US pet food producers who sell through natural supermarkets enjoyed double digit sales growth in the past year, according to the report “Natural Supermarket Pet Department Close-Up.” Safety consumer concerns after the major pet food recall last year is seen as one of the major drivers behind the growth.
The strong pet department performance in
natural supermarkets contrasts sharply with the sluggish sales performance of
pet products in the mass market. According to Information Resources, Inc.’s
InfoScan Review data for supermarkets, drugstores and mass merchandisers except
Wal-Mart, overall pet department sales rose by just 2.8% in full-year 2007 and
by just 2.3% during the 52 weeks ending April 20, 2008.
The natural
sector is one area of the pet market that has enjoyed significant sales growth
over the past decade. According to Packaged Facts, sales of natural pet products
through all channels grew 41% in 2007 to reach $1,284 million, with double-digit
annual percentage gains predicted through 2012.
“Pet product marketers
ignoring the natural pet channel do so at their own peril,” notes Tatjana
Meerman, Publisher of Packaged Facts. “For several years as of 2008, natural
supermarkets have significantly outperformed more traditional counterparts.
Similarly, the pet departments of natural supermarket retailers are far
outperforming those of most other retail channels, and there is ample room for
these departments to expand.”
This all new Packaged Facts’ report, “Natural Supermarket Pet Department
Close-Up,” examines on the fast-growing pet departments of natural
supermarkets, providing detailed sales data for the channel overall as well as
seven product categories, including dog and cat food, pet snacks, pet
supplements and pet care. The report also provides in-depth market share stats
and profiles of the leading brands in the natural supermarket channel, with a
particular focus on the top five, as well as examines the top two natural
supermarket chains — Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
Related
weblogs:
Organic or inorganic: does it really matter?
What does the melamine contamination case tell us?
Pet Food scare: when will it stop?
Related
website:
Packaged Facts
Related
folder:
Dossier
AllAbout Pet Food