Just over half (51%) of dog owners will feed their dog solely on dog food, a drop from 2018 figures (54%), with a marginal increase (46% from 43%) in the proportion feeding their dog a mixture of both dog food and leftovers.
This research, conducted on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,004 adults aged 18+, sought to understand purchase behaviour in the dog food category.
Dry food/mixers continue to be the most popular type of dog food purchased amongst those who buy dog food, with just over 8 in 10 (82%) claiming to purchase, unchanged from 2018 levels.
There has been a slight decrease in the proportion of dog owners who are purchasing canned dog food, down from 27% in 2018 to 24% in 2019. During the same time, there has been an increase in the proportion who are purchasing chews for their dogs, now 29%, with almost a quarter (24%) claiming to purchase biscuits.
Branded Options
When it comes to the key brands in the dog food category, supermarket own brand has increased in importance with 42% claiming to purchase from this range, up from 2018 levels (37%). Of the branded options available, Pedigree is the most popular with 1 in 4 (25%) claiming to purchase, up from 2018 levels (22%), with Bakers (16%) and Royal Canin evenly matched (15%).
Ensuring that the dog will actually eat the dog food is the most important aspect cited when it comes to selecting a type of dog food to purchase, largely unchanged year-on-year (41%). The quality of the product has increased in importance year-on-year (37% from 32%) in terms of important aspects considered when purchasing dog food, with the price of the food dropping back somewhat in importance (14% from 19%).
For further information and more in-depth analysis on consumer behaviour when it comes to purchasing dog food and other pet food products, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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