How grocers can grab more pet specialty dollars

Sponsored by Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company

While grocery sales of pet products have increased over the last few years, they still lag the sales seen in specialty pet and mass retail, particularly with millennial shoppers. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), nearly 70% of Americans own a pet and they spend nearly $37 billion annually on pet food and treats, offering a big opportunity for grocery. Here are three ways grocers can maximize shopper spend on the pet food aisle to boost the store’s bottom line.

Follow the trends.

Look to human food trends in flavor and nutrition to make purchasing decisions and if it’s trending in food, stock it in pet. From sustainability to seasonal ingredients, what’s popular in the rest of the store will be popular in pet because today’s pet owners believe their pets deserve a seat at the family table. “The humanization of pets continues to grow as a trend, with grocery shoppers looking for the same things in the pet food aisle that they seek in the human food aisle, like organic, certified non-GMO, plant-based and seasonal flavors,” said Johnni Rodgers, chief executive officer for Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company, parent company of Doggy Delirious. “Doggy Delirious makes 100% human grade treats because pet owners increasingly treat their pets like human family members and are selecting food and treats based on their personal taste, values and dietary preferences.”

Look for packaging claims.

According to a recent Nelson IQ report, while more customers are searching for pet food attributes like non-GMO and 100% human grade, less than 1% of pet products that meet these standards include the claims on the packaging labels. Pet parents often must make separate trips to pet specialty retailers to easily find the pet food and treats that call out the values and claims they desire. Attract shoppers to the grocery pet aisle by showcasing brands that market the claims they’re looking for on packaging and labels. Also as the lines blur between pets and children, consider pet products with packaging that takes design cues from human food aisles.

Capitalize on convenience.

Millennials are the largest pet-owning market segment, and they make most of the online and specialty pet purchases, but they also report shopping at grocery stores up to three times a week. According to an FMI report, convenience is what 55% of millennial shoppers want most in a future grocery shopping experience. Show them that they can save a trip to the pet store by offering a premium, high quality pet assortment with flavor varieties that mirror the product offerings in specialty retailers. Reserve shelf space for more frequently purchased pet items like treats and food and showcase holiday and seasonal pet products on special display, end caps and near check-out for impulse purchase.

Keeping up with current pet trends is more important than ever for grocers who want to show growth in the space—especially considering how important attracting and keeping pet shoppers can be. Each shopper who converts to grocery to buy their pet food and treats represents thousands of additional dollars a year for the store.

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