Pet Food Processing - September 2024 - 9

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
tween June 2023 and June 2022, except for wet dog food.
And some formats, namely semi-moist cat food and refrigerated/frozen
dog food, saw significant growth from
the year prior.
Dry dog and cat food had increased sales growth
from the prior year, though not as significant as the year
before. In the 52 weeks ended June 16, 2024, Circana
reported dry dog food sales increased 4.5% after a substantial
19.7% increase between 2022 and 2023. Dry cat
food sales increased 8.6%, which was considerably less
than the increase of 21.8% between 2022 and 2023.
After a 12.5% increase in wet dog food sales between
2022 and 2023, the category decreased 1.3% in sales this
year. Wet cat food did experience a 5.8% increase, however,
it wasn't as substantial as the 14.6% sales increase
between 2022 and 2023.
The refrigerated/frozen category in both dog and cat
food continues to be a smaller fraction of the overall
market, but both categories continue to grow significantly
in market share. After strong 31.7% growth between
2022 and 2023, the refrigerated/frozen dog food category
grew another 28.9% this year. On the cat side, the category
grew 13.7% after a 19.4% increase the year prior.
Freeze-dried dog food and semi-moist cat food make
up the smallest portion of each food category - only
$7.1 million in sales for freeze-dried dog food and $6.1
million for semi-moist cat food. However, the semimoist
cat food category grew a whopping 165.2% over
the previous recorded year.
The treat category saw marginal increases compared
to the year prior with only a 2.1% increase on the
dog treat side from $3.95 billion in 2023 to $4 billion
in 2024; and a 5.4% increase for cat treats following a
15.1% increase between 2022 and 2023.
Pet parents
While pet ownership has leveled off since pandemic levels,
APPA reports 82 million households own a pet (44%
own a dog and 30% own a cat). The association predicts
pet ownership will reach 67% of US households by 2030.
Millennials and Gen Z make up 32% and 16% of pet
owners, respectively.
" While Millennials still account for the largest category
of pet owners, Gen Z pet ownership is steadily
rising as they age out of their parents' homes, graduate
from university, and enter the workforce, " Scott said.
" On the other hand, the number of Boomer pet owners
has declined since pre-pandemic as many choose not to
replace their pet after a pet death. As these generational
demographics continue to shift, pet food brands must
evolve their marketing strategies to engage with the
younger generations of pet owners effectively. "
No matter what age, pet parents continue to credit
pet ownership with increased happiness in their lives.
Ninety-six percent of respondents in APPA's " 2024 Dog
and Cat Report: Strategic Insights from the National Pet
Owners Survey " said they received general health benefits
simply from owning a pet. Many reported increased
stress relief (64%), less anxiety or depression (57%), and
credit owning a pet with getting more exercise (34%).
As cherished members of the family, pet owners are
prioritizing quality time with their pets. Dog owners are
taking their dogs to parks (58%) and bringing them on
www.petfoodprocessing.net | September 2024 | PET FOOD PROCESSING 9
TOP 5 US DOG AND CAT
FOOD EXPORT MARKETS
CANADA $1.2 BILLION
CHINA $257 MILLION
MEXICO $206 MILLION
JAPAN $122 MILLION
AUSTRALIA $89 MILLION
US dog and cat food
exports in 2023
$2.41B
US PET FOOD SALES
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
In-store vs
E-commerce
Store-based
retailing
E-commerce
2024 sales*
(in billions)
$39.4
$21.3
Source: Euromonitor International; *2024 estimated year-end sales
ONLINE PURCHASING
BY GENERATION
* GENERATION Z 50%
* MILLENNIALS 52%
* GENERATION X 46%
* BABY BOOMERS 42%
Source: American Pet Products Association, " 2023-2024 APPA National Pet Owners Survey "
2023 sales
(in billions)
$36.6
$19.0
http://www.petfoodprocessing.net
Pet Food Processing - September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pet Food Processing - September 2024
