This report offers an extensive, data-backed exploration of the US pet food market. Understand the market dynamics, consumer insights, and innovation driving growth, and grasp a competitive advantage today.
US Pet Food Market – Current Landscape
After two years of sharp price increases and a backdrop of economic uncertainty, the historically resilient pet food market eased back into slow growth in 2024. While some cost-conscious pet owners continue to shift to private label and more budget-friendly product forms, most remain committed to the best care and feeding for their pets, creating opportunities for brands at all price points that can reassure pet owners of superior quality, healthfulness and palatability.
Rising incidence of topper usage, even amid cutbacks in other product forms, point to continued interest in an active and engaged feeding and treating experience that strengthens pet-owner bonds and that brands and retailers can leverage to drive sales across product forms. Younger pet owners and those with less experience are especially likely to use toppers, making them a key target for these initiatives.
Pet owners’ priorities in the pet food aisle tend to mirror their priorities for their own food choices. Health and wellness is increasingly important, creating opportunities for brands that can make meaningful functional health claims, yet palatability, as ever is nonnegotiable, especially among cat owners.
US Pet Food – Market Statistics
- US pet food market share: Private label made the biggest gains in the market this year when compared to leading companies, highlighting the current importance of pricing. However, certain brands such as Freshpet go from strength to strength, indicating the benefits of targeting the premium segment.
- Pet food retailers shopped: Younger pet food shoppers are most likely to purchase online and shop across a wider range of outlets. Owning a cat and dog also indicates varied needs as these multi-pet shoppers are also more likely to shop across outlets.
- Dog food and treats purchased: Dry dog food continues to be the staple in the category, as eight in 10 owners buy dry. This is despite the growing presence of fresh dog food. Dog owners are starting to explore toppers more, however, as the customizability of dry food becomes important.
US Pet Food Market Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analyzed in the Report
- Pet food shoppers’ preferred retailers
- Purchase incidence of different types of food, treats and toppers, and key factors that guide selection
- Pet owner interest in functional health benefits in food and treats
- Pet owner interest in a range of premium food and treat concepts
- Pet owner attitudes toward value, health and environmental impact
- Pet food sales and market share trends and the key factors influencing them
- Trends in pet food and treat innovation
Report Scope
Mintel defines the pet food market as food and treats for household pets, including cats, dogs, small animals (eg hamsters, rabbits), fish, reptiles, and birds. Food for dogs and cats may be dry, wet/canned, semi-moist, or in the form of treats. The following segments will be included in this Report:
- Cat food
- Dog food
- Other pet food (eg, hamsters, birds, guinea pigs, reptiles)
- Pet treats
Excluded from this Report are:
- Food for horses and animals usually considered livestock (pigs, goats, chickens, etc.)
- Dog chews and rawhides
- Pet vitamins and supplements
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by John Owen. John provides in-depth analysis and insight across a variety of categories, including household and home care, health and wellness, food and beverages, and consumer lifestyles. He brings extensive experience in advertising and shopper marketing, most of it with Saatchi & Saatchi.
Pet food sales have slowed amid moderating inflation and cautious consumer spending, yet pet owners remain committed to feeding their pets the best.
