Until the early 2000s, natural pet products were mainly the purview of smaller marketers, some of which had been around for decades, but few of which had annual sales of more than a few million dollars. Since then and continuing through 2007, top pet market players have been steadily increasing their presence in the natural segment, including Nestlé Purina, Mars, Del Monte, Hill’s and Iams on the pet food side, and Central Garden & Pet, Spectrum Brands, Hartz Mountain and Sergeant’s on the non-foods side. At the same time, dozens of upstarts continue to flood the field, providing a steady stream of new upscale fare to pet specialty retailers and non-traditional retailers of many stripes.

Giving the natural pet products market a huge shot in the arm are the heightened product safety concerns of U.S. consumers stemming from the massive pet food recall of spring 2007, the growing clout of premium pet demographics, the trends toward pet humanization and “functional pampering,” and the aging pet population. As a result, IRI-tracked sales of pet food surged over 500% during the 52 weeks ending July 15, 2007, with natural cat litter posting a 15% compound annual growth rate from 2002 to 2007. This mainstreaming activity has kept the pressure on smaller marketers and retailers to scale their product offerings up even further, the next logical step after natural being organic, and the step above that being not just organic but organic coupled with related claims such as human-grade, locally grown and 100% U.S. sourced ingredient, with related “ethical” claims such as sustainable, support of local growers, fair trade and no cruelty also cropping up with growing frequency.

Packaged Facts’ Pet Products and Services Collection
Packaged Facts is the leading source of market intelligence for pet products and services. No other market research publisher offers the breadth and depth of coverage in this lucrative, fast-growing industry. Other titles include Pet Food in the U.S.: Riding the Premium Wave, Pet Insurance in North America, Pet Care Services in the U.S., Pet Supplements and Nutraceuticals, Alternative Pet Foods and Food Safety, Premium Pet Demographics, and Brand Building in the Pet Market.

Report Methodology
The information contained in this report was obtained from both primary and secondary research. Primary research entailed attendance at the 2007 Global Pet Expo and Petfood Forum trade events; interviews with pet product marketers, service providers and expert members of the trade; and an on-site examination of retail venues. Our analysis of consumer trends and demographics primarily derives from exclusive customized cross-tabulations of consumer data collected by Simmons Market Research Bureau in its Fall 2006 full-year adult consumer survey, which is based on 24,467 respondents age 18 or over. Data on new product introductions are provided by Datamonitor’s Productscan Online service and Packaged Facts. Secondary research includes extensive Internet canvassing; research- and data-gathering from relevant consumer business and trade publications including PET AGE, Pet Product News International, Pet Business and Petfood Industry; the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey; and other pet market reports by Packaged Facts, which has been tracking pet-related markets for over 25 years.

How You Will Benefit from this Report
For companies participating in the U.S. market for pet products and services, few segments of the industry are “hotter” than natural, organic and eco-friendly products. Now in its second edition, this report explores key competitive trends in two classifications—pet food and pet care—with the latter defined as encompassing all non-food pet supplies including cat litter, grooming products, pet supplements, and clean-up products. For each classification, in-depth market coverage includes historical and projected market size estimates from 2003 through 2012, competitive strategies and profiles of key players, advertising spending and new product trends, and consumer profiles of the nearly half of dog- or cat-owning households in the United States who seek out natural or eco-friendly products on a regular basis.

This report will help:

• Marketing Managers identify market opportunities and develop targeted promotion plans.
• Research and development professionals stay on top of competitor initiatives and explore demand for natural, organic and eco-friendly products.
• Advertising agencies to develop messages and images that compel consumers to purchase natural, organic and eco-friendly products.
• Business development executives understand the dynamics of the market and identify possible partnerships.
• Information and research center librarians provide market researchers, brand and product managers and other colleagues with the vital information they need to do their jobs more effectively.

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