Urbanization has influenced Mexico’s pet food industry much as the phenomenon has shifted pet trends around the world. As more of Mexico’s population becomes centered in cities, pet owners have shifted towards smaller dogs and cats. That shift influences pet food sales, Alberto Trueba of Euromonitor said during his presentation at Foro Mascotas 2023 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in June.
Although pet owners in Mexico have moved towards smaller dogs, people have increased the average number of dogs in their homes. More smaller dogs should keep demand constant in the Mexican dog food market. Euromonitor forecasts wet dog food retail volume growth to increase from 2023 to 2028, although dry dog food and treat retail volume growth may decline. In 2028, dog food sales will still be the largest portion of Mexico’s pet food market. However, dog food sales in Mexico may exceed US$2.5 billion in 2023 and may only grow to a bit more than that by 2028. Increasing wet dog food sales should keep dog food retail value steady.
Cat food sales growth in Mexico
In Mexico, cat food sales growth potential is more pronounced than dog food and even exceeds growth forecasts for most other Latin American nations. While dog food sales may grow at less than 1% CAGR from 2023 to 2028, cat food’s CAGR may reach approximately 11%. From 2021 to 2022, the number of households with four or five cats increased, while single cat households declined. Euromonitor forecast that cat treat sales growth will continue into 2028, but dry and wet cat food growth may slow. In 2028, dry cat food retail sales volume may still dwarf that of wet cat food. Nevertheless, growth in wet cat food may boost cat food’s retail sales overall to nearly US$1.2 billion in 2028 from approximately US$600 million in 2022.
Pet ownership trends may be responsible for much of the disparity in growth between dog and cat food sales in Mexico. As pet ownership changes due to urbanization, pet food brands may need to meet the needs of multiple smaller pets living in cities.
