The premiumisation trend

The market for dog food is characterised by a steady stream of new trends. Natural pet food products were still regarded as a small niche segment a few years ago; now they are driving the growth of a booming product group. At the same time, grain-free dog food has become a standard that has now spread from the USA to the rest of the world. The speciality trade has been quick to pick up on trends like natural und grain-free, using the new premium product lines that appear at regular intervals to gain a competitive edge over other distribution channels and secure additional market share in this way. This is especially clear from the USA, where natural products accounted for 38 per cent of dog food sales in 2014, according to a consumer survey conducted by an American trade magazine. Treat products have also made it onto consumers' must-have lists. Pet owners love to reward their four-legged companions, and so demand for these products continues to rise. Low-calorie products and products with added health benefits in particular are taking over the shelves of pet stores. Experts in the sector believe that the popularity of treats will continue to grow in the foreseeable future. New trends are already appearing on the horizon, however, which could swell the ranks of premium dog food offerings by the time of next year's Interzoo. Freeze-dried dog food mixes, which featured prominently on the stands of many pet food manufacturers at this year's Global Pet Expo in Orlando, have already got people talking. What makes these products so attractive to consumers is that they offer the health benefits of feeding raw meat but at a comparatively cheaper price.

Natural, convenient, organic - all the key trends in dog food at present have their origins in human nutrition. What goes down well with humans finds its way into pet food sooner or later, and that's good news for the pet sector. It shows that there is plenty of scope for further growth in the pet supplies business yet. Yours

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