Pet Food in the U.S., 15th Edition


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Pet Food in the U.S., 15th Edition

Pet Food in the U.S., 15th Edition
analyzes the retail market for pet food in the United States. The full retail spectrum is quantified, including mass-market outlets, pet specialty stores (chains and independents), and other channels including the Internet. The report divides the market into two categories:

  • Dog Food, subdivided into four forms: Dry, Wet (aka “Canned”), Frozen/Refrigerated, and Semi-moist.
  • Cat Food, also subdivided into four forms: Dry, Wet (aka “Canned”), Frozen/Refrigerated, and Semi-moist.
This report also examines meal toppers and other pet food add-ins to provide market perspective and track overall trends in pet food.

Note: This publication combines Packaged Facts’ report on Pet Food in the U.S., 15th Edition (July 2020) with a supplemental report on Pet Food Consumer Trends (June 2020).


  • Executive Summary
    • Report Scope & Methodology
      • Scope of Report
      • Methodology
    • Market Trends
      • Impact of COVID-19
      • Market Size and Growth
      • Factors to Market Growth
    • Competitive Trends
      • Marketer Trends
      • Retail Channel Trends
    • New Product and Marketing Trends
    • Pet Food Usage Patterns
      • Pet Owner Preferences by Pet Food Type
      • When Pet Owners Change Foods
    • Opportunities
      • Pandemic Silver Linings
      • Opportunity 1—New Pet Ownership
      • Opportunity 2—E-commerce
      • Opportunity 3—Private Label
      • Opportunity 4—Customized Health and Wellness
      • Opportunity 5—Sourcing as "The Next Natural"
      • Opportunity 6—Grain-Inclusive and Limited Ingredient Recipes
      • Opportunity 7—Rethinking Superpremium Pet Food
      • Opportunity 8—Science-Based and Veterinary Diets
      • Opportunity 9—Focus on Felines
      • Opportunity 10—Opportunistic Acquisitions
  • Market Trends
    • Chapter Highlights
    • Market Overview
      • Two Animal Categories: Dog and Cat
      • Other Marketing Classifications
    • Impact of COVID-19
      • Pet Food Sector Best-Positioned to Weather Pandemic
      • Uptick in Pet Adoption and Online Shopping
      • Trading Down to Lower-Cost Products
      • Supply Chain Disruptions
      • Future Uncertain—But Reasons for Optimism
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Pet Food Sales Approach $29 Billion
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Food, 2015-2019 (in billions of dollars and percent change)
      • Dog Food Dominates Pet Food Sales
      • Dry Pet Food Tops in Sales
      • Dry Dog Food at Over 50% of the Market
        • Table Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Pet Food by Form and Animal Type, 2019 (percent and millions of dollars)
        • Table Annual U.S. Household Expenditures on Pet Food by Product Form, 2019 (in billions of aggregate dollars and per-household dollars)
        • Table Annual U.S. Household Expenditures on Pet Food by Animal Type, 2019 (in billions of aggregate dollars and per-household dollars)
      • Historical and Projected Dog Food Retail Sales
        • Table Historical and Future Modeling of U.S. Retail Sales of Dog Food, 2015-2024 (in billions of dollars and percent)
        • Table Annual Household Expenditures on Dog Food by Product Type, 2019 (in billions of aggregate dollars and per-household dollars)
      • Historical and Projected Cat Food Retail Sales
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Cat Food, 2015-2024 (in billions of dollars and percent)
        • Table Annual Household Expenditures on Cat Food by Product Type, 2019 (in billions of aggregate dollars and per-household dollars)
      • Most Pet Owners Spend Under $50 Per Month on Pet Food
      • Sales by Channel: E-commerce Takes the Lead
        • Table Modeling of Projected Shifts in Retail Channel Shares of U.S. Pet Food Sales, 2019, 2020, and 2024 (in billions of dollars and percent change)
    • Factors to Market Growth
      • The Coronavirus Crisis
      • Omnimarket Era Is Here to Stay
      • Coronavirus Impact On Shopping Behavior
        • Table Coronavirus-Related Changes in Pet Owner Shopping Frequency at Physical Retailers, Now (April/May 2020) vs. Six Months Ago, 2020 (percent of dog and cat owners)
        • Table Coronavirus-Related Changes in Pet Owner Shopping Frequency at Online Retailers, Now (April/May 2020) vs. Six Months Ago, 2020 (percent of dog and cat owners)
      • The Financial Impact of the Coronavirus
      • Pet Food Spending Not (Yet) Threatened
      • Pet Owners Use Internet Beyond Product Purchasing
        • Table Use of Internet by Pet Product Type in Past 12 Months, 2020 (percent of dog and cat owners)
