Market Trends of europe pet food Industry
Cats are the major companion animals adopted in Europe as they are a symbol of good luck and adapt easily to small spaces
- In Europe, cats are the major pets adopted by pet parents, accounting for 36.4% of the total pet population in 2022. The high adoption of cats is mainly due to their adaptability to smaller living spaces, as they can be kept indoors without feeling cooped up. Also, in some European countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia, cats are symbols of good luck and fortune.
- Owning pets creates a sense of companionship, affection, protection, and unique bonds with the owners. Therefore, 90 million households in the European Union had pets in 2021, representing 46% of the households. The European cat population has been steadily increasing over the years, which increased by 14.9% during 2017-2022. Moreover, the higher adoption of cats as pets after the COVID-19 pandemic was mainly attributed to the increase in pet humanization, stimulated by loneliness, remote work, and helping prevent illness and allergies. From 2020 to 2022, the cat population increased by 7.1%.
- In Europe, Russia consists of a large cat population, accounting for 19.6% of the total population in the region in 2022, followed by Germany (14.8%), France (13.2%), and the United Kingdom (11.1%). There is a cultural affinity for cats in Russia, with many Russian literary works featuring cats as important characters, and they are considered good luck in Russian folklore. European shorthair, Chartreux, Russian Blue, and Siberian are among the major cat breeds adopted in Russia and the region.
- The adoption of harmonized rules for traveling with pets, growing online sales of cats, relatively lower maintenance, and urban living are some of the major factors that drive the cat population and, thereby, the pet food market in the region.
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Growing awareness about the benefits of healthy, nutritious pet food and the convenience of purchasing from home through e-commerce websites are likely to drive expenditure on pets in the region
- There was an increase in pet expenditure in Europe during the study period because of growing spending on different types of food and rising premiumization as pet parents are increasingly concerned about the health needs of their pets. These factors helped in increasing the pet expenditure per animal by 24% between 2017 and 2022. In 2022, dogs had the largest expenditure share, accounting for 37.9%, because of their higher consumption of pet food than cats and being fed with premium pet food. For instance, in the United Kingdom, people's average pet food expense was USD 330, more than a cat's food expense of USD 150 in 2022. Moreover, dogs are provided with services such as pet grooming and training for socialization with other dogs.
- Pet parents provide premium brand products to their pets, such as cats and dogs. Pet parents prefer to feed their pets food from brands such as Royal Canin, Purina, and Whiskas because of the growing pet humanization and increased disposable incomes. There is also a rise in purchasing medium-priced pet food due to improvements in the nutrition offered by these products.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in pet food sales through online channels as most supermarkets had fewer product offerings due to the lockdown and the convenience of a higher number of products available on e-commerce websites. This helped Amazon to be a leader in pet food sales in the United Kingdom, and the website has received more than 579 million visits annually since the pandemic. The higher consumption of premium pet food and growing awareness about the benefits of healthy, nutritious pet food helped increase pet expenditure in the region.
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OTHER KEY INDUSTRY TRENDS COVERED IN THE REPORT
- The growing dog-friendly ecosystem in the region is driving the adoption of dogs from animal shelters and rescue organizations
- The growing popularity of other animals and the rising number of acquisition channels for other animals' adoption are driving their market
