Just over half (55%) of dog owners will feed their dog solely on dog food, in line with 2017 figures (54%), with a marginal reduction (43% from 44%) in the proportion feeding their dog a mixture of both dog food and leftovers. This research, conducted on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,004 adults aged 18+, sought to understand purchase behaviour in the dog food category.
Dry food/mixers continue to be the most popular type of dog food purchased amongst those who buy dog food, with just over 8 in 10 (82%) claiming to purchase, unchanged from 2017 levels. There has been an increase in the proportion of dog owners who are purchasing canned dog food, up from 23% in 2017 to 27% in 2018. This puts canned food ahead of chews (24%) and biscuits (21%) in terms of purchase incidence.
When it comes to the key brands in the dog food category, supermarket own brand continues to play a significant role with 37% claiming to purchase, although this has reduced from 2017 levels (43%). Of the branded options available, Pedigree is the most popular with 1 in 5 (22%) claiming to purchase, down slightly from 2017 levels (26%). There has been an increase in the purchase levels of Royal Canin, up from 15% in 2017 to 19% this year.
Ensuring that the dog will actually eat the dog food is the most important aspect cited when it comes to selecting a type of dog food to purchase, although its importance has dropped from 48% in 2017 to 39% this year. The quality of the product has also decreased year-on-year (36% to 32%) in terms of important aspects considered when purchasing dog food, with the price of the food increasing in importance (19% from 10%).
For further information and more in-depth analysis on consumer behaviour when it comes to purchasing dog food and other pet food products, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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