Report Summary
UK pet owners have made cutbacks across pet food due to a challenging economy. Concerns over ultra-processed foods has also had an impact of the UK Pet food market. Brands that can assuage these concerns will benefit.
UK Pet Food Market – Current Landscape
The cost-of-living crisis and rapid inflation in pet food saw volume sales in the cat and dog food market drop significantly over 2022-24, as owners made cutbacks across all segments, with wet meals faring the worst. Volumes are expected to return to slow growth from 2026, as strengthening real incomes will see some economising habits reverse. Improving household finances will also give more momentum to the premiumisation and humanisation trends, and create more added value opportunities around health, convenience and sustainability, the meat reduction trend offering especially ripe potential.
Challengingly, concerns over the healthiness of ultra-processed food have made manufactured pet food less appealing for half of pet owners. Brands that tap into and assuage these concerns, for example through greater transparency about how the meals are made and what goes into them, will benefit. There will be growing opportunities for fresh pet food (either chilled or frozen), as well as products/services that make homemade pet meals more convenient, such as meal kits and subscription recipe boxes.
The impact of pet food on stool quality is currently largely overlooked in pet food marketing. However, almost two-thirds of pet food buyers in the UK think about this when choosing what pet food to buy, signalling that more brands should focus on this sought-after benefit.
UK Pet Food – Market Statistics
- UK pet food market size: Rapidly rising prices has kept the UK pet food market growing, despite a drop in volume sales. The UK pet food market is set to reach an estimated £4.069 billion in 2024.
- UK pet food market share: Private label accounted for almost half of volume sales of dog meals in 2023/24, a higher share than in other segments of the cat and dog food market.
- UK consumer attitudes towards pet food: Almost three-quarters of UK pet owners, believe its important that pets have a varied diet.
UK Pet Food Market Report – What’s Inside?
Topics Analysed in the Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on value and volume sales of cat and dog food.
- Trends in launch activity in cat and dog food, and opportunities for further innovation.
- Pet feeding behaviour, including making pet food from scratch, and purchasing of pet food.
- Preferred alternatives to meat in pet food and opportunities in this space.
- Behaviours relating to pet food, including interest in pet meals designed for on-the-go occasions.
- Attitudes towards pet food, including the impact of concerns over UPFs.
Report Scope
The market size in this Report comprises UK retail sales of pet food for cats and dogs through all retail channels, including direct to consumer. Food is categorised as dry, wet, snacks and treats. Cat drinks are also included.
Excluded are healthcare and accessories such as items for home grooming, collars, leashes, toys, chews, bedding, feeding equipment and litter, and over-the-counter flea/tick treatments and prescription medicines. Pets themselves, as well as services for pets, such as boarding, grooming, training and veterinary services, and pet insurance are also excluded from the market size and from this Report.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Emma Clifford. Emma joined the Food and Drink team in June 2012 and is responsible for researching and writing food reports. Before joining Mintel, Emma worked as a marketing information analyst at Marketforce and gained retail experience from her time working as a fashion distributor at Debenhams head office.
The cost-of-living crisis saw volume decline accelerate in 2023. Concerns over UPFs must be addressed amid the growing threat from homemade pet food.
Table of Contents
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the pet food market
- Turn the threat posed by UPF concerns into an opportunity
- Tap interest in meat reduction
- The impact of pet food on stool quality influences most buyers’ pet food choices
- Be vocal about the impact of pet food on pets’ stools
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- Value growth will be driven by rising prices and trading up
- Volume sales fall as pet owners economise
- Graph 1: total value and volume sales of cat and dog food, 2019-24
- Rising prices see all segments post value growth in 2023 and 2024
- Graph 2: retail value sales of cat and dog food, by segment, 2022-24
- Private label has its strongest presence in the fragmented dog meals segment
- Graph 3: leading brands’ value sales in the dog food market, 2021/22-2023/24
- Good Boy extends its lead in dog treats
- Graph 4: leading brands’ value sales in the dog snacks and treats market, 2021/22-2023/24
- Volume and value losses for Felix in cat meals
- Graph 5: leading brands’ value sales in the cat food market, 2021/22-2023/24
- Impressive performances from two biggest cat snack brands
- Graph 6: leading brands’ value sales in the cat snacks and treats market, 2021/22-2023/24
