Europe Pet Food Market Overview, 2022-2027

The European pet food market has been highly driven by increasing awareness of ingredients, customized food products, grain-free, and organic food. The industry continues to see an increase in the pet care and food market with an increase in pet adoption rates. In some countries in Europe, pet food is considered a premium product segment. Food being an essential and basic necessity for pets, owners is willing to pay any price to provide good quality and nutritious food for their pets. The owners are very concerned about the nourishment of their pets, which led them to purchase quality food so their pets get proper nutritional food. According to the report, "Europe Pet Food Market Overview, 2022-2027" published by Bonafide Research, the market was valued at around USD 25 Billion. This increased awareness, combined with a shift in pet owners' preferences toward healthier foods, will allow the market to expand at a CAGR of more than 6% during the forecast period. Considering the country-wise revenue generation analysis, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy have contributed the most to Europe's pet food market. The popularity of pet food products is increasing in Europe, where manufacturers are coming up with new innovative products. To provide a better lifestyle for the pets, the owners are taking the utmost care of the ingredients. The brands are attempting to offer natural, organic, and non-processed foods with a shift in consumer preference. Historically, the market has observed the highest adaption of animal-based food ingredients, which is now slowly and gradually shifting towards plant-based food ingredients.

The United Kingdom is considered the largest pet food market in Europe and the third most prominent country in the overall pet food market. The strong presence of animal and health advocacy groups in the region is impacting the domestic regulations regarding product labeling and ingredients. The pet foods in the United Kingdom have advertised several benefits related to pets' improving heart health, bones, muscles, and joints, which have increased their popularity. Among the categories included in Europe's pet food products, preference towards dry food and snacks and treats was observed to be the highest. These foods are mainly for cats and dogs, which mean they get to eat them at regular intervals. This growing adaption of pet food products has also enhanced their availability through specialized pet shops, supermarkets, and hypermarkets. There is an increase in the humanization of pets across Europe, as pet owners are treating pets like their own family members. According to the European Pet Food Federation (FEDIAF), around 38% of all European Union households possess a pet. Cats continue to dominate the European pet market. According to various studies, the popularity of cats continued to increase during the last century in the region. The number of cat owners increased more than dog owners, due to the relative ease of having a cat as a pet in the modern lifestyle. Dry food, wet food, and semi-moist food are the major types of commercial cat food. Therefore, as consumers are looking to plug the familial gap with a pet companion, it has resulted in a pet marketplace led by small animals, such as cats and dogs, as indulgent pet owners are happy to spend heavily on ensuring the best quality of food for their pets, which has driven the demand for pet food products in Europe. According to the European Pet Food Federation (FEDIAF), there are approximately 110.1 Million cats and 89.9 Million dogs domesticated by households in 2020. Hence, due to the increased number of pets, pet food manufacturers are offering premium products targeted toward pet owners, which is expected to contribute to the significant market growth during the forecast period. The rapid pace of economic and societal changes can be linked to the trends in pet ownership. The market for pet food closely shadows the market for pets. Increasing urbanization leads to the breaking up of large households and a separation from nature. These are often linked to the desire for pets. According to the USDA, Germany is the largest economy in the European Union. It assures the pet food market with 45.0% of the German households owning a pet and another 21.0% of the households owning more than one pet, which suggests the extent to which pet humanization has been adopted in the country. This is massively increasing the growth of the pet food market. On August 1, 2010, this entry was published.

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Manmayi Raval

Research Consultant

There are approximately 81 Million cats, 71 Million dogs, and approximately 1 Billion other companion animals in these households, including 52 Million birds, 30 Million small mammals, 15 Million fish and aquaria animals, and 9 Million reptiles. Across all European households, there are more than 110 Million cats and 90 Million dogs. Russia has the largest canine population at 17.1 Million, followed by Germany with 10.7 Million and the United Kingdom with 8.5 Million. Russia also has the largest cat population, at 22.8 Million, followed by Germany with 15.7 Million and France with 15.1 Million. Companies are offering an increasing number of premium products as consumers are prepared to spend more on pet food that is healthy, nutritious, and improves their living conditions. For instance, in 2020, the German pet treat company Gimborn launched a line of functional pet treats. The products include squeezables, oil-based liquid treats, and munchables and crunchy treats for cats. It is planning to launch a milk-alternative product for cats, to be sold in individual and bulk portions for shelters and breeders. Therefore, the consumer trend toward cat adoption has driven cat food premiumization, which is anticipated to create an expansion in the cat food market over the forecast period. In 2020, Mars Inc, Nestlé SA, Colgate-Palmolive Co, Agrolimen SA and Vitakraft Pet Care GmbH & Co KG were the five largest pet food companies in the EU28, while Pedigree, Whiskas, Felix, Royal Canin and Friskies were the five largest pet food brands that year. In recent years, sales of premium pet food have been increasing, with pets seen as an integral part of households, therefore being treated with quality meals and nutritious food. Akin to humans, pets are also highly susceptible to the ramifications of obesity. Not only in Europe, but all over the world, an enormous number of pets, particularly dogs, suffer from conditions related to overweight and obesity. Subsequently, there is a growing concern that is leading to a dire need to control the weight of the pets, thereby eliminating the possibility of repercussions that can also lead to deaths. The growing awareness is making pet owners more particular about the weight of their pets, and they are now opting for the more expensive therapeutic weight loss foods. The obese pets in the region are creating a special European pet food marketplace for the vendors to explore business opportunities.

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COVID-impacts: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a considerable disruptor for the pet food supply chain in Europe. The pandemic impacted the pet food protein ingredients industry by affecting production and investments and disrupting supply chains. However, increased demand for pet food products was observed among European consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the growing demand, market players have shifted their focus from retail stores to e-commerce, investing in developing their own websites. Some of the online retailers reported strong sales figures in their recent earnings releases. For instance, in 2020, Zooplus (Germany) reported a 21% rise in sales compared to 2019 due to increased demand from existing customers and a stable inflow of new customers. For Nestlé, pet care was the best-performing product category, with a sales growth of 14% between 2019 and 2020, contributing to around half of the group’s organic sales growth. Thus, increasing pet food sales are expected to boost the demand for protein ingredients in the coming years, propelling the growth of the pet food protein ingredients market in Europe. Major companies present in the market Nestle SA, Mars Incorporated , Colgate-Palmolive , Blue-Buffalo , United Pet Group, a Spectrum Brands Company, PLB International , Unicharm Corporation, Laroy Group, Deuerer GmbH , Heristo AG , Well Pet, De Haan Pet Food Considered in this report • Geography: Europe • Historic year: 2016 • Base year: 2021 • Estimated year: 2022 • Forecast year: 2027 Aspects covered in this report • Europe pet food market with its value and forecast along with its segments • Country-wise pet care market analysis • Various divers and challenges • Ongoing trends and developments • Five force models • Top profiled companies • Strategic recommendation Countries covered in the report • UK •France •Italy •Germany Segment covered in the report • Pet foods • Pet healthcare • Pet accessories • Pet grooming By Pet Type in the report •Dog Food •Cat Food •Fish Food •Bird Food •Others By Food Type in the report •Dry Food •Wet or Canned •Snacks and treats •others The approach of the report: This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analyzing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering, the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started, verifying the details obtained from secondary sources. Intended audience This report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to pet care products industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.