In fiscal year 2026, Milk-Bone and Meow Mix brands may continue to drive growth for J.M. Smucker, according to Tucker Marshall, chief financial officer for the company, speaking at the 2025 Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference. Marshall anticipates net sales growth of 3% to 4% for the company’s pet segment.
The dog snacks category may be particularly important for the company.
“Dog snacks has historically been the fastest-growing and highest-margin segment in the pet category,” Mark Smucker, CEO of J.M. Smucker said in prepared remarks from the CAGNY conference. We have consistently outpaced the category over the last several years, guided by three pillars that are driving sustained growth:
1. maximize and win every day treating;
2. amplify brand love with new pet parents;
3. expand consumption through impulse opportunities across innovation and activation.”
Every day treating
Smucker plans to use their Milk-Bone brand to drive growth in the category by capitalizing on brand equity.
“Winning in everyday treating is essential to brand health, and the Milk-Bone brand has brought in more new dog treat buyers than any other brand in the category over the past year,” Mark Smucker, CEO of J.M. Smucker said in prepared remarks from the CAGNY conference.
New pet owners
Smucker also looks to Milk-Bone for this pillar of their growth strategy. The company looks to younger and first-time pet owners for future growth and aims to establish Milk-Bone as these new dog owners’ treat of choice.
“The Milk-Bone brand is in a strong position as a trusted brand in the category to build deeper connections with these young consumers through culturally relevant, engaging marketing that matches their evolving media consumption,” Smucker said. “One example is with our latest installment of the popular ‘More Dog’ campaign.”
Impulse buying
Smuckers aims to make more sales by innovating to encourage pet owners to make purchases they hadn’t planned. The company used its presence in the human food category to do this with Milk-Bone Peanut Buttery Bites, made with Jif brand peanut butter. The product is now available throughout the U.S.
“2024 was our fourth straight year of innovation share leadership in dog snacks and we have driven more than 50% of innovation growth in the category over that time period,” Smucker said. “The strength of our innovation is amplified by our leading seasonal business, which continues to grow double-digits, and we have plans to double the seasonal business over the next few years.”
Smucker and Meow Mix cat food
Meow Mix leads the dry cat food category in household penetration and volume share, Smucker said. The pet cat population is growing and a third of those pets are still less than two years old.
“We are focusing on capturing these new consumers through two key elements to drive growth,” Smucker said. “First, we are modernizing and energizing our core offerings to maximize mainstream growth by winning more households and offering cat parents elevated mainstream options. We are enhancing our offerings and refreshing the brand with new packaging that showcases consumer-desired benefits in a fresh, new way with elevated product benefits and a more modern design. We also continue to refresh and invest behind our multi-year Meow Mix brand ReMix campaign…
“Elevating the mealtime experience through innovation is our second growth driver, and Meow Mix Gravy Bursts highlights our ability to bring innovation to the dry cat food category. Most real gravy items are in wet cat food products, Meow Mix Gravy Bursts brings gravy indulgence to the dry aisle, providing excitement for cats and convenience for pet parents.”
About J.M. Smucker pet food
According to Petfood Industry’s Top Companies database, J.M. Smucker is a producer, distributor and marketer of pet food and pet snacks in the U.S., Smucker runs processing plants in Decatur, Alabama; Lawrence, Kansas; and Buffalo, New York, USA. Both a processing plant and distribution center are operated at locations in Topeka, Kansas, USA, and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. In 2023, J.M. Smucker sold several pet food brands to Post Holdings, a consumer-packaged goods holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The transaction included the Rachael Ray Nutrish, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits, Nature's Recipe and Gravy Train brands as well as the Smucker’s private label pet food business. Smucker divested its private label dry pet food business in 2021.