- 57% of adults own a pet in 2024
- Graph 7: pet ownership, 2024
- What consumers want and why
- 88% of pet owners buy pet food; homemade pet food on the rise
- Graph 8: pet feeding behaviour, 2024
- A range of options to replace meat in cat/dog food
- Graph 9: preferred replacements for meat in pet food to reduce the amount of meat in cat/dog’s diets
- Give more attention to benefits around stool quality
- Graph 10: behaviours relating to pet food, 2024
- Widespread interest in pet meals designed for out-of-home feeding
- Explore the on-the-go space for dog meals
- Offer variety and newness, and tap into the plant variety trend
- Graph 11: attitudes towards pet food, 2024
- UPF concerns need to be addressed…
- …but also present opportunities
- Innovation and marketing
- Cultivated meat pet food becomes a reality; humanisation and premiumisation trends continue
- Nestlé’s adspend growth is counteracted by declines from other brands in 2023
- Graph 12: ATL, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on pet food, by leading advertisers, 2021-24
-
Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Volume sales performance driven by pet owners’ finances
- Graph 13: total value and volume sales of cat and dog food, 2019-24
- Volume decline accelerated in 2023, but eases in 2024
- Rapidly rising prices keep values in growth
- Market forecast
- Value growth will be driven by rising prices and trading up
- Slow volume growth expected for category
- Improving consumer finances will encourage trading up
- Various factors set to hamper volume growth
- Learnings from the last income squeeze
- Market segmentation
- Dry pet food continued to win share in 2023
- Graph 14: cat and dog food, by segment, 2021-24
- Inflation fuels value growth
- Graph 15: value sales of cat and dog food, by segment, 2021-24
- Market share
- Private label has its strongest presence in the fragmented dog meals segment
- Graph 16: leading brands’ value sales in the dog food market, 2021/22-2023/24
- Only private label and Lily’s Kitchen grew volume sales in dog meals in 2023/24
- Good Boy extends its lead in dog treats
- Graph 17: leading brands’ value sales in the dog snacks and treats market, 2021/22-2023/24
- Volume and value losses for Felix in cat meals
- Graph 18: leading brands’ value sales in the cat food market, 2021/22-2023/24
- Whiskas regains share from Felix in cat meals
- Impressive performances from two biggest cat snack brands
- Graph 19: leading brands’ value sales in the cat snacks and treats market, 2021/22-2023/24
- Webbox goes from strength to strength
- Stellar growth from leading subscription brands
- Graph 20: value sales of Tails.com and Butternut Box, 2020-22
- Pet ownership, environmental and legal factors
- 57% of adults own a pet in 2024
- Graph 21: pet ownership, 2024
- After a lull in 2022/23, pet population rebounds
- Families are core pet owners
- Graph 22: pet ownership, by age group, 2024
- Graph 23: pet ownership, by presence of children in the household, 2024
- Declining child population presents a challenge
- Graph 24: growth in selected age groups, 2018-2028
- Ageing pet population presents opportunities
- Graph 25: ownership of cats and dogs by lifestage, 2024
- BVA urges vets to offer more guidance on pets’ diets
- The squeeze on real incomes is easing
- Graph 26: CPI inflation rate and total pay growth rate, 2021-24
- Current financial wellbeing remains subdued
- Graph 27: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
- Consumer confidence for the year ahead has improved since the 2022 low
- Graph 28: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Inflation in petcare has slowed
- Graph 29: annual change in RPI of petcare, 2019-24
- New tax challenges imports in 2024
- Interest in sustainability to gain ground as income pressures ease
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Pet feeding behaviours
- The vast majority of pet owners buy pet food
- Graph 30: pet feeding behaviour, 2024
- A rise in making pet food from scratch in 2024
- Graph 31: pet feeding behaviours (net)
- Concerns over UPFs boost appeal of homemade pet food
- Help consumers in their quest to make DIY pet food
- Personalised recipe box services offer potential
- Buying both wet and dry pet food is commonplace
- Graph 32: types of cat and dog food bought, 2024
- Dry more popular than wet food for dogs
- A rise in pet supplement purchasing
- Graph 33: buying of supplements for cats and dogs, 2024
- Supplements can also tap into the savvy shopping mindset
- Untapped potential for private label supplements
- Meat reduction in pet food
- The meat reduction trend offers significant opportunities in pet food
- Health halo of plants extends to pet food
- A range of options to replace meat in cat/dog food
- Graph 34: preferred replacements for meat in pet food to reduce the amount of meat in cat/dog’s diets, 2024
- Plant-based NPD remains niche, but big potential in this space
- Celebrate visible plant-based ingredients
- There is also space for ‘faux meats’
- Meat substitute brands for humans could explore this gap in the market
- A need to address concerns over processing of ‘faux meats’ in pet food
- Behaviours relating to pet food
