Pet Food in the U.S., 12th Edition


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Pet Food in the U.S., 12th Edition

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in analyzing the pet food industry as well as Packaged Facts’ broad cross-category expertise, Pet Food in the U.S., 12th Edition pinpoints strategic directions for current and prospective marketers, with a forward-looking focus on high-growth product segments and market drivers. Covering products for all type of companion animals, the report devotes separate chapters to Dog Food, Cat Food, and Other Pet Food (birds, small animal, fish, and reptiles), while also providing a comprehensive Market Overview covering cross-market trends and opportunities. Among these: recent and expected mergers and acquisitions; private-label pet food; advertising and promotional initiatives; the impact of natural products on the industry; specialty diet products; and much more.

The report provides market size estimates for the overall retail universe and projections through 2018, while quantifying mass-market sales to the marketer/brand share level using data from IRI and the specialty channel through GfK. It also charts market size and marketer share figures for the natural and specialty/gourmet supermarket channels, using SPINSscan sales tracking data. In sum, Pet Food in the U.S., 12th Edition thoroughly documents competitive, new product and retail trends, as well as trends in pet food purchaser demographics, brand preferences, cross-channel shopping, and cross-product purchasing. Consumer profiling is based on exclusive data from Packaged Facts’ own quarterly pet owners surveys and customized cross tabulations of Simmons consumer survey data from Experian Marketing Services.


  • Executive Summary
    • Scope and Methodology
      • Three Animal Categories: Dog, Cat, Other
      • Report Methodology
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Pet Food Hits $30 Billion Mark
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Food, 2011-2015 (in billions of dollars)
      • Slight Sales Gains in Mass
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Pet Food: Total and by Category and Segment, 2015 (in millions of dollars, units and pounds)
      • Pet Food Keeps Rolling in Pet Specialty Channels
        • Table Retail Dollar Sales of Pet Food in Pet Specialty, Veterinary and Farm/Feed Channels, 2015 (in billions of dollars)
      • Pet Food Sales Trends in Natural and Specialty/Gourmet Supermarkets
        • Table Retail Dollar Sales of Pet Food and Pet Care in the Natural Supermarket and Specialty/Gourmet Channels, 2014 vs. 2015 (in millions of dollars)
      • Share of Pet Food Sales by Channel
        • Table Share of U.S. Sales of Pet Food Market by Retail Channel Classification, 2015 (percent)
      • Sales Growth Through 2020
        • Table Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Food, 2015-2020 (in billions of dollars)
    • Market Outlook
      • Consumers Somewhat More Optimistic About Economy
      • But Reduced Spending Remains the Norm for Many
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "I am spending less on pet products because of the economy," 2011-2016 (percent)
      • Pet Owners' Monthly Spend
        • Table Amount Spent on Pet Products in Last 30 Days, February 2016 (percent)
      • Human/Animal Bond a Key Pet Food Catalyst
      • The Humanization of Pet Food
      • Older Pets
      • Failing to Recognize a Weight Problem
        • Table Agreement with Statement: "I have an overweight dog/cat," 2015 vs. 2016 (percent)
      • Product Safety Drives Purchase Decisions
    • Competitive Trends
      • Just Three Players Have Double Digit Shares in Dog/Cat
        • Table Top U.S. Marketers of Dog/Cat Food by Share of Retail Sales, 2015 (percent)
      • M&A and Investment Activity
      • Big Three Capture Majority of Mass-Market Pet Food Sales
    • Retail Trends
      • PetSmart and Petco's Sales Approach $12 Billion
      • Private Label Drops Again
      • Online Sales
        • Table Time Frame for Most Recent Online Purchase of Pet Products, 2012-2016 (percent of pet owners)
    • Pet Consumer Trends
      • Pet Ownership and Population Trends
        • Table Household Penetration Rates for Selected Pet-Owning Classifications, 2011-2015 (percent of and number of U.S. households in millions)
    • Product and Marketing Trends
      • Natural Products Dominate the Trends
      • Grain-Free and Other "Free-Of" Claims
      • Proteins
      • Preventive Health Benefits of Pet Food Emphasized
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "High-quality dog foods/cat foods are effective for preventive health care," 2014 and 2015 (percent)
      • Marketers Compete Through Product Claims
        • Table Draw for Selected Product Claims Among Dog and Cat Food Purchasers, 2015 (percent)
      • Grain-Free and Other "Free-Of" Claims
      • Proteins
        • Table Agreement with Statement: "My dog/cat needs a high-quality protein diet," 2016 (percent)
        • Table Types of Pet Food Purchased: By Protein Content, 2015 (percent)
        • Table Agreement with Statement: "Vegetables are good for my dog/cat," 2016 (percent)
