There are 8.3 million cats and 7.3 million dogs in the UK, which adds up to 100 million meals between them every week. This makes pet food worth £2.2bn in retail sales and the third most valuable category within convenience.
Pet owners are an important shopper group within the convenience sector, so stocking and merchandising pet food sections effectively can directly improve retailers’ profitability.
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PET FOOD – CATEGORY OVERVIEW
There are 8.3 million cats and 7.3 million dogs in the UK, which adds up to 100 million meals between them every week. This makes pet food worth £2.2bn in retail sales and the third most valuable category within convenience.
Pet owners are an important shopper group within the convenience sector, so stocking and merchandising pet food sections effectively can directly improve retailers’ profitability. On average, pet food shoppers visit their local convenience store once a week more than shoppers who don’t buy pet food – and they spend 75% more. Over the course of a year, one pet food shopper is worth £1,500 more than a non pet food shopper. Poor availability is the number one reason shoppers fail to purchase. With shoppers choosing a variety of stores to buy their pet food, it is vital retailers stock the right range of pet food to reflect shoppers’ needs, so shoppers do not take their entire spend elsewhere in the future.
TOP SELLERS
Cat food
- Felix Adult Pouch in Jelly Fish Selection 12x100g
- Whiskas Pouch CIJ Poultry Selection 12x100g
- Co-Cat Complete Tuna, Herring & Veg 375g
- Felix AGAIL Pouch Ocean Feasts 12x100g
- Gourmet Gold Ocean Fish 85g
- Whiskas Pouch Grilled Poultry 12x100g
- Felix AGAIL Pouch Chicken 100g
- Go-Cat Complete Duck, Rabbit & Chicken 375g
- Whiskas Pouch CIJ Chicken 100g
- Felix AGAIL Pouch Meat Menus 12x100g
Dog food
- Bakers Complete Beef & Veg 1.5kg
- Pedigree Can Original 400g
- Cesar Adult with Chicken & Turkey 150g
- Pedigree Denta Stix 7s Med /Lge Dogs
- Bakers Complete Chicken & Veg 1.5kg
- Winalot Can CIJ Chicken 400g
- Bonio Original Biscuits 650g
- Bakers Complete Meaty Meals Beef 1kg
- Pedigree Can Chicken & Lamb 400g
- Pedigree Schmakos Beef 12s 104g
CONSUMER TRENDS
Cat food shoppers are continuing to switch from cans to pouches and despite difficult economic times they continue to trade up further to premium products such as Felix As Good as it Looks and pamper their pets with a luxury meal like Gourmet. Seventy-six percent of dog food shoppers now buy complete dry dog food, making this a key must-stock sub-category. Both cat and dog owners take great pleasure in treating their pets. With 60% of treating purchase decisions being made on impulse at the fixture, this is a real incremental opportunity for convenience retailers.
RANGE ADVICE
It is vital to stock a range that delivers an offering reflective of all the key sub-categories within pet food. But while a good range of cat and dog food will help maximise sales, merchandising the product is equally important. These basic tips will help:
- Brand block within segments, such as complete dry dog food and single-serve cat food, to create stand-out and make the fixture easy to navigate.
- Place sub-categories separately.
- Put must-buy products such as Go-Cat, Felix and Bakers at just below eye level, because leading brands help shoppers to navigate the fixture.
- Use point-of-sale to help shoppers navigate the store and fixture. Hanging signs and back boards show shoppers where the pet food section is situated, making them aware that you actually stock pet food and helping to grow sales.
- Use point-of-sale to help shoppers navigate the store and fixture.
PLANOGRAM
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WHAT THE RETAILERS SAY
“Pet food is selling well after the re-lay. We’ve seen a good increase in sales, which have been rising steadily over the weeks. Key lines that are selling well include Felix 12-packs and Bakers 1.5kg.”
Mr Patel, Booker Premier, Cullumpton Post Office
“I feel my fixture has greatly improved and we appreciate Purina helping us move the fixture to create more space in-store. The biggest increase I have seen has been in dry dog and cat multi-packs.”
Mr Jadhav, Londis Reema
SPONSOR’S COMMENT
Although £220m of pet food was sold in the convenience sector in the last 12 months, stores need to ensure they are stocking key products and displaying them effectively in order to maximise profits from pet food.
Most people do their major shop within the top four multiples and therefore want to top up with the products they normally buy, so it is important to stock the same core pet food products that shoppers can buy in the supermarket.
Andrew Harding,
Market Development Organisation Director, Nestlé Purina
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Contact us to book your free re-lay and POS kit.
Telephone 0800 141 2343 or email
[email protected].
