I’ve had a love of furry babies since my parents gave me a dog at age 7. Little Pirate was the first of many pets who have graced my life…dogs, pigs, fish, turtles, horses, cats and so much more!
My mom, who grew up on a farm in South Dakota, was the youngest of 10. Every summer I loved my time visiting that farm and spending time with the animals (and my family). Somehow, I always seemed to come home with a new pet of some sort!
Pet parents are an amazingly giving and loyal pack. Developing strategies to serve and engage this passionate pack has been a part of my DNA for a long time.
At Compass Rose, we have had the honor of serving a variety of brands in the pet category. Pet food, pet nutrition and other pet-related services have been a cornerstone of our Direct-To-Consumer brand work.
A few latest and greatest insights into the dynamic and growing pet space include:
- Pet ownership is on the rise. Prior to, and throughout the pandemic, pet parents have been spending more time with their pets while working from home. As they endeavored to improve their own lifestyles, many also looked for additional ways to help their pets thrive.
- As with every other brand, sustainability is important to the consumer. In the pet field, this trend goes beyond the manufacturing and packaging processes, and is beginning to impact care and maintenance solutions like pet waste disposal options that are environmentally friendly.
Let’s take a look at what is on the horizon for our furry friends in 2023:
The primary trends we see in the Pet Category are:
- Wellness. Sales of Pet Supplements have increased by 50% in the past three years and continue to rise. With a focus on behavioral improvements and digestive health, many food and pet treat purveyors are adding higher-quality ingredients with claimed nutritional benefits like collagen and turmeric. Yes! Just like human beauty and vitamins/supplement products.
- Enrichment Implements. Along with supplements to support behavioral health, toy manufacturers continue to expand product lines with products to stimulate, clean, and soothe our pets. The dog anxiety vest, calming collars, and Bluetooth remote treat dispensers are all innovative examples of the expanding opportunity in this space. Apparently, dogs and cats are searching for emotional stability and life improvements too!
- Pet Food Niches. Much like their human counterparts, pets are now being treated to higher quality organic, plant-based, raw, and freeze-dried (to extend the shelf life of raw food ingredients) foods.
Other interesting areas to watch are pet insurance, a proliferation of natural brands, and the growth of DTC and subscriptions for pet food, treats, and supplies.
For the fancy pet, we can now purchase “pet wipes”, CBD dog treats, and even a Wi-Fi-connected self-cleaning robotic litter box that will notify you when the litter needs to be changed. What will they think of next?
Have you seen any cool trends in the Pet category? We would love to hear from you about them!
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