After the spike in demand seen in Western European cat food sales in 2020, followed by another above-average performance in 2021, growth was slowing in 2022. Home seclusion due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) saw pet adoptions spike, although cat populations are still growing in most countries moving into the forecast period. With cat food purchases relatively price inelastic, further growth in cat food sales is expected in 2022-2027, in spite of the inflationary pressures besetting the region.
This report comes in PPT.
Cat populations continue growing across the Western European region, even after lockdowns and remote working led to a boom in pet ownership. With people having spent more time with their pets during periods of extended home seclusion during the pandemic, greater bonds have been formed, encouraging the humanisation trend, whereby pets are seen as part of the family.
The various Nestlé and Mars lines remain popular choices for affordable cat food, enjoying high levels of brand recognition and being ubiquitous in grocery stores and most specialist retailers. Private label lines are increasingly moving into the premium segment, for example Edgard & Cooper in France offers a premium but affordable range of cat food that bears the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) clean label.
E-commerce has a share of almost 13% in cat food in 2022, up from 9% in 2019. While many consumers still buy cat food when they are doing their grocery shopping, e-commerce continues to grow in importance as a distribution channel for cat food. Online shopping offers convenient home delivery, a wide product portfolio and competitive pricing. It is also particularly suitable when consumers are buying in bulk.
After the slowdown in growth in real value terms in 2022, more dynamic annual sales increases are expected for cat food from 2023. The humanisation and premiumisation trends will continue to drive value growth, as will the increasing popularity of cat treats. Natural ingredients, organic products, grain-free offering and new types of protein are expected to be among the trends to continue gaining ground over the forecast period.
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