Pet Treats and Chews in the U.S., 2nd Edition

Pet Treats and Chews in the U.S., 2nd Edition

Pet marketers looking to tap into “pet parenting” dollars are on fertile ground when it comes to dog and cat treats and chews.  Pet owners grab up treats and chews for many reasons: health-related, as is the case with dental treats and those formulated to address a specific condition or enhance general wellness; for entertainment, as with edible long-lasting chews or with treats inserted into a play-inducing dispenser; or training, as is the case with compact, easily pocketable treats used as a reward for good behavior. At the same time and top of list for many pet owners treats offer away to interact with their pets and express affection, with treat time serving an important role in the human/animal bond.

Pet Treats and Chews Focus on Health, Wellness

Whatever the mix of motivations, treats are firmly entrenched in the pet products pantheon, with Packaged Facts survey results indicating that 92% of dog owners and 80% of cat owners have purchased treats in the past 12 months. During 2017, sales are expected to hit $6.4 billion at retail,  with this category continuing to out-perform the overall pet food market while following many of the same paths, including humanization, natural, grain-free, limited ingredient, made in the USA, functional ingredients, and exotic proteins. Pet Treats and Chews in the U.S., 2nd Edition provides detailed analysis of the types of treats and chews currently in high demand, and examines how marketers are responding to make or break issues including product safety and transparency.

As in the pet food market, health and wellness concerns are a primary driver, with more and more pet owners turning to functional treats for health conditions that are often age- or weight-related, including joint/mobility, skin/coat and cognitive. Additionally, as the chews segment recovers from the wave of recalls in recent years, consumers are looking for options with simpler and fewer ingredients and demanding transparency when it comes to ingredient sourcing. At the same time, dental treats and chews remain highly popular, with a host of new products recently hitting store shelves.

Report Scope & Methodology

Building on analysis presented in the previous edition of this report, this fully updated second edition of Pet Treats and Chews in the U.S. covers historical and projected retail sales estimates from 2012 through 2021, competitive strategies of key players, and trends in new product development. The report also examines retail trends including the impact of the e-commerce boom and the pet specialty vs. mass retail divide (recently thrust into the spotlight with Blue Buffalo’s cross-over), and the snowballing effect of Millennials as the largest generation of pet owners. Featuring exclusive multi-year data from Packaged Facts’ National Pet Owner Survey, the report examines pet treats and chews purchasing trends, as well as attitudes and demographic characteristics of pet treats and chews purchasers. Additional data sources include Simmons data profiling pet treat purchaser attitudes and product preferences, and SPINScan data on sales through the natural and gourmet channels.