(PRESS RELEASE) Market research firm Packaged Facts estimates that U.S. retail sales of durable pet care products for dogs and cats will reach $5.7 billion by the end of 2020.
That number would represent a 9.9% increase from $5.2 billion in 2019. It would reflect a 3.9% compound annual growth rate for the 2015-2020 period. These findings were published in the recent study Durable Dog and Cat Petcare Products, 3rd Edition.
“After years of moderate growth, the 2020 bump is a welcome surprise to pet marketers initially fearful that the coronavirus outbreak would stifle sales,” said David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts.
Instead of a pandemic-driven decline, the opposite has proven true as the pet market once again demonstrates its famous recession resilience. Particularly in the durable pet care product categories, growth has been spurred by a number of COVID-19-related factors, including a pet adoption boom and sheltering-at-home resulting in more time for human/pet interaction, bonding and outdoor activity.
In addition, the impact of the internet on the durables market shouldn’t be overlooked. The tentacles of e-commerce extend far beyond its ability to deliver double-digit sales growth online. In the pet durables market in particular, Buy Online, Pick-up In Store (BOPIS) “click and collect” services and the growth of rapid home delivery quickly took the place of in-store browsing across several retail channels and allowed many retailers to remain operational even at the height of stay-at-home orders. However, even as pandemic-related restrictions drove a great deal of sales online, pet owners did not completely abandon brick-and-mortar shopping.
In the report, Packaged Facts examines durable pet care products across seven categories:
- Toys
- Collars/leashes/harnesses
- Beds
- Carriers/crates/housing
- Bowls/feeders/waterers
- Apparel/fashion accessories
- Litter boxes/accessories
Of the seven durable dog and cat pet care categories, toys is the largest, accounting for nearly one-third of sales (32%) in 2020, or $1.8 billion. Collars/leashes/harnesses is second, at 22%, followed by beds at 14% and carriers/crates/housing at 13%. The remaining three categories each account for less than one-tenth of the market.