Convenience Still a Top Dog in Pet Food Packaging

Cited by more than four-fifths of pet
owners surveyed, convenience still trumps most other factors influencing
pet care product purchases, according to Pet Food Packaging and Convenience
Trends, a new report from Packaged Facts. Convenience fell second only to
price in mass-market outlets and third to product quality and knowledgeable
sales help in pet specialty channels.
Growing time constraints, the "humanization" of pets, and the aging pet
and human population have all contributed to the growing emphasis on
convenience. Marketers launched 94 new convenience products in 2006; 40
more than just four years earlier.
Above-average sales growth rates in the $44 billion pet products and
services market have attracted attention from retailers in non-traditional
venues, including wholesale clubs, home improvement stores, and dollar
stores. Packaged Facts forecasts that sales in non-traditional channels
will outpace the market as a whole, gaining an average of 8% a year through
2010, as consumers continue to think in "human" terms when purchasing pet
products, buying more than just the basics.
"There is no longer any question that consumers are willing to pay
significantly more for products capable of enhancing their relationship
with their pets while also making pet care more fun and convenient," said
Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. "Longer lives for pets mean
deeper emotional bonds between pets and their keepers, and pet owners are
therefore more willing to invest more heavily in keeping their furry
friends healthy and happy in their golden years."
With a particular focus on convenience-oriented, "premiumized" product
types, Pet Food Packaging and Convenience Trends is a comprehensive survey
of innovative pet convenience products in the food arena. The report
examines both the products themselves and what's driving their popularity,
providing case histories illustrating key trends in product development and
marketing. The report has a particular focus on new packaging types and
technologies such as single-serve, pouch, resealable, easy-open and
easy-carry. It is available from Packaged Facts by visiting


http://www.packagedfacts.com/Pet-Food- Packaging-1480611. It is also
available at MarketResearch.com.