Immagino Observatory of GS1 Italy (observatoryimmagino.it) analyzed the pet food sector, for which, specifically, 4,700 references were taken into consideration, mainly dealt with in the large-scale distribution during the year 2022. Pet food products and consumer attitudes were compared with the related human food sector in supermarkets and hypermarkets. This is the fact that emerges: pet owners show for their pets the same attention they have for themselves when it comes to health and nutrition. The research is presented at the Zoomark International fair.
In this context, trends emerge that enliven the sector, first of all free from, rich-in, and made in Italy production. Most of the supply and demand for pet food products develops in these three areas and, at the same time, these three universes are extremely dynamic as well as they are promising in terms of growth even more than the respective human sector.
Rich-in
Taking into consideration the rich-in segment, which, according to the surveys of Immagino Observatory, includes 1,804 references, the sales trend in terms of value is +6.7%, a figure practically equal, but in negative, to that of volumes (-6.8%). A substantial part of ‘rich in’ products (1,120) has a high vitamin content with a volume trend that is close to -11%. The most consistent volume trend (+17.4%) concerns products with a high content in prebiotics, which represent 212 of the references examined by GS1 Italy. This is, in fact, one of the trends considered to be the most dynamic, together with natural ingredients (87 products, +16.8%), and rich in minerals (350 products, +10.6%).
Going into detail, it is possible to define the current trends even better according to the reference target, whether for dogs or cats, taking into consideration the two pets most present in Italian homes. And, although the percentages vary both in terms of values and volumes, the so to speak hierarchical scale of importance of the elements that enrich pet food is the same, with the podium dominated by high level of vitamins.
Free from
Free from, too, is a trend in the world of human nutrition because of a greater attention to allergens as well as to ‘new’ food styles that are becoming more and more present: thus more and more references were born, and sometimes entire companies, dedicated to lactose-free, gluten-free products, and so on. Just as consumers pay more and more attention to these items in their shopping cart, the same happens when they make choices for dogs and cats: more than 1,700 products are considered to analyze consumption phenomena that fall within the free from world; we move from products without dyes to those with ‘sugar-free’ claim, followed by grain free/low grain, low in calories, and GMO-free: almost all supported by particularly positive sales trends both in terms of value and volume.
Made in Italy products
In the world of dog and cat nutrition, Immagino Observatory has identified 517 products with ‘made in Italy’, ‘produced in Italy’, ‘only Italian ingredients’ claims, or with labels that report protected indications, the flag of our Country, or the name of a specific region. Here, too, the behaviour mirrors that of the purchase for human beings. As many as 500 references of the basket analyzed by the study carried out by GS1 Italy have the Italian flag on the label, with a volume trend that exceeds +9%. 352 products are declared as produced in Italy, with a volume trend of over +13%.
Even pet food aims to sustainability
Free from, rich-in, made in Italy are successful in pet food, too. And, again for the theory relating to the correlation between the choices that pet owners make for themselves and for their pets, sustainability could not be missing from the surveys made by Immagino Observatory. Sustainable understood from different points of view and which, perhaps, becomes even more differentiating and valuable in the pet food segment.
Respect for animals
The owners of dogs or cats, it goes without saying, are attentive to respect for animals: here the GS1 Italy Observatory has identified a basket of 825 products in which the most trendy claim (+10.5% volume) is ‘no cruelty’ followed by ‘cruelty free’ logo. Again in relation to this trend, 638 products bear references to sustainable farming and agriculture on the label, with particular relevance of ‘Organic’ claim compared to other arguments. Finally, resource management, which is important, but with smaller percentages, is represented by 308 products on the market. Here, beyond the good performance of such claims as ‘vegetable’ or ‘recyclable’, the values of ‘compostable’ show a negative trend, which marks -14.2% on volumes.
