United Kingdom Pet Food Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The United Kingdom pet food market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been an exceptionally troubling period for the United Kingdom pet food market. During the initial stage of the lockdown, there was a sudden surge in demand due to panic buying of pet food, followed by decreased demand due to stockpiling among consumers. Due to lockdown restrictions, the supply has become constrained, which resulted in a slowdown of the supply chain.

Pet humanization involves owners trying to incorporate pets into more aspects of their human lives, like holidays, nutrition, healthcare, and more. This led to the commercialization of human-like goods and services for pets such as pet food, which is acting as a major driver behind the growth of this market. Furthermore, the demographic shift toward nuclear families leads to increased pet ownership. Changing societal priorities have influenced the way pets are being fed.

The wet pet food segment dominates the market in the country. In the pet food market, currently, pet owners focus on weight management, skincare, and digestive health segments for their pets that are anticipated to increase at higher rates during the forecast period.​ For instance, obesity in pets is observed to be a significant health issue, due to irregularity in pet food consumption and patterns. As stated by the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, in the United Kingdom, 51% of dogs, 44% of cats, and 29% of small mammals in the country are obese. As a result, pet food manufacturers are focusing on producing low-calorie or low-fat pet food to reduce the risk. Thus, this boosts the demand for the pet food market during the forecast period.​

Key Market Trends

Rising Trend of Pet Humanization

Pet humanization is becoming a globally accepted term in the pet industry because more pet owners are willing to provide their pets with human-like products or experiences. The rapid pace of economic and societal changes is driving pet ownership and the pet food market trends. The new generation is becoming more isolated, and as a result, pets are treated as companions, leading to the growth of the pet food market. As per the Pet Food Manufacturer's Association (PFMA), in 2021, 3.2 million households in the United Kingdom have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic. Largely driven by Gen Z and Millennials, two-thirds (59%) of new owners are aged 16-34, and 56% of new pet owners have children at home. The majority of UK homes have a pandemic pet, with 38% admitting that it is just like having a new baby, which suggests the extent to which pet humanization has been adopted in the country. Thus, the growing pet population, coupled with the rising pet-owning trend, is expected to drive the pet food market during the study period.

The Dry Pet Food Segment Dominates the Market

Owing to the increasing pet population, the pet food market in the United Kingdom is recording steady growth. Consumers are buying pet foods in large quantities than in the past and are moving from table scraps and home-cooked food to packaged/prepared pet food. It is observed that, in the United Kingdom, there is an ongoing trend in the preference for dry pet food as it offers many advantages, namely being very affordable, offering all the daily nutrition for the pet. Also, due to the harder texture of the food, the pet’s dental hygiene improves with dried food. Therefore, there is an increase in the sales of dry pet food. With the rising popularity of dry pet food among pet owners, several major players are investing in the segment to gain traction in the pet food market. For instance, Edgard & Cooper, a United Kingdom-based natural pet food brand founded in 2016, expanded distribution across Europe due to a partnership with the region’s largest pet product retailer, Fressnapf, in September 2020. This expansion added new processing and packaging lines for the production of 'dry', or kibble-based, pet foods in the market.​

Competitive Landscape

The United Kingdom pet food market is semi-consolidated, with few leading players occupying a major share in the market. The major players in the market are Mars Inc., Nestlé Purina PetCare, Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc.,Heristo AG​, and Archer Daniels Midland (Neovia)​, among others. The key players in the market are focused on various stratergies such as merge and acquisitions, and new product launches to cater to a wider consumer base and expand market share in the region. The companies are majorly involved in product innovation by launching products that cater to the needs of the pet food owners in the region.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

This product will be delivered within 2 business days.