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Cats steal into your heart and then into your living room on velvet paws, and nothing seems to halt their triumphal procession as the most popular of pets. In the developed markets in particular, they are the essential growth driver in the pet product sector. In Germany, for instance, where the Industrial Association of Pet Care Producers (Industrieverband Heimtierbedarf - IVH) recently published market data for 2010, cats are the only pet category in which sales growth was achieved compared with the previous year. The continued growth in sales of cat food and accessories is attributable in large part to the readiness of pet owners to spend more and more money on the well-being of their beloved felines. The market research institute Euromonitor International firmly believes that the progressive premiumisation of the cat food market will continue in the next few years also. It already estimates the global market share of premium food to be 40 per cent. And this trend is continuing: in key markets of the future such as China and Russia, a growing number of cat owners are feeding high-quality products to their cats. This is good news for the pet product trade. Premium is the domain of this distribution channel and will remain so, even if the leading supermarket chains endeavour to catch up in the high-end segment. They won’t succeed. Premium comprises products that come with in-depth advice, and apart from veterinarians, who play a major role in many countries as a distribution channel, only pet supplies retailers are capable of offering this advice. The great success of premium is also due to the ongoing diversification of the pet food range. In the USA, holistic food has been making advances for two or three years now. Warren Hill, president of the International Division at Midwestern Pet Foods, explains what is behind this in an interview on page 30 of this issue. Organic food, natural pet food and high-grade health treats are also believed to offer great potential in the future. It is no surprise, therefore, that the pet supplies trade has now developed into the most important distribution channel worldwide. Pet stores in the USA and Europe are experiencing a huge increase in the number of people coming through their doors while the supermarkets are stagnating. This trend looks likely to continue in the next few years. Yours Ralf Majer-Abele Download: Premium all-conquering (PDF file)