Market Trends of Dry Pet Food Industry
Growing Trend of Pet Humanization in All Regions
Pet humanization has become a globally accepted term in the pet industry. More pet owners want to provide their pets with human-like products or experiences and tend to see themselves more as pet parents than as owners. This has been a very crucial and defining trend in the market studied and more so in developed countries. Thus, the increasing humanization of pets is expected to drive the pet food industry.
According to the European Pet Food Federation (FEDIAF), pet ownership in Europe is increasing, with 90 million European homes (46%) owning companion animals, resulting in over EUR 20 billion in related services and products. Germany is the leading country in terms of both cat and dog populations. Cats are the most popular pet in the EU. All countries appear to have a higher population of cats than dogs. However, Spain has a far higher preference for dogs, outnumbering the cat population by about 6 million.
In China, according to Pet Data, the adoption rate was 11.8% for dogs and 19.9% for cats in 2018. This led to an increase in spending on healthy treats for pets. There are nearly 150,000 retail establishments nationwide in the Brazilian pet food market. Companies are increasing the number of premium products as consumers are prepared to spend more on pet food and products, including dry pet food that is healthy, nutritious, and improves their living conditions. For instance, MARS Petcare launched premium cat food under the IAMS brand in India. This brand offers four dry variants in India, specially designed to ensure a healthy, natural defense for both adult cats and kittens. The increasing consumer trend toward pet adoption has driven pet food premiumization, which is anticipated to expand the market studied during the forecast period.
North America Dominates the Market
According to a recent American Pet Products Association survey, pet owners spent upwards of USD 50 billion on pet food in 2021, with dog owners spending an average of USD 287 on food annually. The same survey reported that 41% of dog owners opted to feed their companion premium dog food in 2020, an increase from 37% in 2019.
The major distribution channels through which the United States and Canada supply dry pet food are specialized pet shops, mass retail stores, pet superstores, online sales, niche specialists, grocery chains, drugstores, and agricultural supply stores. Pet food manufacturers are automating the production process to improve safety and efficiency. Using innovative manufacturing technology, such as automating formulation, batching, drying, coating, and liquid delivery, is helping companies achieve cost efficiency and ensure product quality. Nestlé Purina Petcare Company, Mars Inc., Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc., and Blue Buffalo Co. Ltd are significant companies operating in the North American dry pet food market.
Both dry dog food and cat food are popular among consumers because of their lower price tag and convenience. Hence, there is a growing expenditure on pets as well as higher customization of nutritional needs for pets, resulting in significant market growth in this region.
