UK pet market grows by 2 per cent

The market data emerged from a study by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) based on a survey of its members.Dog food still the strongest segmentDog food remains the biggest product category with a volume of 770 000 t (as in the previous year) and sales of nearly £ 1.1 bn (+ 2 per cent vs. 2011). Dry complete food for dogs, with a market share of 49 per cent in volume and of 46 per cent in value, was the biggest sub-category and grew by 1 per cent in tonnage and 3 per cent in sales in 2012. Wet food, which accounts for a market share of 38 per cent by volume and 30 per cent by value, declined in volume by 1 per cent in 2012 and grew by 1 per cent in sales compared with the previous year. As in previous years, the mixer category shrank once more, by 2 per cent in volume and by 1 per cent in value. Dog treats were separated into two categories in this year's survey: biscuit treats and other treats. Overall, dog treats showed growth of 3 per cent both in volume and value. Biscuit treats and other treats are similar in size by volume, at 28 000 t and 31 000 t respectively. However, the value of the two markets is significantly different: biscuit treats are worth £ 54 mio, while other treats are worth £ 184 mio.Single-serve on the riseThe cat food market rose by 1 per cent in volume to 204 000 t in 2012, while the value grew by 2 per cent to £ 936 mio. Wet food, overall, was almost static in volume during 2012 at 316 000 t. According to the PFMA, the trend towards single-serve wet cat food continues to significantly outstrip multi-serve products. In 2012, single- serve products were still maintaining good growth of 3 per cent in volume and 2 per cent in value. Multi-serve continued to decline in 2012, with a 4 per cent fall in both volume and value.Dry complete cat food, which experienced the strongest growth of the main meal categories across both dog and cat, has now stabilised and grew only by 1 per cent in 2012 in both volume and value. The cat treat market, which grew dramatically in the previous two years, showed a small rise to 15 per cent by value.The small animal market was flat in 2012 in terms of value, staying static at £ 67 mio, whereas volume declined by 1 per cent.As the survey on the indoor fish sector had insufficient participants, it was impossible for the PFMA to produce a reliable estimate for 2012, so the 2011 figure of £ 55 mio has been included in order to make overall like-for-like comparisons possible. Outdoor fish declined in…