrition or the ingredients in pet food. … [Read more...]
The impact of pet food purchase frequency
Veterinary teams and retailers often struggle with managing pet food marketing opportunities. In addition to space and inventory concerns, ensuring the product moves out is critical to getting margin on sales. David Sprinkle shares that the frequency of pet food purchasing is a key factor to pet food retailing and target marketing. Frequency of purchasing affects everything … [Read more...]
Functional dog, cat food and pet treat trends
As pet food manufacturers cater more to consumers’ desires to meet the individual needs of their pets, functional ingredients are more of a trend than ever. The infographic featured here shows consumer choice trends in an easy to understand visual. Animal health professionals at all levels will benefit from understanding how function is driving demand in the pet food … [Read more...]