U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2016-2017

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U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2016-2017

The pet industry picked up the pace in 2015, improving over a slower growth rate in 2014. Looking ahead, the future of the pet industry will be even brighter based on projections in U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2016-2017. Packaged Facts estimates that 2016 will maintain the pet industry market size. Because so many pet owners are able to enjoy the warmer-than-usual weather the country has been experiencing, pet owners will likely not feel inhibited from taking their pets outside, and perhaps making a stop for food and supplies along the way. The pet industry has additionally found new vitalization through the source of private equity, which has shown considerable interest in pet retail thriygh a host of investments in the major players: PetSmart, Petco and Pet Supermarket. The veterinary channel is also seeing changes, including acquisitions from Mars PetCare and VCA. Pet industry services, both veterinary and non-medical, have been moving across channels, as more retailers offer grooming, boarding, training and veterinary clinics.Ultimately, Packaged Facts expects the pet industry to have sales increasing noticeably through 2020.

Scope and Methodology

Packaged Facts' report, U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2016-2017, projects U.S. pet market retail sales and trends during the 2016-2017 forecast period that augr well for pet industry growth, overall and for the four following pet market segments veterinary services, pet food, nonfood pet supplies, and non-medical pet services. Packaged Facts' report examines in expert detail the most important developments shaping the pet market size and the pet industry's overall growth, as well as their implications, including external and internal market drivers, industry trends (mergers and acquisitions, marketing, new product development, etc.), retail channel trends, and trends in pet ownership.

Report Methodology

The information contained in U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2016-2017 was obtained from primary and secondary research. Primary research includes national online consumer polls of U.S. adult pet owners (age 18+) conducted on an ongoing basis by Packaged Facts, to measure purchasing patterns and attitudes with regard to pet products and services. With a sample size of approximately 2,000, these surveys are based on national online research panels that are census representative on the primary demographic measures of age, gender, geographic region, race/ethnicity, and household income.

Our primary research also includes interviews with pet market experts; participation in and attendance at pet industry events including the American Pet Products Association’s Global Pet Expos (2004-2016) and Petfood Industry/Watt Publishing’s Petfood Forums (2004-2016); on-site examination of retail and service provider venues; and Internet canvassing including blogs. Secondary research includes information- and data-gathering from consumer business and trade publications including Pet Age, Pet Business, Pet Product News International, Petfood Industry, and Veterinary Practice News; company profiles in trade and consumer publications; and information culled from Packaged Facts’ extensive pet market research database and report collection.

Our estimates of pet market size and company performance are based on reported revenues of pet product manufacturers, retailers, and pet services providers; sales data from IRI for multi-outlet (MULO), which represents sales through U.S. supermarkets, drugstores, mass merchandisers (Walmart, Target, Kmart, and Shopko), Sam’s Club and BJ’s warehouse clubs, dollar stores excluding Dollar Tree, and military commissaries; SPINSscan Natural data from SPINS, Inc., which tracks sales in the natural supermarket channel and in the specialty gourmet supermarket channel; GfK Point-of-Sale Tracking for pet food in the pet specialty, veterinary and farm/feed channels; surveys of independent and chain pet store retailers; government data including U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Surveys; and figures from other pet market research sources.

Our analysis of pet ownership trends primarily relies on cross-tabulations of data compiled by Simmons, New York, NY. On an ongoing basis, Simmons conducts booklet-based surveys of a large and random sample of consumers who in aggregate represent a statistically accurate cross-section of the U.S. population. On an ongoing basis, Experian Marketing Services conducts booklet-based surveys of a large and random sample of consumers (approximately 25,000 for each 12-month survey compilation) who in aggregate represent a statistically accurate cross-section of the U.S. population.