Glee takes a look at emerging trends in the pet care sector for 2016, and how the UK’s leading annual garden and outdoor living trade exhibition will be helping to drive growth in the industry this year.
With sales continuing to grow steadily, the pet industry in the UK is booming more than ever before, hitting a record high in overall consumer expenditure in 2015. Britons’ love affair with domesticated animals is on the up and up, with many pets treated as members of the family. As a result, there is an increasing focus on indulgence and nutrition that is fuelling rapid growth in this market segment.
There are approximately 70 million pet-owning households across Europe who own at least one pet and of that figure, 12 million are in Britain. Britons’ spend on pets surpassed £4.6bn for the first time in 2015 with quality diets and non-edible gifts including beauty treatments, exercise regimes and designer outfits. The pet dental industry has also seen a speedy growth in profit, with up to 80% of UK pets known to be suffering from some kind of dental disease at any one time. A total spending on pet care in the UK also reached a record high of around £5.08bn last year, a 3% increase on 2014’s £4.91bn and a growth of 25% since 20101.
Pet owners are also increasingly looking to feed their animals only the best when it comes to pet food, irrespective of price. A 2015 report found that a fifth of UK cat or dog owners would cut back on spending on their own food before reducing any spending on food for their pet1– indicating that the diets of pets are equally as, if not more, important than their owners.
It is estimated that demand for gourmet pet food will scale in 2016. One major UK pet food retailer has recently identified the growing craze for ‘posh pet food’, with strong sales in the third quarter of 2015 which it said was thanks, in part, to growing demand for ‘advanced nutrition’ pet food. As a result, it shortly aims to bring its service to the high street with local convenience stores for cat and dog owners1.
There continues to be a marked shift from non-prepared to prepared dog and cat food, while the pet cat, small dog, small mammal and reptile population continues to grow. Dog food is also projected to continue to hold the greatest share of the pet food market through to 20171.
There are rising concerns from consumers about pet food ingredients, particularly regarding the quality and volume of meat used by some leading brands. Also forecast to grow this year is the focus on the sugar and carbohydrate content of pet food, partly reflecting consumers’ growing issues about their own diets, as many seek to eat more natural diets or to cut out elements such as sugar. This is supported by recent statistics highlighting that 95% of vets and 60% of consumers agree that pets are living healthier lives and advanced nutrition is playing a key role, with 85% of vets who think it’s important that there is more education on feeding correctly2
It’s not just sales of food that are continuing to expand in the pet care sector; the global pet accessories market is expected to increase at an average growth rate of 5.65% over the current period until 20191.
Aaron Jackson from indoor and outdoor product retailer Think Outside commented: “Britons love their pets and our recently expanded range of pet associated items is in response to the rapidly growing demand, not just in the UK but on a global scale. We only foresee the market getting stronger and it’s important we stay on top of the latest industry trends.”
PetQuip Business Village returns in 2016
With 70% of UK garden centres featuring a dedicated pet section, and this number growing year-on-year, pet products offer not only a substantial profit opportunity, but they can also help any garden centre to achieve a wider ‘one stop shop’ reputation. Recognising this, the organisers of Glee have confirmed that the PetQuip Business Village – launched at Glee 2015 – will be making a return at the 2016 show.
This thriving area sees PetQuip – the UK’s leading trade association for suppliers of pet products, accessories and services – bring together member and non-member pet suppliers to create a leading showcase of those pet brands wanting to build a presence within garden retailers. Under the leadership and support of PetQuip, the Village will provide pet suppliers of all sizes with a platform to launch and showcase their 2017 ranges to garden retail buyers and key decision makers.
The dedicated ‘Business Village’ will be located close to the centre of Glee within NEC Halls 17-20, delivering a strong footfall of garden retailers looking to boost their in-store pet offering. As a division of The Federation of Garden & Leisure Manufacturers Ltd (Gardenex), PetQuip has access to over 55 years of experience of bringing suppliers and buyers together and building world-wide supply networks. It is these values which will underpin the activity within the village.
Think Outside expands pet offering
Designers and Wholesaler Think Outside offers a range of pet associated items made from up cycled materials, and has recently expanded its range in response to the current industry boom. Bestselling products include ‘In the Dog House’, a fully insulated kennel for use in the heat or cold, alongside its popular bird feeders ‘Bird Palace’ and ‘Hot Air Balloons’.
Aaron Jackson said: “The UK’s pet industry continues to boom, hitting a record high in overall consumer expenditure in 2015. Britons love their pets with many treated as members of the family and we’re very pleased to expand our range of sculptural elements with function into pet associated items. We’re proud to stay on top of the trends and we see this important market segment only getting stronger.”
For more information, interviews or images please contact:
Kimberley Hornby, Glee PR Team, Hornby Whitefoot PR
Tel: 01858 681122 Email: kimberley@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk