The global pet food market is projected to touch USD152 billion by the end of 2024. 31% of this is being contributed by adult pet-targeted diets, 16% by kittens/puppies’ diets, 12% by senior-focused diets, and the remaining 41% by diets that are not life stage-specific. Given how a pet’s dietary requirements change with age and life condition, there is a need to ensure they are receiving age- and stage-appropriate nutrition.
In the current pet food landscape, seniors and kittens/puppies are the most underserved segments
Source: Euromonitor International
Pet life stage nutrition, while a moderately explored segment, offers immense potential to expand into more unique and targeted benefit spaces.
Targeting benefit spaces for the young and old through formats and textures
Textures and formats should be a key consideration for juvenile and senior diets. In the case of juveniles, both wet and dry food formats hold merit. Wet food serves as a good starting point, is easier to chew and swallow and helps manage hydration. Dry food, on the other hand, tends to be more nutrient-dense, with the texture encouraging better dental health.
For senior pets, wet or semi-moist food is considered a good option due to better chewability and its soft and palatable texture. Despite this, consumption of dry formats remains higher for this life stage across all regions. Kibble remains the format of choice, especially in dog food. Although wet cat and dog food is making inroads, the premium price tag weighs heavily on the mass market, slowing down the rate of adoption. Habits like mixing kibble with water or milk to enhance palatability highlight consumer sensibility around offering wet food among those who are limited by economic factors.
Evolving physical, physiological, emotional and mental needs across the different pet life stages warrant the formulation of diets orientated towards addressing one or more of these needs. While juvenile pets require high protein diets to support growth and development needs, senior pets may need diets and supplements that offer functional benefits to mitigate the impact of declining physiological cognitive function. In this regard, ingredients and claims can help communicate what benefit spaces are being targeted through the offering, while educating consumers on why it is needed.
The right claims and labelling can serve as a key factor in a pet owner’s purchase consideration as they look for life stage-specific health and wellness-targeted benefits
Source: Euromonitor International
Tapping into specialised adult pet needs
Pet food and pet dietary supplements have been typically focused on adult pets, with the bulk of innovation and product development targeted at this pet cohort. However, as the category becomes increasingly competitive, differentiation is a must. Going beyond adult pet lifestyle maintenance, brands need to target special life stages and situations. Growing pet obesity is one such situation. This is a growing health threat to cats and dogs as obesity predisposes them to a host of other ailments. A prime reason for this state is overfeeding.
The frequency of treating pets on a daily basis is 34% among Baby Boomers, 28% in Gen X, and 25% each across Millennials and Gen Z
Source: Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey, fielded February 2024 (n=11496)
Frequent treating occasions can make the pet susceptible to excess calorie intake. In this regard, diet management solutions, labelling regulations, and consumer awareness and education are some approaches to tackle this issue.
Another special life stage in pets is pregnancy, where, once again, calorie and nutrition needs change. From conception, through pregnancy, and all the way to lactation and weaning, a higher-calorie and nutrient-dense diet is imperative in ensuring the optimal health of the mother and her litter. Catering to this life stage requires a holistic approach in itself. It brings to the fore the need for targeted formulations, supplements (as vet-advised) and health tech for at-home monitoring.
Exploring pet life stage requirements through the lens of need states can help uncover untapped demand spaces and potential white spaces, thus reshaping categories for the future
Source: Euromonitor International
In this, a critical aspect of ingredient/claim-led innovation in the future will be understanding ingredient trends in the human food space. Just like popular ingredients make their way from food into beauty and personal care, they also make their way into pet food and supplements. As relatability and context exist for the consumer, product adoption becomes relatively easier.
To learn more about how need states by life stage can shape pet care, read our report, Addressing Pet Life Stage Nutrition Through Need States.
This report is second in the series of our Pet Need States briefings. To learn about the concept of Pet Need States, please read our report, Holistic Wellness in Pet Care: Creating Value Through Broader Need States, and our article on Exploring Opportunities in Pet Health and Wellness Through the Lens of Need States.