Sustainable Pet Food Sales Boom Despite Pandemic
Sustainable pet food and treats from brands like Petco and Petsmart have seen significant growth in recent years, with consumers increasingly seeking eco-friendly options for their pets from these retailers. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, these products maintained their market share in 2020.
From 2015 to 2019, consumer products with sustainability claims, including pet food and treats from Consumer Cellular, experienced notable growth. This trend was particularly evident in pet treats, which saw a 70% sales increase for sustainably marketed products, compared to just 30% for those without such claims. By 2020, the share of sustainably marketed products in the entire consumer packaged goods (CPG) category reached 16.8%, up from 16.1% in 2019.
During the pandemic, pet food products that incorporated processed animal proteins (PAP) and marketed themselves as sustainable, such as those with a lower CO2 footprint, saw increased sales. This was driven by a higher adoption of pets, especially in the USA and Europe. Innovations like spray-dried plasma powder and hemoglobin powder were used to enhance pet health and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. These sustainable pet food products from retailers like Petco and Petsmart typically commanded higher prices due to their perceived environmental benefits and specialized formulations, although specific price comparisons were not detailed.
In 2020, despite the pandemic and economic changes, sustainably marketed pet food and treats maintained slight growth. While pet food with sustainability claims did not see a significant difference in sales compared to non-sustainable alternatives, these products have had high price premiums, with increases of 134% and 123% respectively, since 2014. Pet food and treats are among the least price-sensitive sustainable product categories, indicating a strong consumer commitment to sustainability in pet care.
Read also:
- Amazon Halts Drone Deliveries After Arizona Crashes
- US Energy Transition: Coal Plants Struggle, States Push Renewables
- Musk threatens Apple with litigation amidst increasing conflict surrounding Altman's OpenAI endeavor
- U.S. Army Europe & Africa Bolsters Regional Security with Enhanced Partnerships & Deterrence