      • What's New in Ancestral
      • Limited Ingredient Diets
      • Diets for Every Pet Type
      • Home-Delivered Pet Food
      • Home-Cooked Pet Food
      • Food Toppers
      • Making the (Human) Grade
      • In the Raw
      • Treat Trends
      • Trends in Non-Dog/Cat Pet Food
    • Dog Food Market Size and Growth
      • Historical and Projected Dog Food Retail Sales
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Dog Food, 2011-2020 (in millions of dollars)
    • Cat Food Market Size and Growth
      • Historical and Projected Cat Food Retail Sales
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Cat Food, 2011-2020 (in millions of dollars)
    • Other Pet Food Market Size and Growth
      • Historical and Projected Other Pet Food Sales
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Other Pet Food, 2011-2020 (in millions of dollars)
  • Market Overview
    • Introduction
      • Three Animal Categories: Dog, Cat, Other
      • Other Marketing Classifications
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Pet Food Hits $30 Billion Mark
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Food, 2011-2015 (in billions of dollars)
      • Slight Sales Gains in Mass
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Pet Food: Total and by Category and Segment, 2015 (in millions of dollars, units and pounds)
      • Pet Food Keeps Rolling in Pet Specialty Channels
        • Table Retail Dollar Sales of Pet Food in Pet Specialty, Veterinary and Farm/Feed Channels, 2015 (in billions of dollars)
      • Pet Food Sales Trends in Natural and Specialty/Gourmet Supermarkets
        • Table Retail Dollar Sales of Pet Food and Pet Care in the Natural Supermarket and Specialty/Gourmet Channels, 2014 vs. 2015 (in millions of dollars)
      • Dog Food Rules Pet Food Sales
        • Table Share of IRI-Tracked Retail Dollar Sales of Pet Food by Category, December 2014 vs. December 2015 (percent)
      • Dry Pet Food Still on Top, But Losing Share
        • Table Share of IRI-Tracked Sales of Dog and Cat Food by Form, 2014 vs. 2015 (percent)
      • Pet Food Sales by Form: Dry Dog Food at Over One-Third of Market
        • Table Share of IRI-Tracked Sales of Pet Food by Form, December 2014 vs. December 2015 (percent)
      • Share of Pet Food Sales by Channel
        • Table Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Food Market by Channel Classification, 2015 (percent)
    • Market Outlook
      • Consumers Somewhat More Optimistic About Economy
        • Table Pet Owners: Overview by Change in Financial Situation Compared With 12 Months Ago, 2012-2015 (U.S. pet-owning households)
        • Table Pet Owners: Overview by Expectations for Personal Financial Situation Over the Next 12 Months, 2012-2015 (U.S. pet-owning households)
      • But Reduced Spending Remains the Norm for Many
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "I am spending less on pet products because of the economy," 2011-2016 (percent)
      • Pet Owners' Monthly Spend
        • Table Amount Spent on Pet Products in Last 30 Days, February 2016 (percent)
        • Table Pet Food Purchasing by Price Level, 2014-2016 (percent)
      • Human/Animal Bond a Key Pet Food Catalyst
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "My dog or cat has a positive impact on my mental health," 2016 (percent)
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "My dog or cat has a positive impact on my physical health," 2016 (percent)
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "I enjoy purchasing pet products that pamper my dog or cat," 2016 (percent)
        • Table Level of Agreement with Pampering Statements, 2016 (percent)
      • The Humanization of Pet Food
      • Older Pets
        • Table Age of Dogs and Cats, 2016 (percent of pet owners)
      • Failing to Recognize a Weight Problem
        • Table Agreement with Statement: "I have an overweight dog/cat," 2015 vs. 2016 (percent)
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "I buy pet food/nutrition products related to weight/obesity for my dog(s) or cat(s)," 2014 vs. 2016 (percent)
        • Table Percent of Pet Owners Who Have Purchased Any Type Of Pet Food, Food Add-In, Treat, or Nutritional Supplement Targeting Weight Loss or Maintenance in Last 3 Months, 2014 vs. 2016 (percent)
      • Product Safety Drives Purchase Decisions
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "Fear of pet food contamination/ product safety is a key consideration in the dog foods/cat foods I buy," 2014-2016 (percent)
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "I am concerned about the safety of the dog food, dog treat, and dog chew products (or cat food and treat products) that I buy," 2014-2016 (percent)
      • Classroom Pets
    • Looking Ahead
      • Sales Growth Through 2020
        • Table Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Food, 2015-2020 (in billions of dollars)
    • Competitive Overview
      • M&A and Investment Activity
        • Table Blue Buffalo's Net Sales and Growth, 2010-2015 (in millions of dollars)
      • Just Three Players Have Double Digit Shares in Dog/Cat
        • Table Top U.S. Marketers of Dog/Cat Food, 2015 (percent)