      • Major Trends in Pet Food Continue Despite Coronavirus
      • Pet Adoptions, Population Driving Pet Food Growth
        • Table Overview of Pet Ownership by Type: Dogs vs. Cats, 2020P vs. 2019 (percent of and number of U.S. households)
      • DCM/Grain-Free Pet Food Situation Remains Unresolved
      • Non-Affluent Households Once Again Threatened by Price Pressures
        • Table $70K+ Household Share of U.S. Pet Market Expenditures: By Classification, 2011-2018 (percent)
        • Table Pet Food Purchasing by Price Level, 2016, 2018, 2020 (percent of dog- and cat-owning households)
      • Looking Ahead: Sales Growth Spikes, Then Moderates
        • Table Modeling of U.S. Retail Sales Growth of Pet Food, 2019-2024 (in billions of dollars and percent change)
  • Competitive Trends
    • Chapter Highlights
    • Marketer Trends
      • A Highly Consolidated Market
      • Pet Food Leaders Covering All Pet Industry Bases
      • Dog Food Marketers
      • Cat Food Marketers
      • Focus on Felines
      • Recent Mergers, Acquisitions, Investments, and Expansions
      • Subscription-Based Products and Services
      • Inspiring Trust
      • Coronavirus-Inspired Giving
      • Brands Turn to Television, Social Media
    • Retail Channel Trends
      • Mass Premiumization at Expense of Pet Specialty
      • Private-Label Gains
      • Channel Shifts Rampant Due to Coronavirus
        • Table Channel Choice for Pet Food Purchases, 2020 (percent of dog and cat owners)
        • Table Retail Shopping Patterns for Pet Product Purchases, Foods vs. Medications vs. Other Pet Products, 2020 (percent of dog and cat owners)
  • New Product and Marketing Trends
    • Chapter Highlights
    • New Product and Marketing Trends
      • Product Introductions Impacted by COVID-19
      • Industry Shaken by Possible DCM Link
      • Natural Positioning Takes Backseat to Other Product Claims
      • Demand Rises for Fresh Pet Food
      • Kibble Marketers Also Focus on Fresh
      • Trendy and Sustainable Ingredients and Recipes
      • Market-Wide Pet Food Trends
      • A Swing Back to Science-Based and Veterinary Diets?
      • Spotlight on Product Safety
      • Meal Enhancements and Toppers
  • Pet Food Usage Patterns
    • Chapter Highlights
    • Pet Owner Preferences by Pet Food Type
      • Regular/Adult Food Most Popular
      • Skin/Coat, Indoor Pet Most Popular Functional Foods
      • Meat-First Leads in Ingredient-Based Formulations
        • Table Pet Food Usage of Ingredient-Based Formulations, 2020 (percent of dog and cat owners)
      • Ingredient Sourcing Another Compelling Marketing Claim
      • Natural/Organic Formulations Take Back Seat to Other Claims
      • Human Food Supplementation Common Among Pet Owners
    • When Pet Owners Change Foods
      • Veterinarians Influence Change in Pet Foods
      • Pet Owners Most Likely to Switch to Regular/Adult Food
      • Skin/Coat, Indoor Pet Most Switched-To Foods
      • More Pet Owners Switch to Meat-First, Grain-Free Foods
        • Table Ingredient-Based Pet Food Formulations Changed to in Past 12 Months, 2020 (percent of dog and cat owners who changed pet foods in the past 12 months)
      • Fewer Pet Owners Switching to Made in the U.S.A.
      • "Organic" Tops "Natural" Among Dog Owners Changing Foods
  • Note on Simmons Data
  • Pet Ownership Trends
    • Table Household Penetration Rates for Dogs and Cats, 2011-2020 (percent of U.S. households)
    • Table Household Base for Dogs and Cats, 2011-2020 (in millions of U.S. households)
    • Table Usage of Wet Pet Food, 2012-2020 (percent of dog- and cat-owning households)
  • Organic Pet Food and Channel Choice
    • Table Purchase Trends for Organic Pet Food, 2012-2020 (percent of dog- and cat-owning households)
  • Ol' Roy Puts New Packaging, Flavors to the Test
    • Table Purchase Trends for Ol' Roy Pet Food, 2012-2020 (percent of dog-owning households)
  • Note on Simmons Data
  • Most Dog Owners Buy Dry Dog Food
    • Use of Wet Dog Food Peaks in African-American Households
      • Table Select Demographic Indicators for Use of Wet Pet Food, 2019/20 (percent, index and number of dog-owning households)
  • Pedigree Tops in Household Penetration
    • Table Dry Dog Food Brand Usage, 2015 vs 2020
    • Table Wet Dog Food Brand Usage, 2015 vs 2020
  • Wet Food Is Stronger in Cat Market
    • Table Select Demographic Indicators for Use of Wet Pet Food, 2019/20 (percent, index and number of dog-owning households)
  • Meow Mix Tops Friskies in Household Penetration Rates
    • Table Dry Cat Food Brand Usage, 2015 vs 2020
    • Table Wet Cat Food Brand Usage, 2015 vs 2020

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