John Owen
Associate Director, Food and Retail
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
-
Market Dynamics
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Elevated prices and lingering financial uncertainty put pressure on the mainstream market
- Inflation has cooled but prices remain elevated
- Little improvement in recent months in consumers’ view of their personal finances
- Graph 1: assessment of personal financial situation, 2022-24
- Market size and forecast
- Pet food sales return to modest growth as inflation eases
- Retail sales and forecast of pet food
- Market segmentation
- Dog and cat food products account for bulk of sales
- Graph 2: segment share of total pet food sales, 2024
- Financial uncertainty continues to impact segment trends
- Retail sales of pet food, by segment
- Graph 3: total retail sales of pet food, by segment, at current prices, 2019-24
- Retail sales of pet food, by segment
- Market share/brand share
- Little share movement among biggest competitors in multi-outlet channels
- Multi-outlet sales of pet food, by leading companies
- Purina regains lead in dog food as Freshpet continues to grow
- Multi-outlet sales of dog food, by leading companies and brands
- Competitors chip away at Purina’s dominant lead in cat food
- Multi-outlet sales of cat food, by leading companies and brands
- Multi-outlet sales of other pet food, by leading companies and brands
- Private label gains amid slow growth in treat sales
- Multi-outlet sales of pet treats, by leading companies and brands
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Primary pet food retailer
- Walmart holds steady as top retailer while online shopping gains momentum
- Graph 4: pet food retailer – any purchase – NET – and most often, 2024
- Cross-shopping creates opportunity to capture share, drive incremental purchases, especially among younger pet owners
- Graph 5: pet food retailer – any purchase – NET, by age, 2024
- Multi-species owners shop across more channels
- Graph 6: pet food purchase location – any purchase – NET, by type of pet owned, 2024
- Dog food/treats purchased
- Dry food remains a foundation for the category, but promoting multi-form feeding could accelerate growth
- Graph 7: dog food/treats purchased, 2024
- Younger and newer pet owners gravitate to toppers, potentially at the expense of other forms
- Graph 8: dog food/treats purchased, by age, 2024
- Cat food/treats purchased
- Multi-form feeding among cat owners points to opportunity for coordinated product lines
- Graph 9: cat food/treats purchased, 2024
- Opportunity to boost treat usage among younger cat owners
- Graph 10: cat food/treats purchased, by age, 2024
- Pet food purchase factors
- Taste is key, especially in cat food
- Graph 11: pet food purchase purchase factors, 2024
- Younger shoppers more likely to prioritize natural, organic and sustainability
- Graph 12: pet food purchase factors – NET – any pet, by age, 2024
- Specialty and online shoppers focus on quality and health
- Graph 13: pet food purchase factor – NET – any pet, by primary pet food retailer, 2024
- Interest in functional health and wellness benefits
- Healthy digestion draws especially strong interest among other functional health benefits
- Graph 14: interest in functional health and wellness benefits, 2024
- Dog owners only modestly more likely to express interest in functional health benefits
- Graph 15: interest in functional health and wellness benefits, by type of pet owned, 2024
- Opportunity to educate new pet owners on preventative functional benefits
- Graph 16: interest in functional health and wellness benefits, by years of experience as a pet owner, 2024
- Interest in pet food and treat concepts
- Interest in a broad range of concepts, especially gut health and minimally processed kibble
- Graph 17: interest in pet food and treat concepts, 2024
- Dual-species owners represent a key target for innovation
- Graph 18: interest in pet food and treat concepts, by type of pet owned, 2024
- Attitudes toward pet food and treats
- Pet owners willing to pay more for health and taste, up to a point
- Graph 19: attitudes toward pet food – value, by primary pet food retailer, 2024
- Dual-species owners in particular appreciate the bonding potential of feeding and treating
- Graph 20: attitudes toward pet food – bonding, by type of pet owned, 2024
- Help young pet owners overcome price barriers to sustainability
- Graph 21: attitudes toward pet food – sustainability by age, 2024
- Homemade commands interest in a market increasingly focused on fresh
- Graph 22: attitudes toward pet food – homemade, by years of experience as a pet owner, 2024
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Incidence of most functional health and wellness claims ticks down
- Dog food launches continue to outpace both cat food and treats in functional health claims
- Graph 23: pet food and treat introductions, by product type and select functional claims, 2023-24
- Functional health claims
- Ethical/sustainability claims tick up but remain a relatively small factor
- Graph 24: pet food and treat launches, by select ethical/sustainability claims, July 2018-June 2024
- Sustainable sourcing
- Marketing and advertising
- Playing up the fun: cat treat brands leverage the behavioral side of treating
- Fresh food’s expansion forces a reexamination of kibble
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- Sales and forecast of pet food, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Sales and forecast of dog food, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of dog food, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of cat food, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of cat food, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of other pet food, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of other pet food, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of pet treats, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of pet treats, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Total retail sales of pet food, by channel, at current prices
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