Durable Dog and Cat Pet Care Products in the U.S., 4th Edition

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to play out across nearly every facet of American life, even as living and working conditions resume some sense of normalcy. In the previous edition of this report from Q3 2020, the publisher had forecasted a 10% growth rate for the durables market for that full year, but the reality defied all expectations. After years of low- to mid-single-digit growth, the durable pet products market grew by 18% in 2020 as pet owners rushed to purchase products such as gates and crates to keep pets contained while they worked from home, collars and leashes for the walks they now had the time to take, and toys to help keep pets entertained and interactive. An even bigger success story, 2021 saw sales surge 20% to nearly $8 billion, four percentage points higher than growth in the overall non-food pet supplies sector.

The publisher's proprietary Survey of Pet Owners data from April 2022 show that 30% of durable pet product purchasers increased their spending in 2021 compared with 2020, with 71% of dog and cat owners replacing or upgrading durable pet items partly due to the pandemic. Spending on durable pet products is, however, expected to be only slightly higher than the pre-pandemic normal in the coming years, with annual sales gains through 2026 combining into a compound annual growth rate of less than 5%. The main cause of this moderation is the explosion of growth in 2020 and 2021 resulting from the extraordinarily high purchase rates of durable pet products that - unlike pet food and cat litter - do not need to be replaced very often. One development that could drive growth higher would be a pandemic resurgence resulting in a reinstatement of stay-at-home orders, in which case pet owners' reinvigorated desire to “treat” themselves and their pets could overcome the lack of necessity.

Focusing on product innovation and consumer preferences, Durable Dog and Cat Pet Care Products in the U.S., 4th Edition, breaks out this market into seven categories:

• Toys: fetch toys, plush toys, non-edible chew toys, rope/pull toys, treat-dispensing toys, ”smart” toys, cat scratchers, and cat furniture/“kitty condos”
• Collars, leashes, and harnesses: basic/decorative collars, chain/choke collars, muzzle/head collars, training collars, e-collars, and activity trackers (medicated collars are excluded); basic harnesses, no-pull harnesses, and special needs/handicapped harnesses; basic leashes, retractable leashes, hands-free leashes, double leashes, and training leashes; tie-outs/stakes/cables
• Beds: pillow/cushion beds, nest/cuddle beds, donut/bolster beds, orthopedic beds, heated/cooling pads, kennel pads, raised cots, covered/cave beds, rugs, mats, blankets, and pillows
• Carriers, crates, and housing: carriers, crates, pens/kennels, dog houses, travel/car accessories, strollers, and bicycle trailers, as well as other containment products including pet gates, doors, and fencing systems
• Bowls, feeders, waterers: bowls/diners/dishes, elevated bowls, slow feeders, gravity feeders/waterers, electronic feeders/waterers, travel feeders/waterers, feeding accessories, food storage
• Apparel/fashion accessories: outdoor clothing, decorative clothing and accessories, costumes
• Litter boxes and accessories: basic litter boxes/pans, covered/enclosed litter boxes, automated litter boxes (including rake, rotating, self-flushing), decorative litter boxes, litter scoops, litter mats, waste disposal systems (excludes non-durable litter accessories such as waste bags and disposable litter boxes, litter mats, litter box liners, and litter additives)

This fully updated fourth edition quantifies the market as a whole as well as category by category, calculating annual sales and historical compound annual growth rates for 2016 through 2021, and projected growth rates through 2026. Key trends explored include the increasingly affluent skew to pet (and especially dog) owners, the pandemic-driven acceleration of pet spending, the focus on home and its strengthening of pet owners' relationship with their pets, the overarching focus on health and wellness, and retail trends including the ongoing shift to e-commerce and omnimarket participation. Through custom surveying in the publisher's Surveys of Pet Owners, the study highlights consumer purchasing patterns and preferences in each category. Including dozens of product illustrations, the report homes in on trends in marketing and new product development, while also identifying key players in the market overall and at the category level. Additional data sources include the American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey.