Grossly underestimated

Scarcely any product category is as grossly underestimated in the pet supplies business as cat litter. While exquisite accessories in beautifully designed sales gondolas are celebrated, purchasers of cat litter will usually find their product stacked carelessly on pallets in the rearmost corner of the pet store, ready to be picked up and taken away. Sales of cat litter are worth more than € 2.5 bn worldwide. In the USA in particular, a steady stream of new products appears on the market to increase the consumer demand for litter still further. In Europe, too, the sales figures for cat litter continue to rise. Here the speciality trade can score points, as it offers a far wider selection than the supermarkets. Industry experts rate the Asia-Pacific region as the biggest growth region, however Japan in particular is expected to play an important role in the market in future. The internationally active market research institute Euromonitor International anticipates that sales of cat litter in the land of the rising sun will increase by approx. 25 per cent by 2014  -  more than anywhere else in the world. There are many different reasons for the global sales success of cat litter. One is the positive trend in cat population figures. Added to this is the fact that many households have not just one, but several cats, which further boosts the demand for litter. Even the increase in single households is a plausible explanation for the growing sales of cat litter. The presence of so many different types of litter in the market is primarily due to the varying preferences of consumers. While a growing number of cat owners opt for naturally produced litter varieties, there are still many fans of silica products, not least on account of the manufacturers? advice that silica litter only needs to be changed once a month. The growing demand for cat toilets and deodorants is a further sign that many pet owners attach great importance to the most convenient easy-care solution possible for their cats. The market should continue to grow in future ? and pet supplies retailers should begin to consider whether pallets are really the most suitable form of presentation for their cat litter products. Yours Ralf Majer-Abele Download: Grossly underestimated (PDF file)