Amazon launched their own private label pet food on their website on May 2. Amazon’s Wag brand currently includes only dry dog food in several varieties. Wag dog food is available only to Amazon Prime subscribers, a service that offers two-day shipping and other perks.
Amazon Wag dog food marketing
Both in packaging and formulation, Amazon’s private label dog food follows popular trends in the wider pet food industry.
The imagery used on Wag puppy and adult dog food bags suggests active lifestyles, human-pet interaction and natural environments. The adult dog food formulation bag features a young person with their dog by their side. The pair overlooks a bay surrounded by mountains. The puppy formulation depicts a running puppy carrying a tennis ball through a grassy field.
The Wag dog food formulations themselves follow pet food trends including no-grain, meat as first ingredient, high protein, involving veterinarians and made in the USA.
For example, Wag Dry Dog Food Lamb and Lentil Recipe is marketed on Amazon.com as:
- Real lamb as first ingredient; sourced from Australia
- No grains added
- 35 percent protein
- Formulated with the help of veterinarians
- Made in the USA with US and imported ingredients
Amazon pet food sales hit US$1.4 billion in 2017
One Click Retail analysts estimated that in 2017, sales of pet consumables on Amazon, including dog and cat food, reached US$1.4 billion. That figure represents a 38 percent increase over 2016’s Amazon pet food sales.
Pet consumables made up 73 percent of pet product sales on Amazon, according to One Click Retail’s report “Amazon Consumables 2017 Review.” In the US, UK, and Germany, pet food was the largest category of consumables by a wide margin. Sales were split fairly evenly between dog and cat food.
Amazon pet profile aids online pet food buying
Amazon now allows users to create a profile for their pet to help users find and select pet foods on Amazon. The online retail giant offers a monthly email with the profile that includes pet food and product coupons and tips.
Amazon first asks users the type of their pet, such as dog, cat, reptile or even horse. Pet owners then enter their animal’s name, followed by breed, including mixed, and age. The mixed breed option gives users the ability to select multiple breeds.
