Think Outside the Box: Simple Solutions to Unlock the Potential in Cat Litter

Sponsored by Nestle´ Purina

It’s there. Hidden in the guest bathroom. Lurking behind the washing machine. Cat litter. The dirty little topic cat owners would rather avoid, but one which represents a big opportunity within the pet care category. Bringing in over $2.37 billion in annual sales, it’s time to bring cat litter out of the shadows and take full advantage of the thirty-three million litter buying households within the U.S. market.^[1]

The Scoop on Litter

When it comes to cat litter, there are three main forms: Clumping, Conventional (Non-Clumping) and Alternative. Clumping now makes up over 80 percent of sales in the cat litter category.^[2] However, no matter which form the cat owner chooses to buy, product performance is paramount. And it’s that product performance that’s put to the test every time the consumer steps through their front door.

Litter box cleanliness, product choice and the location of the litter box in the home are all important factors in encouraging cats to properly use their box. When one of these factors is off, it can lead cats to eliminate outside the box. Sadly, among the eighty-seven million cats in the U.S., _[3] more than three million are surrendered to shelters each year, with the #1 reason being house soiling.^[4]

Educating your consumers about proper litter box usage can not only help keep their cats happy and healthy, but can also help to maximize your litter sales in the long run.

Cat Owner Education

While veterinarians recommend that homes have one and a half litter boxes per cat, the average cat-owning household has two cats^[5] using just over one pan.^[6] Educating consumers on the importance of using multiple litter boxes could add two litter boxes to the average cat household, and lead to the purchase of an impressive eighteen additional jugs per year, per household. That’s an increase that could have substantial impact on your pet aisle sales.

When it comes to clumping litter, veterinarians recommend filling the litter box to three or four inches within the standard size pan. ^[7] Since 60 percent of clumping users claim they are only filling the litter box to three inches or less, encouraging consumers to add just one inch more on a monthly basis could lead to an additional four jugs purchased per household, per year.^[8]

Additionally, the recommendation for traditional clumping and lightweight clumping to be scooped everyday should be reinforced, as those households increasing the frequency of their cleaning could lead not only to happier, healthier cats, but an additional four jugs per household, per year.^[9]

That’s almost three incremental jugs per month achieved by just educating your consumers on how to properly use a product that they already purchase and trust. Those incremental jugs, and trips to the store, will help your consumer better care for their cats and use their litter to its full potential.

Merchandising and Cross-Promotion

Within the litter section, the retailer must not only educate the shopper on the proper usage, but also help them find and decide which product best fits their needs. To do this you must first make it simple for her to locate and navigate the litter section in your store. Cat litter should anchor one side of your cat department and be adjacent to dry cat food, with navigational signage to help shoppers find their chosen product. Lightweight formulas should not be left to themselves, but rather merchandised within their respective brand’s clumping section.

Additionally, the cat litter category goes hand in hand with the house cleaning category, since the litter box and its cleanliness can be seen as a reflection of the cat owner. So the litter category now holds the enviable position of being able to be promoted in both Pet Care and Cleaning Supply store events.  Doubling cat litter’s promotional exposure may help expand awareness and purchase frequency of this valuable segment.

Driving growth in litter takes some simple solutions: educating your consumers on proper litter usage both in-aisle and on-line, making it easy for her to shop and find her solution, including litter in household cleaning events, and providing ongoing product solutions to meet her needs.

The litter box and the cat litter category need not be spoken of in hushed tones. By thinking outside of the box with education, promotion and merchandising, the cat litter category can come out of hiding and realize its full potential on the shelf.

[1] Nielsen Homescan Custom Analysis, 52 Wk ending 3/25/17
[2] Nielsen Homescan Custom Analysis, 52 Wk ending 3/25/17
[3] Nielsen HomeScan Panel Custom Survey 2016
[4] Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine,

[5] Nielsen Homescan Custom Analysis, 52 Wk ending 3/25/17
[6] Portfolio Optimization Study, Dec. 2016
 
[7] PetFinder.com/TidyCats.com public information
[8] QFD and Litter Behavior/Usage Study, 2015
[9] PetFinder.com/TidyCats.com public information