Pet Litter, Cleanup, and Odor-Control Products: U.S. Market Trends, 3rd Edition

Like general-use household cleaning products associated with personal health and hygiene, pet cleanup products have boomed during the pandemic era, posting double-digit growth in 2020 and 2021. Pet owners spending more time at home have been more focused than ever on keeping their indoor spaces sanitary and odor-free, with over half of pet owners considering pets to be a top cleanliness concern. Cat owners have been seeking out high-quality litters that don’t track and minimize odor, along with litter accessories that make disposal and odor-reduction easier. Dog owners have been snatching up waste bags for more frequent walks and urine pads for indoor use. And virtually all pet owners can benefit from stain and odor-control products for the inevitable accidents, smells, and stains that come with keeping pets in close quarters. Riding the wave of the heightened interest, marketers continue to upgrade products with innovative formulations and features – from dust-free, lightweight, and natural litters, to biodegradable waste bags and heavy duty training pads, to cleaning products that won’t harm the environment, pets, or people. Factoring in favorable tailwinds including the pandemic-intensified focus on health and wellness, the ongoing trend of more home time, growth of the elderly pet and human populations, and the increase in the number of rescue animals, Packaged Facts expects sales to top $7.5 billion by 2026.

Building on the analysis of the previous editions of this report, Pet Litter, Cleanup, and Odor Control Products: U.S. Market Trends, 3rd Edition analyzes this market in depth across four categories: cat litter and non-durable accessories, puppy/training pads, dog waste bags, and pet cleanup and odor control preparations. The report provides detailed analysis of the types of litter and cleanup products that are in strong demand and examines how marketers are responding to the trends of the day including e-commerce/direct-selling, pet health and wellness, product safety, and environmental issues. The report covers historical and projected retail sales estimates from 2016 through 2026, competitive strategies of key players including social media, and trends in new product development including dozens of tables, figures, and product images. The report also examines retail trends including the impact of the e-commerce boom and consumer purchasing preferences and demographics by product type.

Report Methodology

The information contained in this report was obtained from primary and secondary research. Primary research entailed informal interviews with pet industry experts; attendance at Global Pet Expo, Petfood Forum, and other trade events; consultations with pet product manufacturers and members of the trade; and an on-site examination of retail venues. Secondary research included extensive Internet canvassing and research- and data-gathering from relevant consumer business and trade publications; company reports including annual reports, press releases, and investor conference calls; company profiles in trade and consumer publications; government reports; and other pet market reports by Packaged Facts.

Sales estimates are based on published and estimated sales of major market participants; market size estimates from other sources appearing in the trade press; figures obtained through consultation with pet market participants; the performance of relevant retail venues; consumer usage rates for relevant products; rates of company and product entries into the market; and sales data from syndicated resources.

Our consumer analysis draws mainly on two sources:

• Packaged Facts’ Surveys of Pet Owners, primarily the one conducted in November/December 2021. These surveys have a sample of 2,000 U.S. respondents age 18 or over who in aggregate are representative of the primary demographic measures of the U.S. Census Bureau including gender, age bracket, race/ethnicity, geographic region, household income bracket, and presence of children in the household. The survey sample included 986 dog owners and 704 cat owners.
• MRI-Simmons Fall 2021 booklet-based consumer survey of a large and random sample of approximately 25,000 consumers, who in aggregate represent a statistically accurate cross-section of the U.S. population. Note that MRI-Simmons releases correspond to an approximately 12-month roll-up of survey fielding ending in the quarter indicated; the respondents and results for adjacent surveys are therefore partially overlapping, rather than mutually exclusive.