Wet food for dog

After years of decline, sales of wet dog food are stabilizing in a market estimated at nearly 200 million € by manufacturers, all types of businesses combined.

This renewed interest can be explained by the high proportion of small dogs in the French canine landscape, these small dogs feeding more on mash than the big ones.

Without cereals recepies

This trend towards natural products has notably led to the emergence of a new segment: foods without cereals. This type of product respects above all the carnivorous dimension of dogs and cats, which need animal proteins to feed themselves.

In the United States, according to GFK panel data, this segment

in 2017, grain free sold 42%, in value, of pet food sales by the specialized circuit, with growth of + 9% compared to 2016. In France, it represents only 4% of these sales, but it is growing very strongly, posting a rise of + 115% in 2017 compared to 2016.

Naturalness

Because of the anthropomorphism that governs the relationships of the owners with their animals, the owners of dogs and cats have the same requirements concerning the feeding of their companion as for theirs. This is why they are increasingly interested in the composition of manufactured foods for their animals and want to know the origin of the ingredients used for their manufacture. This desire to eat healthy paves the way for emerging segments of the pet food market, driven by the trend of “naturalness”, a customer concern that strongly impacts today’s global market, increasing the number of actors and products and favoring the emergence of many small manufacturers in all countries.

+ 20% FOR PRIVATE LABEL SPECIALISTS

Specialty stores (pet shops, garden centers, agricultural self-service stores and DIY superstores) are developing their private label brands in the cat and dog food aisle. In 2017, according to the GFK institute, these private labels accounted for 16.8% of sales in value of the pet food department of specialized stores (+20% compared to 2016). Their progression is constant and concerns all the levels of range, integrating from now “natural” products, without cereals, Organic or BARF. This rise is mainly at the expense of the super premium segment of the national brands, which is down 5.6% compared to 2016.

Organic retains its potential

In the same spirit as naturalness, the pet food market, and therefore NUTRAD’EX, is also affected by the emergence of organic foods, which are developing strongly in human nutrition. Today estimated by the industrialists to about 1% of the French market, organic pet food still has a significant growth potential that should allow it to rise to 4% or 5% of sales in a few years. The manufacturers concerned have developed their recipes, in terms of palatability and digestibility, which should facilitate the development of the segment. Not to mention that, as for their own consumption, the owners of dogs and cats appreciate the fact of being able to obtain the food of their animal by means of short circuits, and are sensitive to the family image of a company and the local investments. The customization of the company is therefore a “plus” very important today, including in the field of pet food.

source: “PETMARKET n ° 274”