COVID-19 has wrought vast and ongoing changes and challenges for U.S. businesses. Nevertheless, the pet food market has been living up to its recession-resistant reputation, highlighting the "silver lining" the overall pet market has experienced as a result of the pandemic. This is according to Pet Food in the U.S., 15th Edition, a new report by market research firm Packaged Facts.
As of August 2020, pet food sales have been booming, with full-year growth expected to come in well above Packaged Facts' initial full-year pre-pandemic projections. Although some of the sales increases can be attributed to short-term stockpiling in the early months of the shelter-in-place orders, the future outlook is positive as well, with two factors in particular bolstering the market as the country continues to adjust to the pandemic-related "new normal":
Make it simple, make it complex: the pet food dichotomy
Pet owners want a lot from their pet food brands. They want primary proteins that suit what they believe is best for their animal. They want grains or they don't. They want something customized, but it has to be easy to understand.
3 tips for sustainable pet food innovation
Constraints and crises, like those experienced in 2020, help drive innovation and sustainability offers context.