      • Big Three Capture Majority of Mass-Market Pet Food Sales
        • Table Top Marketers of Pet Food at Food, Drug and Mass Merchandisers, 2015
        • Table Leading Pet Food Companies and Their Top Product Categories, 2015
      • Top Brands in Pet Specialty
      • Natural/Organic Specialists
      • Veterinary Diet Marketers
      • Private Label Drops Again
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Private Label Pet Food: Total and by Category and Segment, 2015 (in millions of dollars, units and pounds)
        • Table Private-Label Share of IRI-Tracked Sales of Pet Products: Total and by Food Category and Segment, 2014 vs. 2015 (percent)
    • Retail Channel Trends
      • PetSmart and Petco's Sales Close in on $12 Billion
        • Table PetSmart and Petco Sales and Number of Stores, 2001-2015 (cumulative, in units and millions of dollars)
      • Other Pet Specialty Chains
      • Walmart and Pets
        • Table Walmart.com's Top-Selling Pet SKUs
      • Selling at Supermarkets
      • Online Sales
        • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "I am buying pet products online more than I used to," 2011-2016 (percent)
        • Table Time Frame for Most Recent Online Purchase of Pet Products, 2012-2016 (percent of pet owners)
    • Pet Consumer Trends
      • Pet Ownership and Population Trends
        • Table Household Penetration Rates for Selected Pet-Owning Classifications, 2011-2015 (percent of and number of U.S. households in millions)
        • Table Household Penetration Rates for Selected Dog- or Cat-Owning Classifications: 2010-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
        • Table Household Populations for Selected Dog- or Cat-Owning Classifications, 2010-2015 (thousands of U.S. households)
      • Boomers and Millennials
        • Table Household Penetration Rates for Selected Pet-Owning Classifications: By Generational Cohort, 2015 (percent of U.S. households)
        • Table Household Populations for Selected Pet-Owning Classifications: By Generational Cohort, 2015 (number of U.S. households in thousands)
        • Table Indexes for Selected Pet-Owning Classifications: By Generational Cohort, 2015 (U.S. households)
        • Table Indexes for Dog or Cat Ownership: By Age Cohort, 2011 vs. 2015 (U.S. households)
        • Table Number of Total U.S. Population Growth for Selected Age Brackets, 2015-2060 (in thousands)
        • Table Share of Total U.S. Population Growth for Selected Age Brackets, 2015-2060 (in percent)
      • Pet Food Expenditures and Household Income
      • Multiple Pet Ownership Trends
        • Table Multiple Pet Ownership in the United States by Animal Type, 2011 vs. 2015 (percent of pet-owning households)
      • Pet Household Demographics
        • Table Demographics of Dog and Cat Owners, 2015 (index)
        • Table Demographics of Other Pet Owners, 2015 (index)
      • Organic Pet Food and Channel Choices
        • Table Purchasing Rates for Organic Pet Food by Channel Shopped for Pet Products, 2014 (percent of U.S. households with pets)
      • Coupon Use Goes Down
  • Product and Marketing Trends
    • Natural Products Dominate Trends
    • The Market for Senior, Weight Management and Special Needs Products
    • Channel-Specific Marketing
    • Food Brands Do Good
      • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "The participation by pet product retailers in pet welfare and rescue causes and events plays a significant role in where I buy pet products," 2014-2016 (percent)
      • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "The participation by pet product brands in pet welfare and rescue causes and events plays a significant role in which brands I buy," 2014-2016 (percent)
      • Table Agreement with Statement: "I have contributed time or money to pet welfare or rescue causes," 2015-2016 (percent)
    • Marketers Get Creative in the Digital Realm
      • Table Technologies Used in the Last Seven Days, Pet Owners vs. Non-Pet Owners
    • Preventive Health Benefits of Pet Food Emphasized
      • Table Level of Agreement with Statement: "High-quality dog foods/cat foods are effective for preventive health care," 2014-2016 (percent)
    • Marketers Compete Through Product Claims
      • Table Top Claims by Draw Among Dog or Cat Food Purchasers, 2015 (percent)
    • Grain-Free and Other "Free-Of" Claims
      • Table Dog and Cat Owners Currently Using Pet Food: By Free-Of Claim, 2015 (percent)
    • Nutrition Claims
      • Table Dog and Cat Owners Currently Using Pet Food: By Nutrition Claims, 2015 (percent)
    • Proteins
      • Table Agreement with Statement: "My dog/cat needs a high-quality protein diet," 2016 (percent)
      • Table Dog and Cat Owners Currently Using Pet Food: By Protein Content, 2015 (percent)
      • Exotic Proteins
        • Table Pet Food Purchases by Meat Ingredient, 2016 (percent)
        • Table Pet Food Purchases by Poultry/Game Bird Ingredient, 2016 (percent)
        • Table Pet Food Purchases by Fish/Seafood Ingredient, 2016 (percent)
        • Table Pet Treat Purchases by Ingredient, 2016 (percent)
      • Other Ingredients
