ROCKVILLE, Md., April 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Packaged Facts research director David Sprinkle will present on "Form and Function Trends in Pet Treats" at this year's Petfood Forum conference, which will take place on April 27-29. Hosted by Petfood Industry, Petfood Forum 2015 will be held in Kansas City, MO, a new venue for this leading pet industry conference.
Pet treats are the gravy of the pet food market. According to a January 2015 Packaged Facts pet owner survey, 75% of dog owners buy regular dog treats for their canine companions, and nearly a fourth buy pet treats with special nutritional formulation.
The pet market tilts heavily to the dogs—not surprisingly, given their demonstrativeness in expecting and appreciating treats. Nonetheless, the cat segment of the market gained momentum in recent years. According to Simmons National Consumer Survey data from Experian Marketing Services, cat treat purchasing rates notched up from 40% in 2006 to 53% in 2013.
While dog as well as cat treats saw solid dollar sales growth in 2014, in keeping with the pet humanization and pet product premiumization trends, purchasing rates for these products dipped in 2014, pointing to significant challenges in the market.
A wave of pet illnesses associated with tainted pet jerky treats raised concerns about quality and safety standards in the market. At the same time, the increasing emphasis by superpremium and premium pet food marketers on high-quality (and even human-grade) ingredients, and on functional performance in relation to pet health concerns, threaten to make ordinary pet treats seem like junk food in comparison. Pet owners with senior or overweight pets, in particular, may hesitate to give their pets treats that lack a specialized nutritional angle.
"The trend parallels with the human market for packaged foods are obvious," notes Sprinkle, and as in the human market, "products positioned as natural/organic or addressing specific health concerns can go a long way to aligning marketer and retailer efforts with consumers' evolving priorities." The "natural" positioning is tricky and nuanced in pet products as in other markets, but typically involves high-quality whole foods ingredients; safety-conscious and transparent sourcing of ingredients; avoidance of ingredients perceived to be negative; and novel product formats positioned on optimizing nutritional value or functional performance.
Proprietary data to be released at the conference presentation will include relative purchasing rates for pet foods vs. pet treats on products targeting top pet health concerns such as dental/oral care, skin/coat health, digestive health, and hip/joint/bone health and mobility.
The Packaged Facts presentation on pet treat trends, to take place at 8:30 a.m. on April 27, will kick off Petfood Forum's Petfood Innovation Workshop on "Next Generation Treats." For more information on the Workshop, please see: https://www.petfoodforumevents.com/ehome/95861/225989/.
For a look at or to purchase reports in Packaged Facts' extensive library of pet industry market research, including recently released studies Pet Product Retailing in the U.S.: Channel Competition and Consumer Shopping Trends, 2nd Edition and Pet Supplements in the U.S., 5th Edition, visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/pet-products-services-c124/.
About Packaged Facts – Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, consumer packaged goods, and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased at www.PackagedFacts.com and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.
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SOURCE Packaged Facts
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