- Most pet owners think about pet food’s impact on their pets’ stools
- Graph 35: behaviours relating to pet food, 2024
- Talking about pet stools should not be taboo
- Take inspiration from Butternut Box
- Bring messages around stool quality on-pack
- Explore the on-the-go space for dog meals
- Packaging NPD and branded receptacles can tap on-the-go interest
- Products with on-the-go features are rare, and largely limited to snacks
- Bring excitement to the supermarket pet food aisle
- Bring excitement through product ranges and visual displays
- Attitudes towards pet food
- Three quarters of pet owners put emphasis on variety
- Graph 36: attitudes towards pet food, 2024
- Pet brands need to offer variety and newness
- Tap into the plant variety trend
- Encourage customisation, with a focus on plants
- Plant-based toppers offer big potential
- Spotlight on UPFs adds to scrutiny of pet food
- UPF concerns will bolster interest in fresh pet food
- Let consumers behind the scenes to assuage concerns
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- Companies must look beyond the commonplace ‘green’ claims for standout
- Graph 37: share of pet food launches carrying selected sustainability claims, 2020-24
- Cultivated meat pet food becomes a reality
- Omni unveils first meat-like vegan dog food
- Mainstream companies branch out into vegan
- The Pack unveils vegan oven-baked dried dog food
- The availability of insect-based pet food continues to grow
- Insects are significantly less popular than plants as a meat alternative
- Planet Pet Society boasts ‘second-chance’ ingredients
- NAW also repurposes animal offcuts
- The use of animal by-products affects quality perceptions
- Brands showcase their love of animals through charity partnerships
- “Fine dining” frozen ready meals launch into Ocado
- Lily’s Kitchen launches Ultimate Suppers
- A rise in seasonal NPD in 2023
- Graph 38: share of pet food launches carrying seasonal claims, 2019-24
- Seasonal launches become more adventurous
- First certified Halal pet food enters the market
- Raw dog food grows its presence in the mainstream
- James & Ella products launch into Sainsbury’s
- Functional claims rise in 2024
- Graph 39: share of pet food launches carrying selected functional claims, 2020-24
- Tilly & Ted brings a playful edge to functional pet food
- Supplements attract new entrants
- New products from Furr Boost hydration drinks
- DTC brands cross over into mainstream retail
- A bold new player in fresh cat food
- Asda pet food gets makeover to reflect pet ‘parenthood’
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Adspend drops by 2% in 2023
- Graph 40: ATL, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on pet food, by segment, 2021-24
- Nestlé’s growth is counteracted by declines from other brands
- Graph 41: ATL, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on pet food, by selected advertisers, 2021-24
- A big adspend boost sees Nestlé extends its lead
- Tails.com is biggest spender in 2024
- Tails.com’s ‘Never Average’ TV advert
- Playfulness and fun remain big themes in pet food advertising
- Dreamies ‘Humans Called Cat’ campaign
- ‘All They Want is Sheba’ campaign
- Butcher’s focuses on the bond between dogs and their owners
- Butcher’s sponsors Curzon Dog Day film screenings
- More brands make their TV advertising debuts in 2024
- Grub Club launches first TV ad
- Companies invite pets to be part of their advertising
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Appendix
- Market share
- Leading brands’ value sales and shares in the dog meals market
- Leading brands’ volume sales and shares in the dog meals market
- Leading manufacturers’ value sales and shares in the dog meals market
- Leading manufacturers’ volume sales and shares in the dog meals market
- Leading brands’ value sales and shares in the dog snacks and treats market
- Leading brands’ volume sales and shares in the dog snacks and treats market
- Leading manufacturers’ value sales and shares in the dog snacks and treats market
- Leading manufacturers’ volume sales and shares in the dog snacks and treats market
- Leading brands’ value sales and shares in the cat meals market
- Leading brands’ volume sales and shares in the cat meals market
- Leading manufacturers’ value sales and shares in the cat meals market
- Leading manufacturers’ volume sales and shares in the cat meals market
- Leading brands’ value sales and shares in the cat treats and snacks market
- Leading brands’ volume sales and shares in the cat treats and snacks market
- Leading manufacturers’ value sales and shares in the cat treats and snacks market
- Leading manufacturers’ volume sales and shares in the cat treats and snacks market
- Advertising and marketing activity
- ATL, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on pet food, by media type
- ATL, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on pet food, by leading advertisers
- Market segmentation
- Retail value sales of cat and dog food, by type
- Retail volume sales of cat and dog food, by type
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (volume)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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