        • Table Agreement with Statement: "Vegetables are good for my dog/cat," 2016 (percent)
        • Table Pet Food Purchases by Other Ingredients, 2016 (percent)
    • Innovation Springs from Natural Players
      • New Products Lever an Array of Natural Product Benefits
    • What's New in Ancestral
    • Limited Ingredient Diets
    • Diets for Every Pet Type
      • Size-Weight Diets
        • Table Dog Food Purchasing by Size Formulation, 2015 (percent)
      • Functional Diets
    • Home-Delivered Pet Food
      • Table Agreement with Statement: "I regularly have dog or cat food delivered to my home," 2016 (percent)
    • Home-Cooked Meals
      • Table Home-Cooked Meal Preparation in Last 30 Days, 2106 (percent)
    • Food Toppers
      • Table Pet Owner Use of Food Add-ins, 2016 (percent)
    • Making the (Human) Grade
    • Innovative New Products
    • In the Raw
    • Treat Trends
      • Vitacraft Purrk! KitCubes
    • Trends in Non-Dog/Cat Pet Food
      • Trade Ad for Scarlett Pet Food's MardiGras
    • Marketing Trends in Other Pet Food
  • Dog Food
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Historical and Projected Dog Food Retail Sales
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Dog Food, 2011-2020 (in millions of dollars)
      • IRI-Tracked Dollar and Volume Sales of Dog Food
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Pet Food: Total and by Category and Segment, 2015 (in millions of dollars, units and pounds)
        • Table Share of IRI-Tracked Sales of Dog Food by Segment, 2015 (percent)
    • Marketer and Brand Shares
      • Dry Dog Food Champions
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Dry Dog Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
      • Dog Treat Category Ruled by Big Three
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Dog Biscuits/Treats/Beverages by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
      • Mars Leads in Wet Dog Food
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Wet Dog Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
      • Freshpet Continues to Capture Frozen/Refrigerated Dog Food Category
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Frozen/Refrigerated Dog Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
      • Two Main Options in Semi-Moist Segment
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Semimoist Dog Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
    • Dog Food Purchasing Patterns
      • Most Dog Owners Buy Dry Dog Food and Biscuits/Treats
        • Table Dog Food Purchasing Patterns by Type, 2011 vs. 2015 (percent of U.S. dog-owning households)
        • Table Dog Food Purchasing by Formulation, 2015 (percent)
      • Milk-Bone Has Best Household Penetration by Wide Margin
        • Table Dog Food and Treat Brand Consumption Trends, 2011-2015 (percent and number of households in thousands)
  • Cat Food
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Historical and Projected Cat Food Retail Sales
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Cat Food, 2011-2020 (in millions of dollars)
      • IRI-Tracked Dollar and Volume Sales
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Cat Food: Total and by Category and Segment, 2015 (in millions of dollars, units and pounds)
        • Table Share of IRI-Tracked Sales of Cat Food by Segment, December 2015 (percent)
    • Marketer and Brand Shares
      • One Marketer Owns Wet Cat Food
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Wet Cat Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
      • Top Players Show Weakness in Dry Cat Food
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Dry Cat Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
      • Mars Is King of Cat Treats
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Cat Snacks/Beverages by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
      • Refrigerated Cat Food Niche
      • Semi-moist Cat Food Revitalized by Broths
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Semi-Moist Cat Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015
    • Cat Food Purchasing Patterns
      • Canned Food Is Stronger in Cat Arena
        • Table Cat Food Purchasing Patterns by Type, 2011 vs. 2015 (percent of U.S. dog-owning households)
        • Table Cat Food Purchasing by Formulation, 2015 (percent)
      • Friskies Tops Cat Brands
        • Table Cat Food and Treat Brand Consumption Trends, 2011-2015 (percent and number of households in thousands)
  • Other (Non-Dog/Cat) Pet Food
    • Introduction
      • Category Scope
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Historical and Projected Other Pet Food Sales
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Other Pet Food, 2011-2020 (in millions of dollars)
      • IRI-Tracked Dollar and Unit Sales
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Other Pet Food, 2015 (in millions of dollars, units and pounds)
    • Competitive Trends
      • Marketer Overview
      • IRI-Tracked Outlets Led by Central Garden & Pet
        • Table Marketers and Brands of Non-Dog/Cat Pet Food by IRI-Tracked Sales and Market Share, 2014 vs. 2015

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