The state of play in the raw food subscriptions market

Despite still only representing a small part of the industry, biologically appropriate raw food (BARF) is increasingly attracting attention from pet owners who consider that this way of feeding has a positive nutritive impact on the well-being of their pets. A growing number of companies are active in this market segment with subscription-based services.

Home delivered

Raw & Fresh is an Australian direct-to-consumer (D2C) raw pet food supplier that offers a range of home-delivered raw meal options for pet parents. It is currently experiencing growing interest among pet owners who are looking for fresh, complete and balanced meals. “Our customers are generally pet owners who want the healthiest diet for their pets but don’t have the time or desire to source the sometimesdifficult ingredients to make batches themselves at home,” said the company’s CEO, David Elliott.

In Switzerland, Babarf offers tailor-made BARF frozen meals. Customers can choose the weight, composition (meat, bones, offal, fruits, vegetables and fish), size of pieces, and frequency of deliveries. The company, which only started producing at the end of 2019, doubled its revenue in 2021 and already serves several hundred customers. A monthly food subscription for a medium-sized dog (weighing around 15 kg) costs CHF190 (€181 / $206), including personalized follow-up to ensure that the diet is successful and suitable for the animal. The brand is primarily targeting owners whose dogs have allergic disorders and digestive problems, as well as customers who want to avoid processed products. “Overall, this is part of a return to nature and healthy products,” said Director Morgane Dufaux.

German brand Bello & Friends offers ready-made BARF boxes for dogs. Customers just need to select a small or big meal, depending on the weight of their pet. “They don’t have to choose the food; we take care of that, so it is useful for them,” pointed out General Director Marius Lejnowski. Most of the clients are health-conscious pet owners who want to take care of their dog’s health too, and who can afford to spend a bit more on this kind of food. A subscription can cost up to €150 ($168) per month.

In the US, Maev offers pet parents the option of personalizing raw food for their dogs based on four wellness goals: weight & digestion, anxiety & mental health, hair & skin, and hip & joint. The subscription service of the Austin-based company, which was launched in 2020, is mainly used by dog owners who are intently focused on the latest health and wellness trends that will enhance their quality of life – including by keeping their pets healthy.

More customers

For Raw & Fresh CEO David Elliott, BARF is becoming a “default choice” for some pet owners looking to give their pets the healthiest lives. The company has seen significant growth in customer numbers, partly thanks to the increase in the nation’s dog population. According to Animal Medicines Australia, dog owners increased from 5.1 million in 2019 to 6.3 million in 2021. “We have also seen an increase in pet owners wanting the convenience and safety of having their supplies delivered to their home instead of venturing out to the stores,” he added. Whereas the company’s annual growth rate was 45% between 2018 and 2020, in the period from 2020 to 2022 sales increased by 125%.

Similarly, Bello & Friends in Germany increased its customer base by 40% in the last 2 years, with new clients signing up every month. The company currently has around 2,000 regular customers subscribed to its monthly BARF food service.

And far from stopping there, some players predict that BARF will significantly contribute to the fastestgrowing segment of D2C fresh pet food. “We envision that demand will be led by an increase in consumers questioning what’s better for their pets – which is often the reason why they are looking for alternatives in the first place – rather than by premium and higher-quality products,” said Morgane Dufaux from Babarf.

Marius Lejnowski from Bello & Friends expects that the segment will increase in the near future but it will not experience substantial growth. “Most people are looking for cheap food,” he concluded. According to him, two of the main challenges facing the sector in the coming years are the less costly ways of feeding pets and the fact that some companies are offering product ranges that lack vitamins and minerals.

Markets to watch

The market share of BARF varies from one country to another – the figure can be as high as 10-15% in the markets where the concept is more popular – and the success is expected to be further consolidated in the near future in some regions.

For example, sales of BARF food in the Nordic European countries are increasing. The volume share in the segment currently represents 5% in Finland and 6% in Sweden, according to local player Snellman Pet Food-MUSH. “We’re seeing more and more frozen products on sale in grocery stores and this will lift the BARF segment to over 10% of the market. Over time, we could go up to 15%,” said Company Director Magnus Pettersson, who largely attributes this increase to word-of-mouth between pet owners.

In South-Eastern Europe, regional players believe that the segment currently represents less than 1% of the pet food market. “It is still too premature for small local producers to be able to sustain if they are to provide high-quality food and service,” commented Emil Chomonev from BARF Natural Foods Bulgaria. Although growth of the BARF market has stalled in Romania, it is expanding rapidly in Cyprus and Bulgaria and is also still growing in Greece, despite that being a mature market.

The success of this segment is also linked to some challenges that the industry needs to face. According to Chomonev, producers can never compete with the industry when it comes to quantities. “There will be a moment in the markets when the demand will outperform the supply,” he cautioned.

Nutritional or marketing benefits?

The BARF diet consists of different types of raw food, including fresh, uncooked meat, bones, fruits, vegetables, herbs, dairy, whole grains, minerals and supplements. But does it really help pets to have a better life? Marge Chandler, an independent consultant in small animal nutrition, believes that there are some misperceptions about pet nutrition with raw food. “Feeding a BARF diet has a marketing appeal rather than nutritional benefits,” she said in an interview with GlobalPETS.

When asked about the advantages of a BARF diet for pets compared with other types of food, Chandler replied that “it is neither better nor safer” and highlighted that there are no scientifically proven benefits. “There are anecdotes both for and against these diets, but the plural of ‘anecdote’ is not ‘data’,” she said. The term ‘natural’, which is often linked to the BARF diet, “does not necessarily result in a better diet, or even a complete diet,” she stated. Furthermore, she pointed out that although there is guidance, there are no regulations at a European level on the use of this word on labeling.